Psychological rehabilitation for servicemen may become obligatory

The National Guard of Ukraine introduces the NATO standards of medical and psychological rehabilitation.

This was announced by representative of the psychological service of the National Guard of Ukraine, Colonel Serhiy Chyzhevsky, Ukrinform Ukrainian news agency reports.

“The bill No.2686 on amendments to the Law of Ukraine ‘On Social and Legal Protection of Servicemen and Their Families’ providing for obligatory and free of charge medical and psychological rehabilitation for the military after fighting in the extreme, combat conditions is pending the second reading in the parliamentary committee for national security and defense,” Chyzhevsky said.

As the military psychologist noted, undergoing of such rehabilitation will be obligatory. The duration will be determined separately in each case. It may be enough just a few minutes of conversation with the psychologist for one, while others will need to take a course for a few years, including with the involvement of their families.

According to him, the National Guard uses the experience of psychological support for the U.S. and Israeli military, introduces the NATO standards of medical and psychological rehabilitation, and prepares its own specialists.

“We want a skilled civil expert to lend further psychological support to the veterans, so that the military are not left alone with their problems after the demobilization and their families are also given some support and attention. In particular, this work is carried out in cooperation with the State Service for Veterans and ATO Participants,” Chyzhevsky noted.

He added that the service created a single all-Ukrainian base of the military in need of such assistance and 685 servicemen of the National Guard had been already added there.