“There are two emergencies unfolding: One is trauma, and the second is disruption of infrastructure and treatment to those who are already mentally ill,” Dr. Dombrovski, associate professor of psychiatry and Pittsburgh Foundation Endowed Professor in Mind and Brain Research in the School of Medicine, told Pittwire.
Dr. Dombrovski and Dr. Andreescu, an associate professor of psychiatry, both have personal ties to the crisis. Dr. Dombrovski, a Moscow native, used his shame toward the actions of Russia as a call to action, and Dr. Andreescu, originally from Romania, has witnessed firsthand the generational trauma from past Soviet rule.
While the U.S. military is providing billions of dollars in aid, Dr. Andreescu and Dr. Dombrovski are working with the Federation Global Initiative on Psychiatry to fundraise the monetary support they need to provide psychiatric support services such as delivering and distributing psychiatric medications, along with basic necessities, to mental health institutions in Ukraine.
“It really is a war like no other we have seen. You can imagine the psychological impact of that on people,” Dr. Dombrovski said.
Donations can be made on the Federation Global Initiative on Psychiatry website.
