The large-scale need for mental health support in Ukraine during the ongoing war has required rapid preparation of psychological consultants capable of delivering evidence-based, low-intensity interventions. This presentation describes a supervised training model for Problem Management Plus (PM+), a low-intensity psychological intervention developed by the World Health Organization, implemented with mental health consultants who themselves continue to live and work under wartime conditions.
Three training cohorts were conducted with consultants from different regions of Ukraine, including Kyiv and western regions, Kharkiv and surrounding areas, and southern regions such as Mykolaiv and Kherson. The training model combined an intensive initial training with structured supervision and guided practice with real clients over a seven-week period. While self-reported confidence and understanding of the PM+ program were assessed following the initial training, the primary focus of this presentation is on the role of supervised practice in supporting meaningful professional integration of the intervention.
Client-level outcome monitoring was used as an indirect indicator of training effectiveness. Across the cohorts, consultants worked with adult clients experiencing high levels of stress and psychological distress related to prolonged exposure to war. Repeated measures included mental health indicators, self-reported functioning, and weekly ratings of problem severity and overall wellbeing. Overall trends indicated gradual improvements across the intervention period, despite contextual challenges such as ongoing insecurity and instability.
The findings highlight that initial training alone is insufficient for preparing consultants to work effectively in complex humanitarian settings. Instead, supervised practice appears to play a critical role in consolidating skills, supporting clinical decision-making, and fostering confidence in real-world conditions where both consultants and clients are affected by shared stressors. The presentation discusses practical implications for workforce development, supervision models, and sustainable implementation of brief psychological interventions in wartime contexts.