In this heartfelt conversation, Dennis Ougrin, a professor of child psychiatry, discusses his work in developing Intensive Community Care Services for children with mental health issues, particularly in the context of refugees and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

He emphasises the importance of community support, routine, and honest communication with children about their experiences. Ougrin shares insights on recognising PTSD symptoms in children and the effectiveness of creative interventions like art therapy.

He concludes with a call to action for listeners to consider how they can contribute to ending wars and supporting affected children.

Some key take aways from our conversation are:

• Intensive Community Care Services can be more beneficial than inpatient care.
• Community support is crucial for children's mental health recovery.
• Routine and predictability are essential for children, especially those affected by trauma.
• Honesty with children about traumatic events fosters trust and healing.
• Art therapy can provide a non-threatening way for children to express themselves.
• Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) helps children manage PTSD symptoms.
• The power of community can significantly aid in the healing process.
• Recognising specific PTSD symptoms in children is vital for effective support.
• Parents and educators should create safe spaces for children to talk about their experiences.
• Ending wars is essential for the well-being of children affected by conflict.

Some key words from this conversation are:

• child psychiatry
• community care
• PTSD
• refugees
• Ukrainian children
• mental health
• art therapy
• recovery techniques
• support strategies
• war impact

Our conversation contains references to some disturbing facts about war. Go carefully on here, some of the information that follows is very direct, so make sure you’re happy to keep listening – leave it and come back later if you need to.

If you are worried about the immediate well-being of yourself or someone else you can find more support in our “Where to go for Help” Section link below:

Nip in the Bud - Where to get help

https://nipinthebud.org/where-to-get-help/