News

Psychological support for students

In the last three years, the need for psychological counseling and support seems even more necessary than ever before. The period of the individual waves of the COVID 19 pandemic resulted into an isolation of students and staff, psychological pressure and fear of an unknown threat, all deepened and multiplied by the outbreak of war in the neighboring state.

The war in Ukraine has affected all of us, but above all, Ukrainian citizens and thus the Ukrainian students studying at UCM.
There are 98 Ukrainian students enrolled at the university this academic year. In addition to the constant fear for the safety of their families in Ukraine, they are now feeling the uncertainty about own future, lack of funds and the further development of the situation. What's more, male Ukrainian students now have to face the fear of enlistment in the armed forces.

In terms of material and finance, the university as well as many other institutions- state and non-profit institutions and civic associations immediately secured and organized the necessary steps.

However, the university management realized that it is necessary to provide support in terms of mental health. In addition to various types of the psychological support services,  the Psychological Counseling Center as a professional institution established for a long time at the Faculty of Arts, UCM in Trnava, began to implement a brand new project - a series of group meetings.

Group meetings are designed for Ukrainian students and are aimed at their emotional support and stress reduction. The main goal is to reduce the emotional strain and fear that students may experience as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine and to support them in coping with a psychologically demanding life situation and crisis.

The meetings take place in the psychological counseling center directly at the university premises and are interpreted into Russian.
Early psychological intervention can also be of a fundamental preventive nature. Therefore, we believe that the new group sessions project will help our Ukrainian colleagues to overcome the tense periods they are going through.
Students can register for the meetings via the e-mail address: poradnajohn(zav.)doeucm.sk.

Submitted by: Matej Lackovič
Responsible person: Ing. Jana Štefánková, Ph.D.
Source: Department of Public Relations
Inserted: 20.4.2022