On 11-14 November 2024, a workshop on supporting the mental health of nuclear facility personnel in war and crisis situations was held as part of the IAEA Programme on Medical assistance for operating staff at the nuclear power plants (NPPs) in Ukraine.
The workshop was attended by experts in psychology, medicine, and occupational safety from all NPPs and their satellite cities, who provide training for operational personnel and are responsible for the proper state of their physical and mental health, as well as representatives of the Directorate of SE «NNEGC «Energoatom», SNRIU, and the State Institution “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine, Hematology and Oncology of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine”.
In addition to the online sessions conducted throughout the year by psychologists from Austria, the United Kingdom, and the Social and Psychological Centre of Slavutych, covering topics such as mitigating the impact of the conflict on mental health, addressing post-traumatic stress disorder, methods of psychological recovery, maintaining stress resistance and preventing professional burnout, the seminar was full of practical exercises and personal communication, during which participants exchanged knowledge and unique experiences.
The IAEA, in cooperation with Ukrainian experts, organised and conducted a series of workshops to build the capacity of mental health teams, create the necessary mental health expertise to support managers and operational staff, and share international best practices, standards of psychological counselling and enhance the long-term impact of the support programme for both individuals and the team.
This work is part of the Medical assistance programme for operating staff at the nuclear power plants in Ukraine and was initiated by the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in response to the challenging circumstances and the need to ensure the continuous readiness of personnel to perform their duties in a time of war.
“Mental health of personnel is crucial for nuclear safety. It is extremely important to recognise the stressful conditions under which operators of these critical facilities work. Good health is essential to withstand the mental strain of war and the increased risk of a nuclear accident. In April 2023, we launched the Medical assistance programme for operating staff at the nuclear power plants in Ukraine. We support both each individual and the team as a whole”, said Rafael Grossi in his welcoming speech to the seminar participants and expressed his admiration for the experience and dedication of Ukrainian specialists.
“The whole Ukrainian society is under stress today, the war has not spared anyone. However, Ukrainian nuclear engineers are experiencing a double or even triple psychological burden, because they are responsible for the safe operation of nuclear facilities and for preventing serious incidents with radiation consequences. Nuclear workers have no room for error. Psychological balance, stress resistance, and the ability to keep a cool head are some of the main requirements for applicants for work at nuclear power plants, along with the need to have the appropriate education, qualifications, knowledge, and skills to act in any, even the most difficult, situations. And today, in the context of the full-scale war of the russian federation against Ukraine, missile attacks on energy infrastructure facilities, which negatively affects NPP operation, our nuclear engineers demonstrate their high professionalism to the whole world”, Head of SNRIU - Chief State Inspector for Nuclear and Radiation Safety of Ukraine Oleh Korikov said, noting the importance of implementing the IAEA programme on Medical assistance for operating staff at the nuclear power plants (NPPs) in Ukraine.