Mental Health Week initiatives launch across Germany and Ukraine

Germany is observing the Mental Health Week from October 10 to 20, 2026, under the motto ‘Together instead of side by side – for a society where every psyche counts’. Coordinated by the Aktionsbündnis Seelische Gesundheit, the initiative features over 800 regional and digital programs across more than 200 cities to promote acceptance and solidarity for those with mental illnesses.

Events include information markets in Berlin, musical readings in Wittenberg and Dessau, and large-scale programs in Bielefeld. Various institutions, including the Protestant Church and the Association of German Psychologists, are providing counseling, workshops, and educational forums to reduce stigma and offer support to those in crisis.

Separately, the humanitarian organization Help - Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe has issued a warning regarding the escalation of psychological warfare in Ukraine. Program Manager David El Haidag noted that constant shelling and threats in cities like Kyiv are causing severe mental distress, particularly among children, necessitating urgent psychosocial support.