uSupport – a new psychological support platform for young people from Poland and Ukraine

The pilot of the uSupport programme – an innovative online platform for providing psychological support, created with the support of UNICEF – has just launched in Poland. Our country is one of four countries to test the solution, which aims to promote the mental health and social well-being of young people. 

uSupport Poland is dedicated to both Polish and Ukrainian youth, particularly those with refugee and migrant experiences. The platform’s development and implementation in Poland are overseen by the UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland and Tuser – a spin-off company of SWPS University founded by an interdisciplinary team of researchers. 

A safe space online 

uSupport offers: 

• an online psychological support platform for young people from Poland and Ukraine aged 16–24,
• the possibility to submit questions in a Q&A module or book an online consultation with a psychologist,
• sessions conducted by verified professionals in accordance with the Psychologist’s Code of Ethics and European and Polish legal standards,
• psychological support available in Polish, Ukrainian, and Russian,
• content and materials prepared in collaboration with young people from both countries,
• hundreds of free sessions available as part of the pilot, made possible thanks to the support from the UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland. 

“Mental health and well-being of young people is a growing global priority. uSupport delivers inclusive, youth-centered mental health care for Polish and Ukrainian adolescents-underscoring our commitment to systems that protect and empower youth and adolescents,” said Diana Vakarelska, Country Coordinator for the UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland. 

Why is this so important? 

According to the report by the Institute of Psychology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, “Mental Well-being in Poland. What Do We Think About Psychological Help?”, young adults are the group most likely to experience low mood and chronic fatigue. Meanwhile, the “Młode Głowy” (Young Minds) report by the UNAWEZA Foundation shows that in 2023, 8.8% of surveyed students in Poland reported having attempted suicide, 39.2% had suicidal thoughts, and 29.3% were suspected of having depression. 

The situation among young refugees and displaced youth is also concerning. According to a UNICEF report (2024), prepared in cooperation with the Foundation of the Institute of Mother and Child and the Institute of Psychology at SWPS University, titled "Understanding Ukrainian adolescents’ attitudes to Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Poland", the WHO-5 well-being index showed that about one in four Ukrainian teenagers (24%) reported a low level of well-being, and almost half (43%) felt lonely most of the time after arriving in Poland. 

“Relationships, communication, and access to psychological support are the foundations of a good life. Through uSupport, we want to create a space where young people can talk safely, express their emotions, and receive support,” said Agata Graczykowska, the project coordinator representing Tuser. 

Knowledge and help in one place 

In addition to individual sessions, uSupport will serve as a source of reliable, evidence-based psychological articles and guides. The platform is designed not only for young people but also for their parents, teachers, and psychologists – those who often are the first to notice a crisis. All materials available on the platform have been culturally adapted and tested with young people from both Poland and Ukraine. 

Observation and development 

The uSupport platform will be developed in stages – new features and content will be tailored to the needs of young users. This means the project will continue to evolve to best address the real psychological and social challenges faced by the young generation. 

Inauguration 

Although the uSupport platform is already available to users, its official launch will take place on October 10, on World Mental Health Day. This symbolic date highlights the importance of the issue and serves as an invitation to collective action to help break the stigma around mental health. 

More information: poland.usupport.online