War leaves marks that outlast the fighting. This session looks at what war does to the mental health of those who serve and those who live through it, and at what care and resilience require in response.

At the same time, care is needed in the most urgent situations. What infrastructure, experience and care are relevant, helpful and available in times of war? This symposium explores the role of government, mental health and care providers while society is in crisis, and the implications for policy.

We open with a keynote by Dutch Marine Robin Imthorn, who speaks from personal experience of living with PTSD. Dr. René Keet, Dutch psychiatrist, Chair of EUCOMS and WHO-Ukraine consultant, will then respond from a clinical and policy perspective.

A panel follows with Dr. Oleh Turiy and Oksana Kulakovska of the Ukrainian Catholic University, and Dmytro Zhluktenko, member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They bring the Ukrainian experience of care and resilience under wartime conditions. The session closes with an open discussion with the audience.

This is a closed meeting for around 40 participants from the mental health field, research institutes and NGOs, including representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Clingendael Institute and The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS).

This meeting is part of the expert symposium Lessons from Ukraine, a collaboration between Socires, the Draiflessen Academy and the Ukrainian Catholic University.