The purpose of the study was to assess the basic needs of adolescents in healthcare and the obstacles to accessing these services in the context of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
The focus was on the following components of adolescent health:
- restoration and preservation of mental health;
- preservation of sexual and reproductive health;
- HIV and STD prevention;
- healthy eating;
- irst aid, behavior during shelling, air raids, mining risks, etc.
The study design was a qualitative sociological study using the following data collection methods.
1) In-depth interviews with experts from among providers (potential providers) of medical and psychological care services for adolescents, including:
- doctors (including family doctors, gynecologists, dermatovenerologists) who provide medical care to adolescents;
- psychologists who provide psychological counseling and care to adolescents.
Interviews with the experts by phone.
2) Focus groups with teenagers (online format using Zoom).
A total of 6 FGDs were conducted: 3 focus groups with boys and girls aged 15-17. Participants live in different regions of Ukraine (Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Odesa, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, and Cherkasy regions) and represent various social groups (including 20 adolescents from the local population and 10 IDPs). This made it possible to collect data on the specifics of the needs and challenges of various groups of adolescents, including analyzing the specifics of access to relevant services in regions that have been affected by the war differently.
Other researches
Impact evaluation of the project “Improving HIV treatment adherence of HIV+ and at-risk women through holistic emergency support and care during the Ukraine humanitarian crisis”
Needs and background analysis of the home care and palliative care services in the territorial communities of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts
Needs assessment for psychosocial support of IDP affected by gender-based/sexual violence