Psychologists from the City Clinical Children’s Hospital No. 16 of the Kharkiv City Council initiated a project of psychomotional support for young patients and their families in August 2022, which continues to this day. Vlada Yevseyeva, the head of the hospital’s psychological service, spoke about the project “It’s Not an Album!”
“Last year, due to constant shelling of the city, there was an increased need for psychological knowledge and additional resources to overcome anxiety in children and adults. The idea of the project is that when children are admitted to the hospital or come for scheduled examinations, they receive anti-stress kits from their doctor,” says the psychologist.
Inside the package, there’s a drawing album, crayons, an anti-stress toy, and a booklet with exercises to overcome various emotional states.
“The title ‘It’s Not an Album!’ grabs attention and suggests looking at ordinary things from a different perspective. In reality, very simple things help both children and adults overcome difficulties in everyday life and find solace. The kit includes an album and a booklet with the phrase ‘It’s Not an Album. It’s an Anti-Stress Tool,'” explains Vlada.
A child’s psyche possesses many reserves for overcoming stress. Free play—movement, sculpting, drawing, singing, creating stories alongside caring adults—are powerful tools for recovery. Moreover, if children are taught to differentiate their emotions and discuss them in the moment, it will contribute to stress reduction, develop psychological flexibility, and assist in the child’s personal growth,” Vlada clarifies.
According to her, doctors noticed a positive effect from working with anti-stress kits. They manage to establish a connection with the children more quickly, and young patients enjoy using the album in various proposed ways. In the children’s imagination, the hospital transforms into a place where they are awaited as artists.
The project received support from the book factory “Unisoft Ukraine”. Specialists developed the design of booklets and regularly print the necessary circulation. The charitable foundation “GLOBAL2000 for Children in Ukraine” supports the project by purchasing materials for the kits. Approximately 1500 kits have been distributed over the course of the entire project.
Photo: Vlada Yevseyeva