USU Faculty Named Honorary Members of the Association of Neuropsychologists of Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers stand at a joint exercise in 2018.

By Claire Pak 


Six members of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) Department of Psychiatry faculty were bestowed honorary membership in the Association of Neuropsychologists of Ukraine for their continued support to the country’s mental health community.

Retired Army Col. (Dr.) David Benedek (pictured), chair of USU's Department of Psychiatry, along with USU and Massachusetts General Hospital colleagues, were bestowed honorary membership in the Ukraine Association of Neuropsychologists for their  continued support to the country's mental health community. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU)
Retired Army Col. (Dr.) David Benedek (pictured), chair of USU's
Department of Psychiatry, along with USU and Massachusetts
General Hospital colleagues, were bestowed honorary membership
in the Ukraine Association of Neuropsychologists for their 
continued support to the country's mental health community.
(Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU)
Retired Army Col. (Dr.) David Benedek, ret. Army Col. (Dr.) Wendi Waits, retired Navy Capt. (Dr.) James (Curt) West, Army Col. (Dr.) Vincent Capaldi, U.S. Public Health Service Capt. (Dr.) Joshua Morganstein, and retired Air Force Col. (Dr.) Robert Ursano, professor and former chair of Psychiatry, and founding director of USU’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS); along with colleagues from Massachusetts General Hospital received the recognition during a virtual conference of more than 200 Ukrainian mental health professionals for the Association of Neuropsychologists of Ukraine in July. 

Benedek, Morganstein, and Waits, in collaboration with professors from Massachusetts General Hospital, gave presentations focused on understanding and treating psychological responses to trauma. Speaking from his experience as a former U.S. Army psychiatrist, Benedek said the U.S. military now has a “greater recognition of the importance of care for traumatic psychological experience,” and a better understanding of the psychological impact on military personnel and civilians who witness violence and death. 

Dr. Dmitry Garyshkin, President of the Association of Neuropsychologists of Ukraine, invited Benedek and his colleagues to share their specialized experience on operational mental health issues at the conference as part of the association’s mid-year events. Garyshkin also serves as director of the Simeino Center for Neuropsychology, Correction, and Neurorehabilitation and provides psychological care and treatment to soldiers and civilians impacted by the Russo-Ukrainian War as a clinical neuropsychologist. 

In May 2022, several USU national faculty members and alumni traveled to Ukraine as volunteers with the Global Surgical Medical Support Group (GSMSG), where they assisted Ukrainian colleagues at the Emergency Medical Clinical Hospital in Lviv. While the GSMSG team focused on treating physical injuries, the USU Psychiatry faculty members are supporting Garyshkin and his colleagues as they work to address psychological wounds resulting from the war. In addition to presenting at the July conference, Benedek and others participate in biweekly calls with Garyshkin and his team, providing consultation and advice as part of an ongoing collaboration.

"Through this collaboration, we are able to provide consulting and training support to our Ukrainian counterparts, while also gaining additional insights on immediate response to trauma and the long-term psychological impacts of war... It’s an honor to work with dedicated colleagues in such a time of need.” - Retired Army Col. (Dr.) David Benedek, Chair, Department of Psychiatry, USU

The conference focused on the mental health effects of mass trauma events including conflict, displacement, disasters, and public violence. As Garyshkin explained, it is not only Ukraine’s soldiers and military personnel who experience psychological injuries resulting from the conflict. He is concerned with the war’s psychological effects on civilians, especially children. As Ukrainian civilians seek counseling for themselves and their children, Garyshkin noted he and his colleagues often see patients from early morning until late at night, with many sessions conducted virtually via platforms such as Zoom and Telegram. 

Expanding on the topic of technology and social media, Benedek said that although public discourse around social networking and mobile communication technology tends to emphasize a disconnect, these platforms also enable connection and support during times of disaster or crisis. Garyshkin agreed “100 percent,” acknowledging that, while the spread of misinformation remains a risk with social media, it has value as a tool that enables families and friends to see and hear one another, thus reducing their anxiety about the safety and whereabouts of loved ones.

Ukraine’s psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists work nearly around the clock; however, Garyshkin acknowledges that many people in need are not able to access care even as demand continues to rise. Benedek, with the benefit of his combat zone experience, spoke to this lack of access with advice for those in trauma, explaining that two critical factors - social support and maintaining physical health - can make a considerable difference for people in crisis. 

Dr. Dmitry Garyshkin, President of the Association of Ukrainian Neuropsychologists, invited Benedek and his colleagues to share their specialized experience on operational mental health issues at the conference as part of the association’s mid-year events. (Photo courtesy of  Dr. Dmitry Garyshkin)
Dr. Dmitry Garyshkin, President of the Association of Neuropsychologists
of Ukraine, invited Benedek and his colleagues to share their specialized
experience on operational mental health issues at the conference as part
of the association’s mid-year events. (Photo courtesy of  Dr. Dmitry
Garyshkin)
“Caring for physical health (nutrition, hydration, exercise, and adequate rest) makes a tremendous difference,” Benedek said, “and social support - having someone to talk to, whether it’s a friend, family member, spouse, parent - is absolutely essential.”

Garyshkin and Benedek, in their capacities as both scientists and clinicians, spoke about the difficulty of sustaining research efforts in a crisis environment. As Ukrainian mental health professionals work long hours to provide care to people in need, research on the advancement of care remains top in their minds. Garyshkin noted that he and his colleagues are working to design assessment tools that will eventually help researchers collect and analyze data on long-term psychological impacts such as post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, anxiety and cognitive delays in individuals resulting from the war. 

“Our work with Dr. Garyshkin and his colleagues in Ukraine remind us that military medicine encompasses much more than combat surgery and emergency treatment,” Benedek said, speaking on continuing research at USU’s Psychiatry Department and its implications for soldiers and civilians in Ukraine. “Those directly impacted by war–whether military, military families, or civilians facing violence or displacement–need immediate and ongoing mental health care. Research and discovery also remain essential, even in a war zone. Through this collaboration, we are able to provide consulting and training support to our Ukrainian counterparts, while also gaining additional insights on immediate response to trauma and the long-term psychological impacts of war. This ongoing dialogue benefits our medical education and our research. 

“It’s an honor to work with dedicated colleagues in such a time of need.”