Web portal «How Are You?»

Kitsoft developed the mental health web portal as part of the Ukrainian program «How Are You?» initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska. The program is aimed at building a quality system for providing psychosocial support services and developing a culture of caring for mental health.

At least 15 million Ukrainians need psychological help – data from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. According to a 2024 survey by Gradus Research, nearly 80% of Ukrainians experience stress and severe nervousness. 40% of respondents shared that they felt the need for psychological assistance in the last six months, while only 8% actually sought help from specialists.

The mission of the Ukrainian mental health program «How Are You?» is to transform the care of mental health into a daily habit for Ukrainians.

In the backdrop of daily distressing news, rocket attacks, human suffering, and misery, asking oneself «How Are You?» seems untimely. However, psychological well-being and understanding what is happening in our inner world is more timely than ever. 

– emphasizes Olena Zelenska.

Mental health is not only essential for a fulfilling and happy life but also an economic category that affects work capacity, resourcefulness, and the ability to function effectively in society, just like physical health.

This necessitates a system of services and tools that will provide effective means and mechanisms to support individuals in facing challenges and finding sources of strength.

Such a guide through difficult times for Ukrainians has become the online platform «How Are You?».

In creating the structure and prototypes of the website and developing the design concept, we focused on studying similar existing resources. Our specialists researched more than 10 examples of resources dedicated to psychological health and self-help, drawing from experiences in countries like the USA, Canada, the UK, France, Norway, the Netherlands, Australia, and others.

Based on the analysis of international experience, the target audiences of the web portal, their main queries, and considering accessibility requirements, the team reached the following conclusions in working on the site structure:

• Focus on people in crisis needing psychological help;

• Ease of finding hotlines for critical situations;

• Conciseness in the presentation of information;

• Intuitively understandable navigation;

• Inclusivity of web pages;

• Minimal number of steps to find answers to the main queries of target audiences;

• Confidentiality of data when filling out tests or surveys online*.

Mental health is directly related to the concept of accessibility.

This involves a comprehensive approach to ensuring equal rights and opportunities by overcoming barriers: from spreading inclusive practices and implementing accessibility to caring about mental health, which forms the foundation of each person's well-being.

Therefore, in developing the site, we ensured it was user-friendly for various age and social groups. The updated web portal meets the requirements of accessibility and web inclusivity criteria for individuals with visual impairments, motor disabilities, color perception issues, etc.

The site's compliance with web accessibility standards was confirmed by the results of an audit using a combination of semi-automatic evaluation tools and manual assessment by certified testers.

In addition to fostering a culture of psychological health in Ukraine and promoting a positive attitude towards psychological support services, the site aims to create specific action protocols for stress management and provide techniques for self-help and supporting others.

The updated web portal aims to be the single access point to comprehensive information within the Ukrainian Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Program for the population affected by the aggressor's military actions.

The site menu has been simplified to meet the needs of individuals requiring urgent help for themselves or others.

Focus on the main page on the first three screens: 

• Main search block.

In addition to the search bar that helps a person form their query, this block has tags that direct to corresponding pages in one click.

• Current materials block.

Contains guides and advice on various topics with responses to the most urgent queries.

• Practical block «I Need Help».

Quick access to self-help tools and psychological services online, offline, and by hotline.

On the «Self-Help» page, we used concise content formats, understanding that people in distress need short advice and quick actions to improve their condition. Anything requiring more time to review is moved to the «Materials» section.

Many of the issues addressed in the site's materials intersect, so it was decided to structure the content not by audiences but by themes — situations, instructions, questions, etc.

Also, the main page contains information about the Ukrainian Mental Health Program and news and events on the platform.

«If the «How Are You?» landing page previously created the impression of a static site, now the online platform serves as a knowledge base about mental health. The structure of the site has become more transparent, and the menu is intuitive. We also improved site navigation to make it more responsive to user queries».

– notes Antonina Shved, Project Manager of Kitsoft.

«The war has become the biggest barrier to the mental health of the population, preventing many people from getting rid of anxiety and living a normal life. Realizing the consequences, as evidenced by many studies, it is necessary to invest resources in strengthening resilience, which is the basis of mental health. We believe that the “How are you?” platform, updated with the Kitsoft team, will become the source where everyone, based on their needs and requests, will find tools to support mental health. The platform meets accessibility requirements, combining evidence-based self-help techniques, verified recommendations from mental health professionals, hotlines, and online and offline psychological support services. The platform's intuitive design and simple structure do not distract from unnecessary things. We are grateful to Kitsoft for bringing this solution to life and developing a vital tool to support the resilience and resourcefulness of Ukrainians». 

– Oksana Zbitneva, Head of NGO «Barrier-Free».

The development and implementation of the Ukrainian Mental Health Program «How Are You?», initiated by Olena Zelenska, are coordinated by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The World Health Organization acts as the expert partner, and the non-governmental organization «Accessibility» serves as the executor. The communication campaign is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

*the web portal is currently being populated.