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Media opportunity: People experiencing anxiety linked to the war in Ukraine can seek support through free, multilingual texting resource developed by Dalhousie professor

Posted by Communications and Marketing on March 24, 2022 in News

A new initiative being led by a Dalhousie University professor is providing free advice and support to Canadians experiencing anxiety about the ongoing war in Ukraine, while gathering important data on how text messaging may help alleviate such stressors.

Hope4Ukraine is a texting service that offers positive daily messages to people in four languages: Ukrainian, Russian, French and English. It is similar to Text4Hope, a text messaging program that was found in a recent study to reduce distress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vincent Agyapong, a professor of Psychiatry and Global Mental Health at Dalhousie and an international leader in mobile health, is leading the project that aims to close the treatment gap through messages that are affordable and can be delivered to thousands of people simultaneously.

People will receive the messages after texting Hope4Ukraine to the number linked to the desired language. The messages offer reassurance and direct recipients to self-help websites and other resources.

Dr. Agyapong is available to discuss the innovative program and how it could be used as an accessible strategy to enhance mental health services. 

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Media contact:

Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Communications, Marketing and Creative Services
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca

Ariann Greenidge
Administrative Assistant
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine
Email: ariann.greenidge@nshealth.ca


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