Other communities impacted by the invasion

The invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces has also had an impact on the mental health and wellbeing of people from former communist countries in Eastern Europe particularly those bordering Ukraine including Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and the Russia. This section provides general information to assist in providing services to these communities.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this section is not exhaustive and includes information about the larger communities in NSW that may be affected by the invasion of Ukraine however does not encompass all communities. This profile contains general information only and cannot be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. The Transcultural Mental Health is not responsible for the information provided by external websites and documents listed in this resource.

Note on Culture

Communities in NSW

Culture

Mental Health

Literature

Community Organisations in NSW

Service Providers

Bilingual Mental Health Professionals

Multilingual Resources

References and Further Reading

Note on Culture

This profile has been prepared by the Transcultural Mental Health Centre. It aims to provide general information about people and culture. It is not prescriptive and cannot be applied to every individual born in these countries or with such heritage. It is important to remember that culture is more than a set of inherited traditions and beliefs. Culture is shaped by historical, political, social and economic circumstances and is constantly evolving and changing as it circulates across nations and geographic boundaries.

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Communities in NSW

There has been a extensive history of migration from Eastern Europe to Australia, particularly following WWII and since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Demographics

According to the Australian Census in 2016:

There were 6,417 people born in Hungary living in NSW and 24,670 people with Hungarian ancestry. Most people with Hungarian ancestry in NSW speak English at home (68.2%) while 24.2% speak Hungarian at home.
There were 1,022 people born in Lithuania living in NSW and 5,895 people with Lithuanian ancestry. Most people with Lithuanian ancestry speak English at home (83%) while 11.3% speak Lithuanian at home.
There were 13450 people born in Poland living in NSW and 29,224 with Polish ancestry. 53% of people with Polish ancestry in NSW speak English at home while 42.8% speak Polish at home.
There were 3,471 people in NSW born in Romania and 5,941 people with Romanian ancestry. 48.9% of people with Romanian ancestry in NSW speak English at home while 37.8% speak Romanian.
There were 7,587 people in NSW born in the Russian Federation and 31,664 people with Russian ancestry. 48% of people with Russian ancestry in NSW speak English at home while 43.4% speak Russian.

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Culture

The following resources provide information about the cultures of communities in NSW that may be impacted by the invasion of Ukraine.

SBS Cultural Atlas – Hungarian Culture
SBS Cultural Atlas – Polish Culture

SBS Cultural Atlas – Romanian Culture

SBS Cultural Atlas – Russian Culture

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Mental Health

There are a range of factors that influence the mental health and wellbeing of these communities in Australia. People may fear for the safety of family and friends still living in Europe and worry about the future of their country of origin. For some, the current crisis may trigger traumatic memories of past experiences. It is important to understand the individual context and experiences of each person and to avoid stereotyping or generalisations across these communities.

Some of the other factors impacting on the mental health and wellbeing of Eastern European communities include:

Traumatic pre-migration experiences can result in high incidence of mental illness and vulnerability to stress (Chow 1999, Salama 2020, Schubert 2019)
Reluctance to discuss mental health issues and expectation of being able to cope with psychological problems on their own (Dolberg 2019, Southcott 2019)
Lack of knowledge about mental illnesses, appropriate treatment and services available (Dolberg 2019, Landa 2015, Schubert 2019, Team 2007)
The use of psychiatry as a tool of repression in the Soviet era resulting in distrust of service providers (especially government services), stigma and fear of asking for help (Chow 1999, Dolberg 2019, Schubert 2019)
Lack of cultural awareness and appropriate referral pathways among service providers (Chow 1999, Team 2017)
High incidence of undiagnosed mental health issues (Landa 2015)
Somatization of mental health issues (Schubert 2019)
Sense of ambivalence regarding political upheavals in home country (Andits 2015, Petra 2021)
Experience of discrimination can contribute to increased emotional distress (Salama 2020, Tankosić 2021, Team 2007)
Strong social and community ties and maintenance of culture can contribute to good mental health (Birman 2014, Southcott, 2019)

Literature

Andits, P., 2015. Rethinking home, belonging, and the potentials of transnationalism: Australian hungarians after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Ethos, 43(4), pp.313-331. https://doi.org/10.1111/etho.1210

Birman, D., Simon, C.D., Chan, W.Y. and Tran, N., 2014. A life domains perspective on acculturation and psychological adjustment: A study of refugees from the former Soviet Union. American Journal of Community Psychology, 53(1), pp.60-72. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10464-013-9614-2

Birman, D. and Taylor-Ritzler, T. 2007 Acculturation and psychological distress among adolescent immigrants from the former Soviet Union: exploring the mediating effect of family relationships. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 13 (4), 337. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-15428-008

Chow, J.C.C., Jaffee, K.D. and Choi, D.Y., 1999. Use of public mental health services by Russian refugees. Psychiatric Services, 50(7), pp.936-940. https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/ps.50.7.936

de Almeida Vieira Monteiro, A.P.T. and Serra, A.V., 2011. Vulnerability to stress in migratory contexts: a study with eastern European immigrants residing in Portugal. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 13(4), pp.690-696. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10903-011-9451-z

Demutska, A. and Kiropoulos, L., 2021. Depression and anxiety symptoms in Russian-speaking skilled immigrants living in Australia: A comparison with Anglo-Australians and Russian-speaking non-immigrants. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 84, pp.1-11. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147176721000894

Dolberg, P., Goldfracht, M., Karkabi, K., Bleichman, I., Fleischmann, S. and Ayalon, L., 2019. Knowledge and attitudes about mental health among older immigrants from the former Soviet Union to Israel and their primary care physicians. Transcultural Psychiatry, 56(1), pp.123-145. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1363461518794233

Ekblad, S. 2008 Mental health among recent immigrants to Sweden from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. International Psychiatry, 5 (3), 55-57. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-psychiatry/article/mental-health-among-recent-immigrants-to-sweden-from-eastern-europe-and-the-former-soviet-union/120525D814CBC5B14F30084A0930C2A6

Iris, M. and Schrauf, R.W., 2017. Aging, memory loss, and Alzheimer’s disease: What do refugees from the former Soviet Union think?. Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging, 29(2-3), pp.130-146. https://doi.org/10.1080/15528030.2016.1169568

Isralowitz, R., Straussner, S.L.A., Vogt, I. and Chtenguelov, V., 2002. A preliminary exploration of immigrant substance abusers from the former Soviet Union living in Israel, Germany and the United States: a multi-national perspective. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 2(3-4), pp.119-136. https://doi.org/10.1300/J160v02n03_08

Kinowska, Z., & Pakulski, J. 2018. Polish migrants and organizations in Australia. Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 10(2), 33–45. https://www.scienceopen.com/document_file/49f83e7b-4c84-4549-a388-56a8f3720c4e/API/Kinowska%20DOIs.pdf

Knaifel, E. and Mirsky, J., 2015. Interplay of identities: a narrative study of self-perceptions among immigrants with severe mental illness from the former Soviet Union. Transcultural Psychiatry, 52(1), pp.74-95. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1363461514552585

Krupnik, V. E., et al. 2005 The Effects of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks on Russian Immigrants: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 12 (4), 61-77. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J137v11n02_04

Landa, A., Skritskaya, N., Nicasio, A., Humensky, J. and Lewis-Fernández, R., 2015. Unmet need for treatment of depression among immigrants from the former USSR in the US: A primary care study. The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 50(3), pp.271-289. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0091217415610320

Morawa, E. and Erim, Y. 2016 Traumatic events, posttraumatic stress disorder and utilization of psychotherapy in immigrants of Polish origin in Germany. Psychotherapie Psychosomatik Medizinische Psychologie, 66 (9-10), 369-376. https://europepmc.org/article/med/27723927

Norris, F. H., et al. 2002 Placing age differences in cultural context: A comparison of the effects of age on PTSD after disasters in the United States, Mexico, and Poland. Journal of Clinical Geropsychology, 8 (3), 153-173. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1015940126474

Persky, I. and Birman, D. 2005 Ethnic identity in acculturation research: A study of multiple identities of Jewish refugees from the former Soviet Union. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 36 (5), 557-572. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022022105278542

Petra, A., 2021. ‘One of my eyes was crying, the other was laughing’: understanding ambivalence in post-1990 Australian-Hungarian homeland discourses. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, pp.1-15. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369183X.2021.1944067

Salama, E., Castaneda, A.E., Suvisaari, J., Rask, S., Laatikainen, T. and Niemelä, S., 2020. Substance use, affective symptoms, and suicidal ideation among Russian, Somali, and Kurdish migrants in Finland. Transcultural Psychiatry https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461520906028

Salama, E.S., Castaneda, A.E., Lilja, E., Suvisaari, J., Rask, S., Laatikainen, T. and Niemelä, S., 2020. Pre‐migration traumatic experiences, post‐migration perceived discrimination and substance use among Russian and Kurdish migrants—a population‐based study. Addiction, 115(6), pp.1160-1171. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/add.14904

Schubert, C.C., Punamäki, R.L., Suvisaari, J., Koponen, P. and Castaneda, A., 2019. Trauma, psychosocial factors, and help-seeking in three immigrant groups in Finland. The journal of behavioral health services & research, 46(1), pp.80-98. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11414-018-9587-x

Southcott, J. and Nethsinghe, R., 2019. Resilient senior Russian-Australian voices:“ We live to sing and sing to live”. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 14(1), pp.39-58. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11482-017-9580-1

Tankosić, A. and Dovchin, S., 2021. (C) overt linguistic racism: Eastern-European background immigrant women in the Australian workplace. Ethnicities, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14687968211005104

Taskunas, A.P., 2007. Lithuanians in Australia. Lithuanian Papers, 21, pp.55-69. https://eprints.utas.edu.au/4286

Team, V., Markovic, M. and Manderson, L., 2007. Family caregivers: Russian‐speaking Australian women's access to welfare support. Health & social care in the community, 15(5), pp.397-406. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2524.2007.00709.x

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Community Organisations in NSW

Hungarian

Hungarian Catholic Community Diocese of Parramatta

C/- U 1 53 Symonds Rd, Dean Park NSW 2761
Email: [email protected]

Hungarian (Magyar) Social Club

706-708 Smithfield Rd, Edensor Park, NSW 2176
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (02) 9610 6226
Website:http://hungariansc.com.au

Kengugró Australian-Hungarian Folklore Ensemble

Phone: 0403 855 599
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kengugro.org

St Elizabeth Home

Aged care service for Hungarians in Australia
1 Symonds Road, Dean Park, NSW 2761
Phone: 02 8818 8500
Email: [email protected]

South Hungarian Club

31 Glendenning Rd, Glendenning NSW 2761
Phone: (02) 9677 8288

Lithuanian

Australijos Lietuvių Jaunimo Sąjunga Australian Lithuanian Youth Association

44-48 Errol St, North Melbourne VIC 3051
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://aljs.org

Sydney Lithuanian Club

DAINAVA Lithuanian Club Ltd
PO Box 205, Bankstown NSW 1885
Telephone: (02) 9708 1414
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.lithuanianclub.org.au

Sydney Lithuanian Information Centre

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.slic.org.au

Sydney Lithuanian Women's Social Services Association

Email: [email protected]

Polish

Federation of Polish Associations in NSW

Polish House, 182 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield NSW 2131
Email: [email protected]
Website:www.polishfederationnsw.com.au
List of Polish community organisations in NSW: https://www.polishfederationnsw.com.au/affiliated

Klub Gazety Polskiej im. Żołnierzy Niezłomnych

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Klub-Gazety-Polskiej-Sydney-im-Żołnierzy-Niezłomnych-431655686927581

Kosciuszko Heritage Inc

14 Blackbutt Avenue
Pennant Hills, NSW 2120
Phone: (02) 9484 1740
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.kosciuszkoheritage.com

Kujawy Sydney

Polish dance and song ensemble
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://kujawysydney.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KujawySydney

Lajkonik Sydney

Polish song and dance ensemble
Church of our Lady of Czestochowa, Queen of Poland
John Paul II Parish Hall
116 Quakers Road, Maryong NSW 2148
Website: https://lajkonik.com.au

Macarthur Polish Saturday School

Robert Townson Public School
Shuttleworth Avenue, Raby NSW 2566
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0434 968 575 (POL), 0405 113 783 (ENG)
Website: http://macarthurpolsatschool.org.au

Polish Club Bankstown

11 East Terrace, Bankstown, 2200
Phone: (02) 97-08-24-33
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://polishclub.com.au

Polish Educational Society of Sydney

PO Box 818, Ashfield NSW 2131
E-mail: [email protected]

Polonia Sports Club

23 Bungalow Rd, Plumpton NSW 2761
Website: http://poloniasportsclub.com.au

Polish Teachers Association

Website: https://www.polishteachersassociation.org.au

Stowarzyszenie Nasza Polonia

PO Box 39, Lurnea NSW 2170
Phone: (02) 9618 0993
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.naszapolonia.com.au

Teatr Fantazja

Polish theatre group
Phone: 0414 474 641
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.teatrfantazja.org

Romanian

UNIREA Australian Romanian Community Inc.

PO Box 549, Browns Plains BC QLD 4118
Phone: 0411 787 933
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://unirea.org.au

Romanian Community Association of Australia

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Romanian-Community-Association-of-Australia-223468464694925

Romanians in Sydney – Facebook group

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/51220612128

Russian

Australian & New Zealand Diocese Of The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Of Russia

20 Chelmsford Ave, Croydon, NSW 2132
Phone: (02) 9747 5892
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.rocor.org.au

Chabad of Bondi Lubavitch Russian Centre

25 O'Brien Street, Bondi Beach, NSW 2026
Phone: (02) 9365 2777
Email: [email protected]

Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe

25 O'Brien Street, Bondi Beach NSW 2026
Phone: (02) 9365 2777
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.freesydney.org

Russian Australian Representative Council

Website: https://rarc.com.au

The Russian Club

7 Albert Rd, Strathfield, NSW 2135
Phone: (02) 9746 8850
Email: [email protected]
Website: therussianclub.com.au

Russian Ethnic Communities Council NSW

Level 2/ 29 Belmore Street, Burwood NSW 2134
Phone: (02) 9745 4244

Russian Language Schools in NSW

education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/community-languages-schools/schools/russian-language-schools

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Service Providers

Transcultural Mental Health Centre (TMHC)

Transcultural Mental Health Line 1800 648 911

If you require information or support for a mental health concern, either for yourself or someone you care for, call the Transcultural Mental Health Line on 1800 648 911.

The line operates for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities in NSW from Monday to Friday between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm.
At other times please call the NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511.

Clinical Consultation and Assessment Service 9912 3851

Public mental health services can call our Clinical Consultation and Assessment Service on (02) 9912 3851, Monday to Friday between 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.

TMHC Community Capacity Building in Strengthening the Mental Health of New and Emerging Refugee Populations

TMHC’s community capacity building program for refugees provides mental health and wellbeing information sessions for community groups and service providers who work closely with communities and distribution of mental health and wellbeing resources, including language-specific resources. We also work with community and service providers to develop initiatives tailored to specific needs

Contact

Mental Health Consultant - Prevention and Community Engagement

Email: [email protected]

NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS)

Phone: (02) 9646 6700
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.startts.org.a u

Mental Health Community Living Supports for Refugees

A community-based program located in seven Local Health Districts (LHDs) that provides support for refugees and asylum seekers with mental health issues to live and participate in the community in the way that they want to. Click here for a list of local providers.

NSW Mental Health Line - Call 1800 011 511

To use an interpreter call Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450 and ask them to ring the Mental Health line on 1800 011 511.

NSW Refugee Health Service

Phone: (02) 9794 0770
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.swslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/refugee

Settlement Services International (SSI)

Phone: 02 8799 6700
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ssi.org.au

The Refugee Council of Australia maintains a database of additional refugee and asylum seeker services at: www.refugeecouncil.org.au/services-nsw

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Bilingual mental health professionals

Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)

The AASW Directory for Social Workers can be searched by language preference.
www.aasw.asn.au/find-a-social-worker/search

Australian Psychological Society

Find a psychologist. Search for a psychologist using issue, name, location or area of practice, then refine result by selecting from ‘Preferred Language’ www.psychology.org.au/Find-a-Psychologist

Psychology Today Directory

Directory of psychologists in NSW select Language from ‘More’ www.psychologytoday.com/au/counselling/nsw/sydney

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists

Find a Psychiatrist directory can be searched using location, language, problem area and practice details. www.yourhealthinmind.org/find-a-psychiatrist

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Multilingual Resources

United Nations, Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Humanitarian response in Ukraine and neighbouring countries: Resources in English, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovakian, and Ukrainian

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References and Further Reading

Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs (2016) Poland-born Community Information Summary https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/mca/files/2016-cis-lithuania.PDF

Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs (2016) Poland-born Community Information Summary https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/mca/files/2016-cis-poland.pdf

Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs (2018) Russian Federation-born Community Information Summary https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/mca/files/2016-cis-russian-federation.PDF

Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs Settlement Reports https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/settlement-reports <viewed 1 March 2022>

Migrant Information Centre (Eastern Melbourne), Multicultural Equity and Access Program (2014) Jewish Profile https://miceastmelb.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/JewishProfile2014.pdf

Multicultural NSW (2016) Community Profiles – Ancestry https://multiculturalnsw.id.com.au/multiculturalnsw/ancestry-select <viewed 1 March 2022>

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Contents

Note on Culture

Communities in NSW

Demographics

Culture

Mental Health

Literature

Community Organisations in NSW

Hungarian

Hungarian Catholic Community Diocese of Parramatta

Hungarian (Magyar) Social Club

Kengugró Australian-Hungarian Folklore Ensemble

St Elizabeth Home

South Hungarian Club

Lithuanian

Australijos Lietuvių Jaunimo Sąjunga Australian Lithuanian Youth Association

Sydney Lithuanian Club

Sydney Lithuanian Information Centre

Sydney Lithuanian Women's Social Services Association

Polish

Federation of Polish Associations in NSW

Klub Gazety Polskiej im. Żołnierzy Niezłomnych

Kosciuszko Heritage Inc

Kujawy Sydney

Lajkonik Sydney

Macarthur Polish Saturday School

Polish Club Bankstown

Polish Educational Society of Sydney

Polonia Sports Club

Polish Teachers Association

Stowarzyszenie Nasza Polonia

Teatr Fantazja

Romanian

UNIREA Australian Romanian Community Inc.

Romanian Community Association of Australia

Romanians in Sydney – Facebook group

Russian

Australian & New Zealand Diocese Of The Russian Orthodox Church Outside Of Russia

Chabad of Bondi Lubavitch Russian Centre

Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe

Russian Australian Representative Council

The Russian Club

Russian Ethnic Communities Council NSW

Russian Language Schools in NSW

Service Providers

Transcultural Mental Health Centre (TMHC)

NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS)

Mental Health Community Living Supports for Refugees

NSW Mental Health Line - Call 1800 011 511

NSW Refugee Health Service

Settlement Services International (SSI)

Bilingual mental health professionals

Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)

Australian Psychological Society

Psychology Today Directory

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists

Multilingual Resources

Transcultural Mental Health Centre

Australian Government Department of Health COVID-19 Resources

Carer Gateway Multilingual Resources

Dementia Australia

Embrace Multicultural Mental Health

My Aged Care Information in multiple languages

NSW Health

Royal College of Psychiatrists UK

United Nations, Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)

References and Further Reading