Therapy place deficiency: 443 victims of torture are waiting for urgently needed help!

Therapy place deficiency: 443 victims of torture are waiting for urgently needed help!

Columbusgasse 28, 1100 Wien, Österreich - in Vienna there is great need for action in the support of survivors of war and torture. The Hemayat care center is currently taking stock and shows that the number of therapy places has increased, but is not sufficient to meet the increasing demand. In June 2025, Hemayat moved to Columbusgasse 28 in favorites to create more space for those affected. The Association has been offering therapeutic support for survivors for over 30 years and can record an increase in therapy lessons by 11.5 percent compared to the previous year in the first half of 2025. In children and adolescents, the increase was almost 20 percent. The number of children cared for rose from 177 to 210.

Currently the clients come from 59 different countries. But the picture clouds when you look at the 443 people who are waiting for help, sometimes for up to a year on an interpreted individual therapy place. Nora Ramirez Castillo, deputy managing director of Hemayat, makes it clear: "The need exceeds the possibilities". Additional financial resources would urgently need to bring more people in therapy. In 2024, a total of 1,801 survivors, including 276 minors, were supported at Hemayat.

Psychosocial support for refugees

The need for psychosocial support has increased not least due to the extreme stressful situations during the flight. It is estimated that 87 percent of refugee people have experienced traumatizing events such as war, persecution or forced recruitment. The separation of family members and the uncertainties regarding their own safety reinforce the stress. After their arrival, many are faced with additional challenges, such as mass accommodation, risk of violence and an unclear perspective on stay. These circumstances often lead to a higher frequency of mental illnesses such as post -traumatic stress disorders, anxiety disorders and depression compared to the general population.

In order to meet these challenges, psychosocial centers, supported by the parity overall association, offer important therapeutic offers. These contain psychotherapeutic meetings, social pedagogical support and clearing talks to clarify individual needs. A multidisciplinary team of specialists ensures that refugee people are also supported linguistically and are looked after from their arrival to trauma coping.

secured framework conditions are essential to ensure successful therapy. The network work and qualification offers are also important to promote the adequate care of refugees. As the experiences in the Hemayat Center show, "Make a good hand" in therapy the difference for many affected people. Your stories and the support you receive are a strong sign that much more can and must be done in Vienna to counter the gaps in psychosocial care. For more information on this topic and about the work of Hemayat, visit the Meinverkärt, the ORF Vienna as well as the side of the parity overall association.