Talking about Health and Well-Being in Post Soviet Ukraine and Russia

Residents of Ukraine and Russia perceive their living conditions and health as very poor. This is coupled with concerns over access to social services and health care. There is a strong interaction between the poor quality of life after the economic and political collapse and the views of individual citizens about their ability to take responsibility for their health. The collapse of the former supportive system was a 'cultural trauma' that affected citizens' capacity for looking after their own health and well-being. In such a context of transition economies, the concept of agency is of limited explanatory value.