Bezuhla’s statement about Asperger’s syndrome: psychiatrist explains whether MP could be allowed to access state secrets
31 July 2025 16:14
ANALYSIS FROM 
Recently, MP Mariana Bezuhla announced that she has Asperger’s syndrome. This information has sparked active discussions about how her peculiarities may affect her professional activities and access to classified information.
What is Asperger’s syndrome?
Asperger’s syndrome is one of the developmental disorders that belongs to the autism spectrum. It is characterized by difficulties in social interaction, as well as limited and repetitive interests or activities. People with this syndrome usually have a normal level of intelligence and can function well in everyday life, but they have difficulty building social relationships.
The main difficulties arise in communication: it is difficult for such people to recognize the emotions of the interlocutor, maintain a casual conversation, or quickly adapt to changes in everyday situations.
The causes of Asperger’s syndrome are not yet fully understood. There is speculation about the genetic basis of this condition, but no exact gene or specific changes in the brain structure have been identified yet.
Since the cause of the syndrome is unknown, there is no specific treatment for it either. The main goal is to help a person cope better with everyday difficulties. The most common method is behavioral therapy, which works to develop social skills, overcome repetitive behaviors, and improve coordination.
With age, many children with Asperger’s syndrome show positive dynamics, although some communication difficulties may persist into adulthood.
The politician, known for her high-profile statements and legislative initiatives, called her condition a manifestation of “neurodiverse thinking.”
She first mentioned this in the comments under the post of Olena Shkarpova , Head of Communications at the Institute for Economic Studies, on Facebook.
I think through structures, logical connections, and algorithms. Facts and observations in my mind form a certain database from which conclusions are formed – based on the variables I take into account,” Bezuhla explained.
According to her, some colleagues tried to use these characteristics against her, knowing about her diagnosis. However, she emphasized that she has managed to turn her “otherness” into an advantage – a tool for implementing her own ideas. Her main priority remains serving the state, especially in the context of the war that has been going on since 2014.
What they say in the Verkhovna Rada
In an exclusive commentary for
According to Kalchenko, the Regulatory Committee has limited powers to assess MPs’ statements.
What the committee can do is react in accordance with Article 51 of the Rules of Procedure, which deals with deputy ethics. It allows the committee to react only to statements made during the plenary session, including offensive statements against other MPs or factions. And that’s pretty much it,” he explained.
Health statements are beyond the scope of authority
As for the public disclosure by MPs of information about their own mental or physical condition, including mental health, Kalchenko said, this is not within the committee’s scope of responsibility.
“The Committee cannot react if one of the MPs disseminates information about his or her own peculiarities – let me put it diplomatically – about the state of health. This is not within our authority,” he emphasized.
Kalchenko also recalled an incident that occurred in 2021, when the parliament decided to suspend one of the MPs for internal correspondence in the faction’s chat room. This decision was later overturned by the court.
Then the Verkhovna Rada deprived the MP of the right to attend several plenary sessions for correspondence in the faction chat. But the Administrative Court of Cassation, and then the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court, overturned this decision,” he said.
According to Kalchenko, this was a signal to the parliament and the Regulatory Committee:
The court actually pointed out that Article 51 is not subject to an extended interpretation. The parliament’s response options are clearly limited by its provisions.
Thus, the parliament has no legal grounds to respond to public statements of MPs about their health, if they do not violate the limits of ethics during official meetings. The Committee can intervene only in specific cases clearly defined in the Rules of Procedure.
Whether Bezuhla has the right to access state secrets: what the law says
After MP Mariana Bezuhla publicly declared that she has Asperger’s syndrome, the public and the media raised questions about her access to state secrets.
In particular, journalist Danylo Mokryk asked the MP whether she had official medical confirmation of her diagnosis and whether her condition allowed her to receive access to information classified as “secret.”
This question has a legal basis, as there is an Order of the Ministry of Health “On Approval of the List of Mental Illnesses (Disorders) that May Harm the Protection of State Secrets…”. This list includes Asperger’s syndrome under the ICD code F8,” the journalist wrote in his post.
In addition to the diagnosis, Mokryk was interested in whether Bezuhla had an official psychiatric report on her stable condition or sustained remission over the past five years, as this is one of the conditions for granting access to state secrets under current law.
The MP answered briefly and concisely:
1. “Yes. 2. It’s none of your business,” she said, answering a question about the availability of an official diagnosis and the right to access.
As for remission, Bezuhla emphasized:
Remission? This is not a mental illness.
Thus, the MP does not deny the existence of the syndrome, but emphasizes that this condition is not a mental illness in the classical sense, and therefore does not consider it appropriate to detail the medical nuances in public.
What psychotherapists say
Candidate of Psychological Sciences, profiler Dmitry Popov in an exclusive commentary for
Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism, but without significant impairments in speech or intelligence. On the contrary, intellectual abilities are often even above average,” explains Dmytro Popov.
According to him, such people, in particular, teenagers, can be quite active in communication, sometimes even overly sociable. But despite this, there is a key difference: insufficient development of emotional intelligence.
The biggest difficulty is in recognizing non-verbal signals: facial expressions, intonations, gestures. “People with Asperger’s syndrome simply do not pay attention to it or do not know how to interpret it correctly,” the psychologist emphasizes.
According to the expert, in normal live communication, up to 50% of information is transmitted non-verbally. That’s why people with neurodiversity often make mistakes in social situations – not because of malice, but because of a distorted perception of the context.
Dmytro Popov emphasizes that the situation with the adaptation of such people is not hopeless. There are both medication methods (prescribed by psychiatrists) and cognitive behavioral therapy that help improve social functioning.
There are positive results. But it is important to remember that it can be difficult without support, especially when it comes to working in government agencies or law enforcement agencies,” says Popov.
Is service in state institutions under the control of psychologists?
In particular, Popov, who has experience working in special services, notes that access to state secrets or work in military and intelligence structures requires mandatory psychological testing.
“I know for sure that the psychological service of the SBU or the SZRU will not allow a person with officially diagnosed Asperger’s syndrome to serve. This is not because of discrimination, but because of the specific requirements for the positions,” the expert emphasizes.
In his opinion, even if such a person is generally able to function without constant support, in certain conditions he or she may not be sufficiently adapted to rapid changes, high responsibility or critical situations.
Such people can live a perfectly normal life without the need for isolation or constant medical care. But when it comes to civil service, security clearance, or strategic positions, there is a security issue,” says Popov.
He emphasizes that Asperger’s syndrome is not a mental illness in the classical sense, but such features can affect the quality of communication and decision-making in difficult conditions. The expert advises not to stigmatize neurodiverse people, but at the same time, not to ignore the risks when it comes to positions that require a high level of social sensitivity, flexibility, and quick response.
We need not stigmatization, but a conscious and responsible attitude – both to people and to the functions they perform,” concludes Dmytro Popov.
In a commentary for RBC-Ukraine, psychiatrist Yevhen Skrypnyk explained that according to the Order of the Ministry of Health and the Security Service of Ukraine No. 174/136 of May 13, 2002, which was valid until 2025, people with a confirmed diagnosis of category F84 (mental development disorders, including Asperger’s syndrome) were not entitled to access to state secrets.
According to him, this restriction was also in effect during the period when Mariana Bezuhla served as Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence.
However, with the entry into force of the new Order of the Ministry of Health and the Security Service of Ukraine No. 987/235 of June 20, 2025 , registered with the Ministry of Justice, the situation has changed. The document excludes category F8, including F84, from the list of diagnoses that automatically restrict access to classified information*.
This means that Asperger’s syndrome is no longer a ground for automatic denial of access. At the same time, the decision in each case must be made on the basis of a medical examination.
The presence of such a diagnosis is not a sentence. A person must be under medical supervision, and the final decision on professional fitness is made by a medical specialist,” Skrypnyk said.
At the same time, the psychiatrist expressed doubts about the official nature of the MP’s diagnosis.
“In my opinion, Ms. Bezuhla has no official diagnosis. This may be just a public statement that does not take into account the legal and medical consequences. Still, she is an MP, and she should weigh her words,” the doctor added.
Bezuhla commented on the scandal: “I’m not going to prove anything”
After a wave of reactions to her public statement about Asperger’s syndrome, MP Mariana Bezuhla commented on the situation. According to her, the comment that caused a public outcry was made spontaneously and was not intended to attract attention.
“It was a rather spontaneous comment on one of Olena Shkarpova’s posts,” she wrote.
The MP emphasized that she does not consider it necessary to publicly explain her health condition or prove anything to those who doubt her. At the same time, Bezuhla drew attention to the widespread stigmatization of mental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD), in Ukrainian society.
I’m not going to explain or prove anything to anyone. I may also have to defend people with ASD, because for some, even from the self-styled “intellectual elite,” mental illness or neurodiversity means sending everyone to a mental institution,” she said.
Describing her own style of thinking, the MP emphasized that her way of processing information is structured and logical, similar to the work of a computer.
She also noted that she feels emotions, albeit in a different way, mostly due to conscious socialization. According to her, it is difficult for her to lie:
“I don’t actually lie, but of course I can make mistakes in judgment.
Thus, Mariana Bezuhla’s statement about Asperger’s syndrome opened a complex public discussion about the boundaries of the private life of public figures, as well as about the attitude to neurodiversity in the political and public environment. By making her confession public, Bezuhla not only raised questions about her own suitability to work with state secrets, but also forced a reconsideration of general approaches to mental health in government. But whether this was an attempt at sincerity or a political move aimed at generating hype remains a matter of debate.
Author – Daryna Glushchenko
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