Life and mental health in limbo of the Ukraine war: How can helpers assist civilians, asylum seekers and refugees affected by the war?

Abstract

The terror spread by the war disrupts lives and severs families, leaving individuals and communities devastated. People are left to fend for themselves on multiple levels, especially psychologically. It is well documented that war adversely affects non-combatant civilians, both physically and psychologically. However, how the war puts civilians’ lives in a limbo is an under-researched area. This paper focuses on three aspects: (1) how the mental health and well-being of Ukrainian civilians, asylum seekers, and refugees are affected by the war caused limbo; (2) what factors affect this process of being stuck in the limbo of war; and (3) how psychologists and helpers in the war-ridden and host countries can provide meaningful support. Based on the authors’ own practical work with Ukrainian civilians, refugees, and professional helpers during the war, this paper provides an overview of multi-level factors that impact human psyches in a war, and possible ways to help those who are living in the war limbo. In this research and experiential learning-based review, we offer some helpful strategies, action plans, and resources for the helpers including psychologists, counselors, volunteers, and relief workers. We emphasize that the effects of war are neither linear nor equal for all civilians and refugees. Some will recover and return to a routine life while others will experience panic attacks, trauma, depression, and even PTSD, which can also surface much later and can prolong over the years. Hence, we provide experience-based ways of dealing with short-term and prolonged trauma of living with war and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mental health professionals and other helpers in Ukraine and in host countries can use these helping strategies and resources to provide effective support for Ukrainians and for war refugees in general.

Psychological and environmental factors influencing resilience among Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced persons: a systematic review of coping strategies and risk and protective factors

“…Thus, they exhibit elevated rates of stress, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and various other physical and psychiatric issues. The aftermath of war-related disasters often brings about broken homes, disrupted infrastructures, and the displacement of individuals, leading to a loss of their sense of place and a disruption of their identity ( Anjum et al, 2023 ). Being compelled to reside in an unfamiliar environment could amplify these difficulties.…”

“…According to the literature on this topic, war-related trauma is a traumatic experience that not only directly exposes a person to violence and atrocities or poses a threat to life or health. As it is a negative life experience, one is not only directly exposed to war, but also indirectly, e.g., when seeing images of combat on television or social media (e.g., Miller and Rasmussen, 2010 ; Denov et al, 2019 ; Anjum et al, 2023 ). According to the concept of indirect exposure, people who are affected by war but do not live in an area of conflict can also experience negative mental health effects, such as the population of countries close to Ukraine as well as countries hosting refugees ( Essau and Trommsdorff, 1996 ; Chudzicka-Czupała et al, 2023a ).…”

A Helpful Measure to Measure Help: The Construction and Validation of the Intergroup Giving and Intergroup Acting in Favor of Refugees Scale (IGIAF)

“…Understanding how to promote such behaviors can not only have direct implications on refugees' wellbeing but can also benefit host countries. Engaging in Intergroup Helping behaviors such as Intergroup Giving provides refugees with physical comfort, as well as psychological support, which can not only facilitate their daily lives but also limit their psychological distress (Anjum, Aziz & Hamid, 2023;Shishehgar et al, 2017). Additionally, positive contact with refugees, which can be obtained, inter alia, by volunteering, enhances positive attitudes, solidarity and intergroup emotions towards refugees (Kotzur, Schäfer & Wagner, 2019).…”

Potential impacts of Russo-Ukraine conflict and its psychological consequences among Ukrainian adults: the post-COVID-19 era

“…Depression and anxiety are among the emotional manifestations experienced by individuals ( 1 , 2 ). The deleterious and alarming impact caused by the belligerence of armed conflict disrupts the lives of individuals and fractures relationships and families, thereby inducing profound emotional turmoil within affected individuals and communities ( 3 ).…”