Stress, Anxiety and PTSD Prevalence Among Ukrainians Grew Dramatically During the First Year of Russian Invasion: Results of Nationwide Survey

Abstract

Background. In February 2022 the Russian federation started a new invasion of Ukraine as an escalation of the ongoing war since 2014. After nine years of war and the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health state of Ukrainians requires systematic monitoring and relevant action. Methods. This study was designed as an online survey arranged in the 9-12 months after the start of the new invasion of Ukraine and includes sociodemographic data collection, evaluation of stress intensity by PSS-10, anxiety with GAD-7, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder with PCL-5. The sample size of 3173 Ukrainians consisted of 1954 (61.6%) respondents that were not displaced persons (NDPs), 505 (15.9%) internally displaced persons within Ukraine (IDPs), and 714 (22.5%) refugees that left Ukraine. Findings. Moderate and high stress was prevalent among 64.7% and 15.5% of NDPs, 64.4% and 21.6% of IDPs, and 68.2% and 25.2% of refugees, respectively. Moderate and severe anxiety was prevalent among 25.6% and 19.0% of NDPs, 25.7% and 23.4% of IDPs, and 26.2% and 25.8% of refugees. High levels of PTSD (33 and higher) were prevalent among 32.8% of NDPs, 39.4% of IDPs, and 47.2% of refugees. DSM-V criteria for PTSD diagnosis was met by 50.8% of NDPs, 55.4% of IDPs, and 62.2% of refugees. Interpretations. The lowest stress, anxiety, and PTSD severity was observed among NDPs, with significantly higher levels among IDPs and the highest among refugees. Being forcibly displaced from the previous living area and, especially, entering a new cultural environment significantly contributes to the mental health issues caused by war exposure, particularly for people who have directly witnessed the results of war.