TY - JOUR
T1 - The mental health toll of the Russian-Ukraine war across 11 countries
T2 - Cross-sectional data on war-related stressors, PTSD and CPTSD symptoms
AU - Kalaitzaki, Argyroula
AU - Goodwin, Robin
AU - Kurapov, Anton
AU - Vintila, Mona
AU - Lazarescu, Gianina
AU - Lytvyn, Serhii
AU - Tsouvelas, George
AU - Tamiolaki, Alexandra
AU - Danyliuk, Ivan
AU - Ramos-Diaz, Jano
AU - Gnisci, Augusto
AU - Sergi, Ida
AU - Mottola, Francesca
AU - Stulnikova, Larysa
AU - Lopez-Calle, Claudio
AU - Salas, Gonzalo
AU - Helmy, Mai
AU - Chen, Yi Lung
AU - Yen, Cheng Fang
AU - Czepczor-Bernat, Kamila
AU - Samekin, Adil
AU - Topanova, Gulmira
AU - Zhamuldinov, Viktor Nikolaevich
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Exposure to war is a severe traumatic experience with disastrous mental health effects. This study examined the mental health among 5,560 residents in 11 countries worldwide at different geographic distances from the epicenter of the Russian-Ukrainian War (RUW). An online questionnaire assessed war-related variables (e.g., personal experiences with RUW, perceived concern and threat), previous life stress experiences, and mental health (i.e., resilience, anxiety, depression, perceived stress, ICD-11 PTSD, and CPTSD). Results showed regional differences. Ukrainians had the worst mental health indices, followed by participants in the bordering countries, and then by those in the distal ones. War-related variables were associated with worse mental health. The common predictors for PTSD and CPTSD were previous mental disorder, anxiety, and perceived stress, whereas unique predictors were also found (PTSD: female gender and impact of news on mental health; CPTSD: being single, overall impact of war on mental health, sum of lifetime traumatic experiences, resilience (inversely), and depression). Given the continuing uncertainty about the threat of war for many of the nations in this study, findings suggest the need for practitioners to support concerned populations.
AB - Exposure to war is a severe traumatic experience with disastrous mental health effects. This study examined the mental health among 5,560 residents in 11 countries worldwide at different geographic distances from the epicenter of the Russian-Ukrainian War (RUW). An online questionnaire assessed war-related variables (e.g., personal experiences with RUW, perceived concern and threat), previous life stress experiences, and mental health (i.e., resilience, anxiety, depression, perceived stress, ICD-11 PTSD, and CPTSD). Results showed regional differences. Ukrainians had the worst mental health indices, followed by participants in the bordering countries, and then by those in the distal ones. War-related variables were associated with worse mental health. The common predictors for PTSD and CPTSD were previous mental disorder, anxiety, and perceived stress, whereas unique predictors were also found (PTSD: female gender and impact of news on mental health; CPTSD: being single, overall impact of war on mental health, sum of lifetime traumatic experiences, resilience (inversely), and depression). Given the continuing uncertainty about the threat of war for many of the nations in this study, findings suggest the need for practitioners to support concerned populations.
KW - Complex post-traumatic stress disorder
KW - Post-traumatic stress disorder
KW - Psychopathology
KW - Trauma-related disorders
KW - Ukraine
KW - War-related trauma, war
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85207805936&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116248
DO - 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116248
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85207805936
SN - 0165-1781
VL - 342
JO - Psychiatry Research
JF - Psychiatry Research
M1 - 116248
ER -
