Age-related differences in the mental health burden among Ukrainians during war and forced migration

Our study focuses on the effects of the stressors of modern conditions of martial law and forced displacement on the state and mental health of Ukrainians adult. The aim of our study is to analyze the state of mental health and wellbeing of Ukrainians during war and forced migration compared, namely to determine the level of the most common mental health problems - depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as resources for overcoming the consequences of stressful influences.

We developed a conceptual model of the components of mental health and wellbeing, which became the basis for the development of an online questionnaire on the LimeSurvey platform, with using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5), the Refugee Post-Migration Stress Scale (RPMS), the Brief Symptom Inventory Derogatis (BSI-18), block of open-ended socio-demographic issues, and SPSS Statistics 21.0.

The sample comprised 306 Ukrainian participants. Participants were grouped by age: under 26 years and 26 years or older; and place of residence: 1) "lives in another country;" 2) "lives in Ukraine, moved;" 3) "lives in Ukraine, did not move." Differences in symptom scores were observed between subgroups, with the smallest subgroup interpreted cautiously. Among Ukrainian people affected by armed conflicts and migrants, the most common mental disorders (CMDs), such as depression, anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder, constitute a significant proportion of serious illnesses worldwide. The results obtained in our study confirm this trend also among Ukrainians, who are currently experiencing all the difficulties of wartime.

The findings provide a descriptive comparison of psychological symptoms and perceived coping resources across different age and residential groups of Ukrainians adult in the condition of war. Resource-oriented to mental health assessment and intervention for war-affected populations is important, contributing to understanding adaptive functioning in the context of protracted armed conflict and may nevertheless inform future research and support planning for war-affected populations.