The dynamics of the psycho-emotional state of adolescents in the conditions of war and its far-reaching consequences
Today, more than two dozen protracted armed conflicts are active in the world, and one of the largest is in Ukraine. This extreme situation is classified as an armed conflict of high intensity, as the fighting has never stopped over the entire period, and the number of victims has reached more than 100,000, including 520 children and more than 1,196 injured of varying severity.
Children in war are hostages of a difficult situation. As the most vulnerable segments of the population, they are the most responsive to the processes of adaptation to new living conditions. The situation is even more complicated for adolescents who are also in a transitional, critical period of their development. Research by foreign scientists who have studied the mental health of children who have been in the military conflict zones of Palestine, Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Ichkeria, Uganda, and Yugoslavia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Rwanda, the Balkans and other countries, have proven that the trauma that adolescents experience during war has long-lasting effects and is more likely to affect the future than the present. They develop various forms of maladjustment – social, physical, psychological, pessimistic views of the surrounding reality, behavioural disorders, normalised perception of violence, and an inability to believe in a happy future. And the longer the war lasts, the more serious and complicated the symptoms become, one of the worst of which is prolonged depression.
Researchers from the United States and a medical school in Jerusalem also confirm that the long-term impact of war has a terrible impact on the health and morale of children in general and adolescents in particular. In Ukraine, 75 per cent of children are currently experiencing psychological trauma due to the war, which manifests itself in the form of withdrawal, reduced desire to communicate with others, memory impairment, sleep disturbances, nightmares, and as a result, social and psychological maladjustment and significant mental disorders. In Kharkiv, an online study was recently conducted on the impact of military operations on the dynamics of the psycho-emotional state of 24,806 adolescents aged 12 to 16 (11,196 boys and 13,610 girls) from all regions of Ukraine, with the participation of their parents. The study revealed manifestations of aggression in children, which did not differ significantly between boys and girls – 4.9% in boys and 5.2% in girls. Interestingly, aggression increases with age – from 6.64% of 6th grade students to 14.71% of 11th grade students.
The manifestations of such states as terror, fear of being alone, panic, depression, irritability, confusion, avoidance, arguments, sadness, distrust and loneliness also practically do not differ between adolescents depending on their gender. However, the manifestations of fear vary significantly by age – from 7.5% of 6th grade students to 20.59% of 11th grade students. Similarly, feelings of anger, fear of being alone and panic are much higher among older adolescents than among younger ones, but feelings of depression and confusion, on the contrary, are lower among older adolescents than among younger ones: 12.48% for 6th grade students and 5.88% for 11th grade students.
At the same time, such emotional states as belief in victory and goodness, feelings of emotional elation are almost the same for boys and girls. At the same time, depending on the age of adolescents, the same indicators already have a certain difference: 24.11% of 6th grade students have a belief in victory, but it decreases to 20.59% of 11th grade students. There is an almost twofold difference in the rates of belief that everything will be fine in the future – 28.68% of 6th grade students and 14.71% of 11th grade students. There are also significant differences in feelings of emotional elation – from 39.16% of 6th grade students to 23.53% of 11th grade students.
Thus, adolescents react quite painfully to negative events related to the hostilities in Ukraine. They are concerned about the events taking place in their homeland and feel the impact of the war on themselves, which leads to depression. At the same time, the older adolescents are, the lower their level of optimism.
Unfortunately, for Ukrainian children, this war will have far-reaching negative consequences, including deterioration of physical health (increased levels of stress hormones in the body and deterioration of the immune system, which makes the body more vulnerable to disease), deterioration of mental health (depression, neuroses, psychological trauma), neurosis, psychological trauma), decreased motivation to achieve goals and realise one’s potential, lack of interest in social relationships (withdrawal, feelings of alienation and loneliness), behavioural changes (refusal to exercise, bad habits, poor diet and sleep).
Children in situations of armed conflict are extremely vulnerable and
are disproportionately affected. If left unchecked, it will have long-term negative consequences that are already affecting and will continue to affect the future of society. Children need an end to this war most of all, so that they can return to their childhood, to normal life, and begin to heal and recover.
