The impact of war on people’s mental health: an analysis of the situation in Ukraine after two years of conflict (part 2)

We have already written about the psychological consequences of war in society previous article.

With the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kharkiv became one of the most affected cities. Journalists of “FAKT” IA try to document the events in order to convey the truth to a wide audience and draw the attention of the world society to the situation, but during the collection of materials and attempts to communicate with people, they often encounter aggression and the shaky psyche of a certain number of Ukrainians.

This phenomenon can be explained by several factors:

1. People who live under the constant threat of shelling are in a state of chronic stress and anxiety. This contributes to the emergence of aggressive behavior as a defensive reaction to any additional stimuli, including the presence of journalists.
2. In times of war, some citizens may view journalists as outsiders or even unwanted witnesses, fearing that their words may be used against them. Also, the spread of misinformation can contribute to the formation of distrust in the media as a whole.
3. In times of war, people can be particularly sensitive to intrusions into their private lives. Taking photos or filming at such a time can be perceived as a violation of privacy and cause aggression.

In these cases, journalists, who also live in Kharkiv and experience all the consequences of the war together with the townspeople, need support. Ukrainians should understand that the work of journalists is important and difficult psychologically, so they should be perceived without negativity. Constant stress and aggression from citizens can lead to emotional burnout of journalists. Also, aggression can develop into physical conflicts, which poses a real threat to the life and health of journalists. In addition, negativity from the public can make it difficult to gather reliable information and affect the quality of journalistic work.

In general, anxiety and depressive disorders have become a mass phenomenon among Ukrainians, especially in the regions adjacent to the war zone. People worry about their lives and the safety of their loved ones, the future of their children, the preservation of their homes and property. Constant feelings of insecurity and helplessness lead to chronic anxiety and depression, which only worsen in the face of ongoing conflict.

In addition to individual mental disorders, war destroys social ties and brings disorder into society. People become more withdrawn and alienated, lose trust in others and state institutions. This reinforces the feeling of isolation and inability to cope with difficulties, which in turn worsens the mental state. The number of masked depression is also increasing – they can smile, joke, but at the same time they have psychosomatic symptoms – pain in the back, heart, neck, head, insomnia, etc. Such symptoms do not go away until a person starts taking antidepressants.

It is important to note that the increase in the number of anxiety and depressive disorders is not only a medical, but also a social problem that requires an appropriate response from society. The state needs to develop and implement psychological support programs that would help people cope with stress and anxiety. It is also important to carry out preventive work to prevent the development of depressive disorders.

Psychological positive consequences of war

This phenomenon is sometimes compared to broken vases and valuable things that are important to the soul. If you glue them together, you will not be able to return them to their former appearance, but you can choose the brightest and most interesting fragments from it to use them in a new way. For example, make an original mosaic in a beautiful frame that will resemble a broken object. By analogy, the result of tragic events is not only post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but also post-traumatic growth and positive personality changes.

For according to the Ministry of Health, only 8% of men and 20% of women who have experienced a traumatic event show symptoms of PTSD, with the first symptoms appearing about a month after the traumatic event.

There are certain “healing factors” of psychological injuries, with the help of which you can survive them:

1. Social connections. They can be actively sought and created within the framework of public associations, support groups and communities of interest.
2. This is not a crash or the end of the world. The event has already happened, and we cannot change it, however, we can try to change our own attitude towards it.
3. Life is a constant change in circumstances, sometimes quite unpredictably or uncontrollably. It is important at this time to pay attention to what can be controlled and what can be influenced.
4. Continuous and gradual movement towards the goal – setting realistic goals and moving towards them in small steps, but regularly, without getting tired, every day.
5. Self-discovery is also a new opportunity. Surprisingly, we find that suffering often opens up new opportunities, brings new relationships, and even gives more inner strength and new meaning to life.
6. An optimistic view. It’s important to focus more on what you want than what you fear or avoid.
7. Take care of yourself. Understand your feelings and true desires: Participate in your favorite activities, including sports, entertainment, and hobbies. Taking care of your body and soul: meditation, support groups, new books and online self-help resources.
8. Professional support. Even for everyday problems, it is quite appropriate to consult a psychologist, and the difficulties faced by a person who has survived a trauma are enormous.
9. Change of activity. If you lose your job, you can find a more interesting and promising activity.

As Napoleon Bonaparte said:

“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

In 1987, a huge 8-story ferry left Port Zeebrugge (Belgium), but “something went wrong” and a shipwreck occurred. In just a few minutes, 193 people died, and those who remained alive were under the supervision of psychiatrists. However, after 3 years, the study of the victims gave unexpected results: 46% could not cope with the negative experience and continued to see the world in a black light, but the other 43% radically changed their lives for the better.

At the initial stage, when a person is in a state of stress, high levels of cortisol weaken and disrupt old neural connections in the brain and what is considered valuable and important recedes into the background. At the second stage, when it is necessary to create new neural connections, a “window of opportunity” opens, which leads to qualitative changes. That is, the growth of personality takes place, which gives people even greater unprecedented stability – the confidence that regardless of what events are expected in the future, everything will be overcome, because “it will not be worse than then.”

The Ministry of Health of Ukraine reminds that symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder due to experienced psychological trauma are observed in only 20-30% of people. In other words, the remaining 70-80% are those who managed to overcome stress independently or with the help of specialists, recover and even get on the path of growth.

So, while PTSD is a difficult psychological condition that can have serious consequences, it can also serve as a catalyst for positive change. This does not mean that we should romanticize trauma or devalue people’s suffering, but we should recognize that even in the darkness of suffering there can be a spark of hope for healing and growth.