The impact of war on the mental health of adults and children: an analysis after more than two years of hostilities in Ukraine (part 1)

Two years have passed since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, now the third month of the third year is coming. War has a devastating effect on all aspects of people’s lives, especially their mental health. In conditions of constant threat, stress and instability, cases of aggression, violence, anxiety, regret and various mental disorders have become more frequent. A particularly difficult situation is observed among the residents of the front-line cities, who are almost in the line of fire and daily face the realities of hostilities and their consequences.

1. Psychological consequences of war for adults

War is a powerful stressor that can cause a wide range of mental disorders, the most common of which are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety disorders, and somatoform disorders. People living in conflict zones are constantly in a state of heightened anxiety, which negatively affects their mental and physical health.

According to the latter data 77% of Ukrainians feel stressed and nervous lately and this is the result of the study “Mental health and the attitude of Ukrainians to psychological help during the war”, conducted within the framework of the All-Ukrainian mental health program. The study found that the main emotions Ukrainians are currently feeling are fatigue, tension and stress caused by a full-scale war with Russia.

According to the results of the survey, there are three most common emotions among Ukrainians – fatigue (46%), tension (44%) and hope (31%). Compared to 2023, the share of those who feel tension, fear, anger, irritation, powerlessness, disappointment and despair has increased. At the same time, the number of those who feel hopeful has decreased. The rate of Ukrainians who recently experienced stress and severe nervousness remained at 77%.

Evaluating their mental health, 13% of Ukrainians consider it unsatisfactory, 36% – satisfactory, and 51% assess it at an average level.

40% of respondents felt the need for psychological help in the last six months, but only 28% sought such help.

During a full-scale war, 3% of respondents regularly visit psychologists or psychotherapists; 8% apply in case of urgent need or problems; 40% have never applied, but do not rule out such a possibility; 38% have never visited and do not plan to consult specialists.

According to the Ministry of Health, the main reasons why Ukrainians do not seek the help of specialists are the feeling that their problems are not serious enough (29%), confidence in the ability to cope independently (25%), the high cost of psychological help ( 23%), conviction that others need help more (22%), and doubts about the effectiveness of such help (20%). To overcome nervousness or stress, Ukrainians continue to use such methods as viewing Internet content (39%), television programs, films or series (34%) or communication with friends and family (32%).

So, the war in Ukraine has a deep and comprehensive impact on the mental health of the population. Overcoming the negative effects of war on the mental health of the population requires comprehensive and coordinated efforts by the state, non-governmental organizations and the international community. Only through joint actions is it possible to provide the necessary support and assistance to Ukrainians, to facilitate their recovery and adaptation to the conditions of a long crisis.

2. Psychological consequences of war for children

Particularly vulnerable are children and adolescents, whose psyche is not yet strong enough, and according to research, children who have survived military actions often suffer from nightmares, increased anxiety, difficulties with concentration and learning, problems with socialization and the development of aggressive or panic-like behavior .

During the last two years, children living in the cities of the frontline regions of Ukraine were forced to spend 3 to 5 thousand hours in basements and underground metro stations during the air raid alert periods, which is equivalent to 4 to almost 7 months of living in the basement. Since the beginning of the escalation of the war in February 2022, constant shelling, which led to the declaration of an air alert about 3.5 thousand times in Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions and almost 6.2 thousand times in Donetsk region, seriously undermined the mental health of children and their ability to training and socialization. The winter months became especially terrible for children: thousands of children hid in cold, damp basements, as the intensification of shelling left many families without heating, electricity and water.

The war in Ukraine destroys childhood and causes serious damage to children’s mental health, because many of them have survived two years of violence, isolation, separation from families, loss of loved ones, displacement, disruption of schooling and medical care. These children need this horror to end. By continuing the shelling, Ukrainian children are left with no chance to recover from the suffering and injuries associated with the attacks, and each alarm signal and each explosion only increases this anxiety. Education is the foundation of hope and opportunity to bring stability to children’s lives, but it is still broken or out of reach for millions.

The psychological effects of war on children are far-reaching. According to surveys, half of children between the ages of 13 and 15 have problems sleeping, and one in five have intrusive thoughts and memories of past experiences, which are typical manifestations of post-traumatic stress disorder. Recently, 3/4 of children and young people aged 14 to 34 report their need for emotional or psychological support. Nevertheless, less than a third of them applied for help.

Parents in different parts of Ukraine note in their children an increased level of anxiety, excessive fear, phobias and feelings of sadness, as well as a decrease in activity at school, sensitivity to loud sounds and sleep problems. At the moment when parental support is most needed, half of the surveyed parents report that they themselves find it difficult to support their children due to a disturbed psychological state.

40% of children across the country do not have the opportunity to receive continuous education due to insufficient facilities. And in the territories located near the front line, half of school-aged children do not have access to education at all.

The war in Ukraine has profound and lasting consequences for the mental health of children living in front-line areas and across the country. The constant threat of shelling, the declaration of an air alert, forced shelters and the loss of a normal life strongly affect the emotional and psychological state of children.

3. Aggression and violence in society

Another noticeable consequence of the war is the increase in the level of aggression and violence in society. Constant tension and fear lead to the fact that people become more irritable and prone to conflicts. In the frontline cities of Ukraine, there is an increase in the number of cases of domestic violence and crime, which further complicates the situation.

The record number of cases of domestic violence in Ukraine occurred in January 2024: the police initiated 435 criminal proceedings. Compared to previous years, the indicator for 2024 is twice as high as the previous ones, and the number of cases of domestic violence in Ukraine is increasing every year.

Over the past five years, 10,351 cases of domestic violence have been recorded, and approximately 80% of all open cases go to court each year. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine also draws attention to an alarming trend. After the start of the great war, the population of the country decreased: more than 8 million people left, mostly women and children. Others remained to live in the temporarily occupied territories, but there were more cases of violence.

As a punishment, the court can impose abusive or restrictive conditions, as well as oblige to wear an electronic bracelet. According to the interviewed lawyers and human rights defenders, the increase in cases of domestic violence is due to the drop in the standard of living in the country and fears of uncertainty. The long, full-scale war with Russia created tremendous tension and nervousness in society, which often turns into domestic violence.

In all countries where there have been wars, it will be necessary to organize special services for military families. The threshold of aggression and a distorted perception of life after being at the front increases, and special specialists need to work with the military. Violence is not only manifested on the physical level, offenders can take money or other property, humiliate the victim psychologically and sexually.

The war created a lot of serious challenges for Ukrainian families. Resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers and other legislative framework on limiting violence exist, however, Ukrainian society mostly has a stereotypical thinking about this problem: “These are internal problems in the family, they will sort themselves out…”.

Regarding gender statistics: 80-90% of calls to the police come from women victims. Men make up from 3 to 7%, another 3-5% of complaints are from children. According to international standards, a child who witnesses domestic violence is already considered a victim.

With the onset of full-scale war, domestic crimes involving servicemen also increased. Human rights defenders claim that military status and participation in hostilities have almost no effect on the situation, because rapists were prone to aggression even before the war. A person who allowed himself harsh treatment in the family does not get better after receiving military status and returning from the front.

Read about other aspects of the impact of the war on the mental health of Ukrainians in the next publication.