What is it about?
We asked parents living throughout Ukraine to report on their children’s mental health approximately six months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We found that 54% of children had experienced an extremely stressful event related to the war. Additionally, 14% of children had a probable diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Children most at-risk of having PTSD were those with special needs, those who had a parent working for the emergency services, and those whose parents were experiencing mental health difficulties because of the war.
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Why is it important?
This is one of the first studies ever to assess PTSD in children during an active phase of war. It is also the first study that documents the toll Russia’s war on Ukraine is having on the mental health of children throughout Ukraine. This study provides some insight into which children in Ukraine are most vulnerable and in need of trauma-based mental health care.
Perspectives
Six months after Russia’s war on Ukraine, more than half of Ukrainian children had been exposed to a war-related traumatic event, and about 1-in-7 had PTSD. The trauma being inflicted on children in Ukraine by Russia is considerable, and it highlights the need for long-term planning to effectively manage the mental health needs of so many young people.
Dmytro Martsenkovskyi
Bogomolets National Medical University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Parent-reported posttraumatic stress reactions in children and adolescents: Findings from the mental health of parents and children in Ukraine study., Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice and Policy, September 2023, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/tra0001583.
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