IMPACT OF THE WAR ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF UKRAINIANS: FACTORS IN FORMATION OF NEUROTIC AND STRESS-ASSOCIATED MENTAL DISORDERS. CURRENT STATE OF THE ISSUE
Authors: Yurtsenyuk O. S. , Sumariuk B. M. 
Published: July 2023

The article provides an overview of the main stressogenic factors affecting the development of non-psychotic mental disorders in Ukrainians during the war. Special attention is paid to statistical data indicating the prediction of prevalence of mental disorders and open sources with statistical data.

Aim. To investigate and study the modern view of the development and formation of neurotic and stress-related mental disorders during the war.

Materials and methods. Open scientific sources of the last five years on the impact of war on the mental health of the population were used. Scientific data were analyzed by methods of review, system and content analysis. The material was searched using the Google Scholar, PubMed, and open sources of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (MOH), International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations and other government web portals of Ukraine.

War is a powerful psychosocial stress factor that affects the mental health of Ukrainians and leads to the formation of neurotic and stress-related mental disorders. There is a trend towards an increase in the number of people who need psychiatric or psychological help. Neurotic and stress-related mental disorders caused by the war in Ukraine are becoming one of the most widespread problems of Ukrainians, which prevent them from fully functioning, adapting to new living conditions, and also constitute significant obstacles for the economic state of the state in connection with the increase in the number of people with temporary disability. The important issue of timely diagnosis, prevention, and correction of neurotic and stress-related disorders are topical issues today. Having analyzed the modern literature on mental disorders among Ukrainians as a result of the full-scale invasion of russia on the territory of Ukraine, we can conclude that this topic requires detailed study and analysis. Since many questions remain open regarding the influence of the war on the formation and development of mental disorders during the russian-Ukrainian war. Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that as a result of armed conflicts, one in five people who have experienced them may have mental health problems. This amounts to about 9.6 million Ukrainians who are potentially at risk of developing neurotic disorders such as depression, anxiety disorder, and stress-related disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

The development and formation of mental disorders during the war is influenced by a number of psychosocial reasons, the constant action of stressogenic factors of various nature, psychotraumatization of the population caused by news of a negative nature (a sense of loss of relatives, home, sense of security) and socio-economic difficulties.

Conclusions. As a result of hostilities, the number of people who need psychiatric or psychological help is increasing. There is a tendency to increase the number of neurotic and stressful mental disorders. Suddenly, the question of changing the socioeconomic status arises: people can satisfy their needs at the minimum subsistence level. The loss of working capacity and the increase in the unemployed population provoke the development of mental and behavioural disorders. Undoubtedly, due to the full-scale invasion of russia into Ukraine, the number of victims of sexual violence is increasing. Factors provoking the development of neurotic and stress disorders are the impact of forced resettlement of people outside their homes and homeland as a result of russian aggression against Ukraine.

Literary search and scientific studies conducted in this direction claim that the main causes of neurotic and stress-related disorders during war include the impact of loss and grief, forced migration, financial factors and violence. Having analyzed the modern literature on mental disorders among Ukrainians as a result of the full-scale invasion of russia on the territory of Ukraine, we can conclude that this topic requires detailed study and analysis. Since many questions remain open regarding the influence of the war on the formation and development of mental disorders and the ways of their prevention during the russian-Ukrainian war.