PTSD in war-time Ukraine

• In Event: Roundtable: War Time Criminology

Abstract

The war in Ukraine raised a number of questions for researchers regarding the diagnosis and treatment of mental and behavioral disorders caused by traumatic experiences. Since 1995, the Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs (Ukraine) in cooperation with Wayne State University (USA) and Anglia Ruskin University (UK) has been conducting number of survey projects («Youth and drugs», «Security and Trust», «Ukrainian Longitudinal Study - ULS ») using standardized screening methods for the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (RI-5-BF, LEC-5 and PCL-5). Findings about relations between PTSD and Age show that the younger the participants, the less PTSD symptoms they have. Among children 20%, among adolescents 25% and among adults 28% meet PTSD criteria. Findings about relations between PTSD and Gender show that females have 2-3 times more PTSD symptoms than males. Among children 9% males and 25% females; among adolescents 15% males and 28% females; and among adults 10% males and 31% females meet PTSD criteria. Findings about trauma experience show that war is a most common traumatic experience for participants of all ages. Findings about trauma exposure show that war and death is a most common reason for PTSD among participants of all ages. For Children and Adolescents after the war second most common reason for PTSD is a sexual violence. Findings about ability to induce PTSD of the different traumatic events does not match their prevalence. Among the children and adolescents the highest ability to induce PTSD observed for the «Forced sex» (53% of all cases are reason of PTSD) and «Family violence» (50%). But «War» has a least ability to induce PTSD (25%). Among adults the highest ability to induce PTSD observed for the «Serious injury, harm, or death you caused to someone else» (57%) and «War / Staying in a military conflict zone as part of a military formation» (50%). Other war-related experiences are less pathogenic: «War / Staying in a military conflict zone as a civilian» (42%) at the 6th place; «War / Participation in direct combat operations» (29%) at the 10th place.

Authors

• Oleksii Serdiuk, Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, Ukraine

• Viktor Burlaka, Wayne State University School of Social Work

• Anna Markovska, Anglia Ruskin University