The Effects of Time Spent in Ukraine on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Ukrainian Children and Adolescents

Citation: Daria Serheyeva, "The Effects of Time Spent in Ukraine on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Ukrainian Children and Adolescents", Universal Library of Medical and Health Sciences, Volume 04, Issue 04.

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

As part of the war between Ukraine and Russia ongoing since February 2014, Russia initiated a full-scale invasion on February 24th, 2022. The attack has triggered a European refugee crisis with approximately 6.8 million people becoming refugees and asylum seekers (UNHCR, 2023). The high level of exposure to war, violence, and danger inside the country serves as a potential risk factor signaling the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is linked with the level of danger one finds themselves in (Bürgin, 2022). This is often seen with children, who depend on their parents for protection and emotional support, thus potentially being more vulnerable compared to adults. This is especially true if children are affected by armed conflict, as was seen in 2013 in other countries (United Nations, 2014). However, exiting the country may serve as a protective factor since it minimizes further risk of exposure to violence and generally makes the child’s environment safer. Still, in two of the main countries of refuge for Ukrainians, 31% of refugees studied reported the need for additional psychological services, highlighting the need to provide more interventions and aid (Popovych, 2024).

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https://doi.org/10.70315/uloap.ulmhs.2026.0404001