The prevalence and determinants of PTSD, anxiety, and depression in Ukrainian civilian physicians and paramedics in wartime–An observational cross-sectional study six months after outbreak

• Published in: Psychiatry research 2024-04, Vol.334, p.115836-115836, Article 115836
• Main Authors: Rzońca, Patryk, Podgórski, Marcin, Łazarewicz, Magdalena, Gałązkowski, Robert, Rzońca, Ewa, Detsyk, Oryna, Włodarczyk, Dorota
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety, Depression, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Healthcare workers; Ukraine; War
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115836

•Psychological consequences of wars can be harmful and far-reaching.•The healthcare workers experience trauma as part of professional duties.•The increased risk of mental health disorders should consider many variables.•The higher the levels of PTSD, anxiety, the higher the levels of disability.•It is advisable to monitor the mental state and need for help among civilian medics. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is the largest European land offensive since World War II. Individuals affected by conflicts such as war are at an increased risk of mental disorders, which result from frequent exposure to traumatic events and the breakdown of supportive social networks. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of PTSD, anxiety, and depression in Ukrainian civilian physicians and paramedics six months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A cross-sectional study was conducted using validated questionnaires: The Life Events Checklist, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, The International Trauma Questionnaire (ICD-11), The Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7, The Patient Health Questionnaire-9, The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. The study showed that 61.1 % of participants indicated combat or exposure to a war zone as the most bothersome event in their experience. Physicians and paramedics did not differ in the prevalence of PTSD according to the DSM-5 diagnostic rule and of depression (criteria met by 14.5 % and 9 % of participants, respectively). However, more physicians than paramedics met the criteria of PTSD according to the ICD-11 diagnostic rule (5.1 % vs. 1.2 %) and of anxiety (16.5 % vs. 10.0 %). The risk factors for the mental health problems included personal combat experience, total trauma exposure, parenthood, and economic situation. Despite the differences found in the prevalence of PTSD depending on the criteria used, the severity of mental problems and disability in this group is significant. It is advisable to monitor the mental state and need for help among Ukrainian civilian medical personnel.