ALL-UKRAINIAN SURVEY BY THE INSTITUTE OF SOCIOLOGY OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF UKRAINE: OCTOBER 2023

The press release was prepared by Serhiy Dembitsky, Doctor of Social Sciences, Deputy Director of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, head of the research project ‘Stressful conditions of the Ukrainian population in the context of war’ (funded by the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine).

A recent survey on stress levels among the Ukrainian population during wartime revealed the following important facts:

   
• Due to the large-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, the number of people who have experienced being in a combat zone has increased from 18% to 44%.
• Given the prevalence and negative psychological impact, the ranking of stressors is as follows (from most severe to least severe): traumatic experiences such as difficult memories, stressors of social interaction (conflicts, lack of support, discrimination) and personal actions, deterioration of living conditions, health problems, and the threat to life as a possibility caused by war.    
• The most important resources for coping with stress are communication outside of work, leisure and work. However, while interaction with loved ones is sufficiently satisfied among the majority of the population, the need for leisure and work is much less satisfied.
• When considering individual psychological resources, the strongest ones are general activity (work and social) and optimism. The situation is significantly worse when it comes to emotional stability and a sense of control over the situation.
• In terms of psychological distress*, the current situation is comparable to the second half of 2020, when the Ukrainian population was awaiting another wave of coronavirus. Thus, about 69% of respondents demonstrate a normal level of psychological distress, 21% - elevated, and 10% - high. This suggests that due to the Armed Forces of Ukraine preserving a significant part of the social environment of Ukrainians, the majority of the population has sufficient resources for psychological recovery, as well as protection from the most severe stressors of war.
• In terms of prevalence, individual stress states can be ranked as follows (from least common to most common): hostility as impulsiveness and aggression, depression as despondency and melancholy, somatisation as physical discomfort, interpersonal sensitivity as low self-esteem and vulnerability, anxiety as tension, fear and foreboding, exhaustion as a decline in physical and mental abilities, paranoid ideas as suspicion, distrust and blaming others.
• The main consequences of psychological stress in wartime are deprivation of values in areas such as leisure, physical health and wealth. Instead, the three pillars of values that currently sustain individual life are interpersonal relationships, morality and knowledge.

* Psychological distress is a unique emotionally uncomfortable state experienced by an individual in response to specific stressors or a strong need for something, which leads to temporary or permanent negative consequences.