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Abstract The ongoing war in Ukraine is having profound impacts on both the local and global economy, as well as the infrastructure and overall well-being of the people. The prolonged duration of the conflict, coupled with its many related consequences such as total uncertainty, unfavorable economic conditions, and a distressing media backdrop, have a lasting impact on the mental health of the population. The ongoing war in Ukraine has exposed weaknesses in the national mental health care system and underscored the importance of mental health economics. To prevent further mental health problems, it is crucial to develop a comprehensive set of measures aimed at strengthening the capacity of the mental health care system in Ukraine. Currently, Ukraine’s mental health care system suffers from a lack of financial and human resources, which hinders its ability to provide adequate support to those in need. To address this issue, joint efforts between Ukrainian mental health stakeholders and the international governmental and non-governmental organizations are needed to provide support and capacity building for mental health services in Ukraine.

Abstract Background Since February 14, 2022, Ukraine has once again been under attack by the Russian forces, putting the nation in one of the biggest emergencies in Europe since World War II. This puts Ukrainians at high risk of psychiatric disorders, amidst unseen attacks on infrastructure that have put massive strain on Ukraine’s mental health services. Despite this, the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among adolescents and their changes over time have not yet been documented in Ukraine during the invasion. More generally, there is a need to more comprehensively uncover the long-term consequences of war on youth, especially their risks and protective factors. Methods The Adolescents of Ukraine During the Russian Invasion (AUDRI) Cohort is the largest cohort of war-affected Ukrainian adolescents. We will recruit adolescents aged 15 to 18 years attending any school in Ukraine. Data collection will start early 2023, and will be held via online questionnaires every six months during the war as well as after the war has terminated. We will use several well-validated tools to screen for PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and eating disorders. In addition, we will ask participants about possible risks and protective factors of their mental health including resilience and social capital. Using the cohort, we will evaluate the trends in psychiatric disorder prevalence among adolescents in Ukraine over time and evaluate risks and protective factors of adolescents’ mental health. Discussion The AUDRI Cohort will provide a unique opportunity to learn more about trauma and resilience among youth in conflict settings, in addition to aiding international efforts to save the mental health of youth in Ukraine. At-risk adolescents identified from our study can directly become beneficiaries of targeted intervention themselves. Building evidence on the mental health of adolescents is especially valuable, as protecting the mental health of war-affected adolescents could help rebuild society and have positive consequences for generations to come.

Abstract Background Since February 2022, the people of Ukraine have experienced devastating losses due to the Russian invasion, increasing the demand for mental healthcare across the nation. Using longitudinal data on mental health facilities across the nation up to summer 2022, we aimed to provide an updated picture of Ukrainian mental health services during the 2022 Russian invasion. Methods We conducted a nationwide longitudinal study on Ukrainian inpatient mental health facilities during the Russian invasion since February 2022. We obtained responses from the heads of 30 inpatient mental health facilities, which represent 49.2% of all psychiatric hospitals in Ukraine. Information on hospitalizations and the number, displacement, and injuries of staff in April and July-September 2022 was obtained from each facility. Results Facilities across Ukraine reported similar staff shortages in both April and August-September 2022, despite an increase in the number of hospitalizations in July 2022 and a similar percentage of hospitalizations related to war trauma (11.6% in July vs. 10.2% in April, Wilcoxon signed-rank test P = 0.10). Hospitalizations related to war trauma became more dispersed across the nation in July 2022, likely reflecting the return of internally and externally displaced persons to their original locations. Conclusions The mental health needs and services changed drastically in the first half-year of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with those in need more dispersed across the country over time. International aid may need to be scaled up to stably provide mental healthcare, given the displacement of the mental healthcare workforce.