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The ongoing war in Ukraine is expected to negatively impact the mental health of the country's population. This study aims to provide a preliminary estimate of the degree of change in the mental health problems of Ukrainian children following Russia's invasion in February 2022, and to identify the sociodemographic and war-related risk factors associated with these changes. A nationwide, opportunistic sample of 1238 parents reported on a single randomly chosen child within their household as part of The Mental Health of Parents and Children in Ukraine Study. Data were collected between July 15th and September 5th, 2022. Participants completed modified versions of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-17) which was adapted to capture change in the frequency of symptoms since the beginning of the war. Parents reported increases across all 17 indicators of internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems of the PSC-17. Increased problems were most pronounced within the internalizing domain, with 35% of parents reporting that their child worried more since the beginning of the war. A number of individual, parental, and war-related factors were associated with increases across the three domains. Exposure to war trauma, pre-existing mental health problems, and child age were among the strongest predictors of change. This survey provides preliminary evidence that the Russian war on Ukraine has led to an increase in common mental health problems among children in the general population. Further research is required to determine the extent and sequela of this increase, and to develop intervention strategies for those most in need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been documented in war‐affected populations. The prevalence of Complex PTSD (CPTSD) has never been assessed in an active war zone. Here, we provide initial data on war‐related experiences, and prevalence rates of ICD‐11 PTSD and CPTSD in a large sample of adults in Ukraine during the Russian war. We also examined how war‐related stressors, PTSD, and CPTSD were associated with age, sex, and living location in Ukraine. Method: Self‐report data were gathered from a nationwide sample of 2004 adult parents of children under 18 from the general population of Ukraine approximately 6 months after Russia's invasion. Results: All participants were exposed to at least one war‐related stressor, and the mean number of exposures was 9.07 (range = 1–26). Additionally, 25.9% (95% CI = 23.9%, 27.8%) met diagnostic requirements for PTSD and 14.6% (95% CI = 12.9%, 16.0%) met requirements for CPTSD. There was evidence of a strong dose–response relationship between war‐related stressors and meeting criteria for PTSD and CPTSD. Participants who had the highest exposure to war‐related stressors were significantly more likely to meet the requirements for PTSD (OR = 4.20; 95% CI = 2.96–5.95) and CPTSD (OR = 8.12; 95% CI = 5.11–12.91) compared to the least exposed. Conclusions: Humanitarian responses to the mental health needs of the Ukrainian population will need to take account of posttraumatic stress reactions. Education in diagnosing and treating PTSD/CPTSD, especially in the situation of a significant lack of human resources and continuing displacement of the population, is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The association between daily life changes and war-related anxiety symptoms is understudied. • We report a nationwide, opportunistic sample (N = 2,004) of adult parents in Ukraine. • The results show a positive dose-response association between the number of changes in daily life and war-related anxiety. This study sought to explore the association between changes in daily life and war-related anxiety. In this study, we analyzed self-reported data from 2,004 Ukrainian adults, obtained through an opportunistic survey in the Ukraine. Our assessment focused on changes in everyday routines and generalized anxiety symptoms since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the 24 February 2022. The data were collected between July-September 2022. Results show a significant dose-response connection between everyday routine changes and increased war-related anxiety. Not surprisingly, the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict is impacting the lives of Ukrainians. These changes are linked to heightened anxiety levels. Effective population-based crisis management should consider both war-related stressors and changes in daily life routines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]