UPJ

WAR DISTRESS AND COPING RESOURCES: PROTECTORS AND PREDICTORS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINIANS DURING AT THE SECOND YEAR OF THE FULL-SCALE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR

Authors:
L. A. Naydonova, DSc. in Psychological Sciences, Leading Researcher,
Institute of Social and Political Psychology, the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine
ORCID: 0000-0002-1222-295X
E-mail: mediasicolo@gmail.com

S. S. Dembitskyi, DSc. in Psychological Sciences, Deputy Director,
Institute of Sociology, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
ORCID: 0000-0002-7958-3557
E-mail: sociotest.solutions[at]gmail.com

V. P. Stepanenko, DSc. in Psychological Sciences, Chief Researcher,
Institute of Sociology, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
ORCID: 0000-0002-3623-0057
E-mail: vikstepa@gmail.com

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/upj.2024.2(22).5

Article Information
Issue: 2(22) 2024, pages: 76-96
Language: Ukrainian
Received: 05.10.2024
1st Revision: 10.10.2024
Accepted: 14.10.2024

Abstract

One of the most noticeable consequences of war around the world is aggravated mental health problems in the civilian population, in particular, prolonged stress and developing post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). Identifying factors that can increase or decrease the risk of PTSD developing among the population is an essential task for strategic planning in the sphere of mental health care. During the first year of the Russian-Ukrainian war (2022), international research teams conducted several surveys in Ukraine using various methods assessing the PTSD level. However, there is a lack of research that focuses on identifying factors that reduce pathologizing of prolonged stress and circumstances and resources that can be viewed as protectors. The article presents the study on PTSD predictors and protectors against PTSD caused by various stressors influencing the adult population during the second year of a full-scale war. We study was based on a representative all-Ukrainian sample (N=2767) and was performed in October 2023. We applied regression analysis with different models, where a dependent variable was the PTSD index (intrusion criterion from the PCL-C), and independent variables were the cumulated war stressors and uncertainty, general distress and its types, various personal resources (value structures, optimistic attitudes, various ways of relaxation). The strongest PTSD predictors were anxious and depressive types of distress, and the protector was optimistic attitudes. Cognitive components, in particular negative thoughts as PTSD predictors, were studied. We see research perspectives is studying reflective processes that relates to PTSD in different ways depending on the experience of disciplined scientific thinking. We propose to consider the analysis outcomes from the perspective of psychological education organizing within the education system and through the media.
Key words: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), distress, war stressors, stressor uncertainty index, psychological resources.

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