Nearly 25 percent of the people who fled the Donbas war zone are now suffering from depression or anxiety, according to a new study presented on Feb. 12.
The study, by the UK-based University of Birmingham and the Ukrainian Catholic University, examined the mental health issues facing people displaced by the fighting in the Donbas compared to the population not directly affected by the war, as well as the quality of mental health care services in Ukraine.
The study polled nearly 2,000 respondents, and showed that nearly a quarter of all internally displaced persons (IDPs) are suffering from depression, or moderately severe or severe anxiety. The prevalence of depression is also rather high among those not directly affected by the war, at 14 percent.
“Within these figures, the mental health of women is more affected by displacement with respect to anxiety than men,” the study also reads.
While the number of those suffering from depression is considered “very high” by the researchers, very few of the study’s respondents (only 1.2 percent of IDPs and 0.3 of the general population) said their day-to-day activities were affected by mental health issues.
The study indicates that Ukrainians prefer to cope with long-term anxiety and stress by themselves — primarily through spending time with friends (over 63 percent), enjoying music or movies (45 percent), through outdoor walks (almost 36 percent), going to church (almost 23 percent), or keeping themselves busy gardening (21 percent).
Only 16 percent of depressed Ukrainians reported an increase in their alcohol or tobacco consumption, the survey notes.
Many Ukrainians are loathe to seek medical help for mental health issues, the study found. Only 4.9 percent of respondents have contacted doctors with regard to anxiety, stress, or insomnia in the last three years.
Even in severe cases, most Ukrainians shun mental health support: Only 21.7 percent of IDPs and 9.5 percent of the general population with severe, clinical anxiety and depression have sought medical help.
“Medical professionals who were interviewed noted numerous barriers stopping more people from seeking help,” the study reads.
“(These include) the prevalence of ‘old’ structures, such as the Soviet legacy of treating mental health issues with in-patient care, the lack of measures to prevent mental health issues, the poor organization of the patient-support system, a lack of of specialists and affordable and good-quality mental health programs, a lack of good-quality programs for professional training, and obsolete or ineffective procedures.”
“Experts stressed that among the population, there is no recognition of the importance of mental health, and coping tactics in most cases do not include seeking medical help — there are still lots of prejudices and stigma over that.”
However, Ukrainian women generally tend to be more willing to seek psychological help, the researchers also noted.
According to the most recent estimates by the United Nations, up to 13,000 persons, including 3,300 civilians, have been killed in the war zone of Donbas since Russia launched the war in the region in April 2014.
Another 30,000 have been injured in the hostilities; and at least 1 million civilians have fled the region.
