Uncertainty Breeds Anxiety and Depression: The Impact of the Russian Invasion in Ukraine on a Swedish Clinical Population Receiving Internet-Based Psychotherapy.
Clin Psychol Eur
; 6(1): e12083, 2024 Mar.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39119223
ABSTRACT
Background:
Recent global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, have contributed to a rise in the global prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders. This study examines the indirect impact of the Ukraine war on emotional disorders within a Swedish clinical population.Method:
The sample comprised participants (n = 1,222) actively engaged in an internet-based psychotherapeutic intervention (cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and waitlist) when the war broke out. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale were used to measure depression and anxiety.Results:
Anxiety and depressive symptom severity increased following the war's onset, with an average weekly increase of 0.77-points for anxiety (p = .001, Cohen's d = 0.08) and 0.09-points for depression (p = .70, Cohen's d = 0.01); however, the increase was negligible for depression. Furthermore, higher socioeconomic status (SES) predicted declines in depression and anxiety during the study period, with a 0.69-point average weekly decrease in anxiety (p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.32) and a 1.09-point decrease in depression (p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.48) per one unit increase in SES, suggesting that SES may serve as a protective factor that buffers against psychopathological development during crises.Conclusions:
These findings have implications for mitigating the development of psychopathology during crises and interpreting treatment efficacy estimates during such events. Our findings also emphasize the potential of internet-based psychotherapy in addressing emotional disorders during crises. This study presents up-to-date information about the reaction of treatment-seeking individuals to abrupt uncertainty.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article