War in the midst of a pandemic: the synergy accelerating mental health disorders

ABSTRACT

War and displacement can have long-term and disastrous repercussions on people's mental, emotional, and physical health. Bombardments, invasions, occupation desertion, and being forced to flee diminish people's sense of security. The risk of being hurt or maimed as a result of conflict causes acute dread, which sets in motion other cascades of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These mental and emotional impacts are exacerbated by a co-existing pandemic, as migration and populations forced into cramped, dangerous situations are likely to contribute significantly to disease spread, particularly given the current surge of the highly transmissible omicron variant of COVID-19. This threat to life and livelihood eventually leaves some survivors with mental health disorders.