Associations between mental health symptoms, trauma, quality of life and coping in adults living in Ukraine: A cross-sectional study a year after the 2022 Russian invasion.

ABSTRACT

We aimed to assess the mental health of adults living in Ukraine one year after onset of the Russo-Ukrainian war, along with quality of life and coping strategies. Quota sampling was used to collect online survey data from 2364 adults aged 18-79 years living in Ukraine from April 5, 2023 to May 15, 2023. Among adults living in Ukraine, 14.4 % had probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), another 8.9 % had complex PTSD (CPTSD), 44.2 % had probable depressive disorder, 23.1 % had anxiety disorder and 38.6 % showed significant loneliness. In adjusted models, the number of trauma events experienced during the war showed a dose-response association with PTSD/CPTSD and was associated with depressive disorder and anxiety disorder. Quality of life domains, particularly physical quality of life, were negatively associated with PTSD/CPTSD, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and number of trauma events. Maladaptive coping was positively associated with depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, PTSD/CPTSD and loneliness. All quality of life domains were positively associated with using adaptive coping strategies. Mental health disorders are highly prevalent in adults living in Ukraine one year into the war. Policy and services can promote adaptive coping strategies to improve mental health and quality of life for increased resilience during war.