Ukraine Conflict

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has produced the largest number of displaced people since World War II. More than 7 million people are thought to be internally displaced within Ukraine itself (IDPs), while 5 million people have advanced for neighbouring countries in Europe and around the world (refugees).

We conducted a “Health Needs of Ukrainian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons” survey, which aimed to develop a deeper understanding of the core characteristics of Ukrainians who escaped their homes, including the factors most likely to predict poor mental health outcomes among IDP and refugee groups. As part of the survey, we also asked whether participants had been injured as a result of a blast or explosion, or whether they had personally witnessed a blast or explosion since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The study presents findings from a nationally-representative online sample of over 10,000 Ukrainian IDPs and refugees that took place between April and July 2022.

Results showed that 2.8% of IDPs reported that they had been injured in a blast or explosion compared to 0.9% of refugees, whereas 79.0% of IDPs reported that they had personally witnessed a blast or explosion compared to 60.3% of refugees. Further, witnessing a blast or explosion was the strongest predictor of PTSD symptoms amongst IDPs, and being injured in a blast or explosion was the strongest predictor of PTSD symptoms amongst refugees. Both variables were strong predictors of anxiety.

Click here to see a recent article on the initial findings of this work.

For more information or collaboration, contact Dr Ken Brackstone (K.Brackstone@soton.ac.uk).