What is the prevalence of anxiety and depression in internally and externally displaced Ukrainian refugees? A European survey.

Nataliia Ponzel, Jānis Blumfelds, Ileana Gefaell, Oksana Ilkov, Michael Harris

Keywords: General practice; Refugees; Anxiety and depression

Background:

Levels of anxiety and depression in the world are high even in peaceful times. Refugees are more likely to experience poor mental health than the local population, including higher rates of depression and anxiety disorders. This is linked to pre-migration experiences (such as war trauma) and post-migration issues (such as separation from family and poor housing).
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine has resulted in an estimated 10 million refugees, of which more than 3.8 million have left Ukraine. Many continue to face significant psychosocial difficulties, even in their new environments.

Research questions:

What levels of anxiety and depression are there in Ukrainian refugees inside and outside Ukraine, and how do levels in the two groups compare?

Method:

In this survey of adult Ukrainian refugees in Latvia, Spain, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, participants will be recruited through health care centres and refugee support groups. Levels of anxiety and depression will be measured using the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 instruments, using anonymous online or paper questionnaires. The questionnaires will be translated into Ukrainian, with validation by back-translation. As well as looking at overall anxiety and depression levels, we will compare the prevalence in refugees within Ukraine with those outside it.

Results:

We will present the study protocol and the findings of the pilot study. Any preliminary results will also be presented.

Conclusions:

For doctors working with Ukrainian refugees, assessment of mental health issues may be challenging, risking a delay in diagnosis and treatment. Having an awareness of the underlying prevalence of anxiety and depression in this group will help their healthcare providers be proactive in their care. We are not aware of any studies that have compared levels of anxiety and depression of refugees within their own country with those outside it.

Points for discussion:

What experience do EGPRN members have of assessing for mental health problems in refugees?

What are the main challenges that they have in diagnosing and managing anxiety and depression in this group of patients?

Would any EGPRN colleagues like to collaborate with us in this research?