How does the prevalence of anxiety and depression in internally displaced Ukrainians compare with Ukrainian refugees in other countries? Results of an ongoing study.

Nataliia Ponzel, Ileana Gefaell, Oksana Ilkov, Jānis Blumfelds, Michael Harris, Alejandra Aguilar-Latorre, Shlomo Vinker, Limor Adler, Robert Hoffman, Marija Zafirovska, Aleksandar Zafirovski, Philippe-Richard Domeyer, Macarena Chacón Docampo, Hüsna Sarıca Çevik, Kamer Billur Yücel Özden

Keywords: General practice; Refugees; Anxiety and depression

Background:

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, millions of Ukrainians have been forced to leave the country or have been internally displaced. While this could lead to anxiety and depression, there is no evidence on whether internally displaced Ukrainians might have different levels compared with those who have left the country.

Research questions:

What levels of anxiety and depression are there in Ukrainian refugees, and how do those levels differ between refugees who are inside and outside Ukraine?

Method:

Descriptive cross-sectional study based on an online survey. Study population: Ukrainians aged ≥18 who have been internally displaced or refugees in Europe since February 2022, from Ukraine, Latvia, Spain, Bulgaria, Macedonia and some other countries. Data collection: convenience and snow-ball sampling. We used GAD-7 to measure levels of moderate and severe anxiety, and PHQ-9 to measure levels of moderate and severe depression.

Results:

While data collection continues, data from the first 105 respondents show that levels of moderate and severe depression are higher among Ukrainian refugees in other countries than in those who are internally displaced (54.8% vs. 28.6%, P=0.032). We found no instances of moderate or severe anxiety among Ukrainian individuals in either group.

Conclusions:

These preliminary data suggest that levels of depression are high in both groups of war-displaced refugees. However, they are significantly higher in those who have left Ukraine. The reasons for this difference are unknown.

Points for discussion:

What experience do EGPRN members have of mental health problems in refugees that they care for?

Why do EGPRN members think that levels of depression are higher in refugees that have left Ukraine than in those who remain there?

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