Research In Ukraine

The Mental Health of Parents and Children in Ukraine Study

We are currently conducting research in Ukraine to understand how Russia's war is affecting the mental health and day-to-day lives of Ukrainian adults and children.

Project members include Prof. Philip Hyland (Maynooth University, Ireland), Prof. Mark Shevlin (Ulster University, Northern Ireland), Prof. Thanos Karatzias (Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland), Dr. Frédérique Vallières (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland), Prof. Menachem Ben-Ezra (Ariel University, Israel), Dr. Eoin McElroy (Ulster University, Northern Ireland), Dr. Maria Louison Vang (University of Southern Denmark, Denmark), Dr. Boris Lorberg (University of Massachusetts, United States), and Dr. Dmytro Martsenkovskyi (Bogomolets National Medical University & SI Institute of Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatric Examination and Drug Monitoring of Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Ukraine).

We have carried out two rounds of data collection thus far. We are happy to share our datasets with anyone who would like to use these data for research purposes. Please email philip.hyland@mu.ie if you would like to use these data.

The first study collected data from July-September 2022 from a nationwide sample of 2,004 Ukrainian parents. The second study collected data in September 2023 from a representative sample of 2,050 adults living in Ukraine. In both studies, we assessed the mental health and psychosocial function of the population. We also asked those participants who are parents to report on their child's mental health and functioning.

In the spirit of encouraging similar research with Ukrainians living in Ukraine and elsewhere, we share our survey here:

2022 Study Survey_English

2022 Study Survey_Ukrainian

2023 Study Survey_English

2023 Study Survey_Ukrainian

Below is a list of publications based on our studies in Ukraine. Please click on any paper to obtain it.

Publications:

Papers based on the 2023 study:

Hyland, P., Shevlin, M., Martsenkovskyi, D., Ben-Ezra, M., & Brewin, C. R. (2024). Testing predictions from the Memory and Identity Theory of ICD-11 Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Measurement development and initial findings. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 105, 102898. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102898

Shevlin, M., Hyland, P., Karatzias, T., Redican, E., Bondjers, K., Cloitre, M., Brewin, C. R., Duffy, M., Ben-Ezra, M., & Martsenkovskyi, D. (2024). Assessing self-reported prolonged grief disorder with ‘validity checks’: A proof of principle study. Journal of Traumatic Stress. doi: 10.1002/jts.23100.

Redican, E., Sachser, C., Berliner, L., Pfeiffer, E., Martsenkovskyi, D., Hyland, P., Ben-Ezra, M., & Shevlin, M. (2024). Development and validation of the Caregiver-Report Version of the International Depression Questionnaire (IDQ-CG) and International Anxiety Questionnaire (IAQ-CG). European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-024-02495-7

Martsenkovskyi, D., Shevlin, M., Ben-Ezra, M., Bondjers, K., Fox, R., Karatzias, T., Martsenkovska, I., Martsenkovsky, I., Pfeiffer, E., Sachser, C., Vallières, F., & Hyland, P. (2024). Mental health in Ukraine in 2023. European Psychiatry, 67(1), e27. https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.12

Redican, E., Shevlin, M., Hyland, P., Karatzias, T., Martsenkovskyi, D., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2024). Development and validation of the Caregiver-Report Version of the International Grief Questionnaire (IGQ-CG): Results from a Ukrainian sample of parents. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry. DOI: 10.1177/13591045241260897 (IF = 1.8)

Redican, E., Hyland, P., Shevlin, M., Martsenkovskyi, D., Karatzias, T., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2024). Prevalence and correlates of ICD-11 prolonged grief disorder among adults living in Ukraine during the war with Russia. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 149(5), 425–435. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13678

Redican, E., Sachser, C., Berliner, L., Pfeiffer, E., Martsenkovskyi, D., Hyland, P., Ben-Ezra, M. & Shevlin, M. (2024). Development and validation of the caregiver-report version of the international depression questionnaire (IDQ-CG) and international anxiety questionnaire (IAQ-CG). European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Doi: 10.1007/s00787-024-02495-7

Papers based on the 2022 study:

Hyland, P., Vallières, F., Shevlin, M., Karatzias, T., Ben-Ezra, M., McElroy, E., Vang, M. L., Lorberg, B., & Martsenkovskyi, D. (2023). Psychological consequences of war in Ukraine: assessing changes in mental health among Ukrainian parents. Psychological Medicine, 53(15), 7466–7468. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291723000818

Karatzias, T., Shevlin, M., Ben-Ezra, M., McElroy, E., Redican, E., Vang, M. L., Cloitre, M., Ho, G. W. K., Lorberg, B., Martsenkovskyi, D., & Hyland, P. (2023). War exposure, PTSD, and Complex PTSD among parents living in Ukraine during the Russian war. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 147(3), 276–285. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13529

Ho, G. W. K., Vang, M. L., Martsenkovskyi, D., Karatzias, T., Ben-Ezra, M., McElroy, E., Redican, E., Cloitre, M., Lorberg, B., Hyland, P., & Shevlin, M. (2023). Investigating the latent structure of the International Trauma Questionnaire to assess ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD in an adult civilian sample during the Ukraine war. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 36(4), 820–829. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22943

McElroy, E., Hyland, P., Vallières, F., Shevlin, M., Karatzias, T., Ben-Ezra, M., Vang, M. L., Lorberg, B., & Martsenkovskyi, D. (2024). Change in child mental health during the Ukraine War: Evidence from a large sample of parents. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 33(5), 1495–1502. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-023-02255-z

Redican, E., Sachser, C., Pfeiffer, E., Martsenkovskyi, D., Hyland, P., Karatzias, T., & Shevlin, M. (2023). Validation of the Ukrainian caregiver-report version of the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS) in children and adolescents in Ukraine. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001570

Martsenkovskyi, D., Karatzias, T., Hyland, P., Shevlin, M., Ben-Ezra, M., McElroy, E., Redican, E., Vang, M. L., Cloitre, M., Ho, G. W. K., Lorberg, B., & Martsenkovsky, I. (2023). Parent-reported posttraumatic stress reactions in children and adolescents: Findings from the mental health of parents and children in Ukraine study. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy. 10.1037/tra0001583. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001583

Levin, Y., Bachem, R., Hyland, P., Vallières, F., Shevlin, M., Karatzias, T., McElory, E., Vang, M. L., Lorberg, B., & Martsenkovskyi, D. (2023). The association between daily life changes and anxiety among Ukrainians following the Russian invasion. Psychiatry Research, 329, 115530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115530

Mental Health Resources for Clinicians and Researchers

Clinicians and researchers can access a range of mental health materials that have been translated into Ukrainian and Russian. We hope these resources can be of some help to those responding to the mental health needs of Ukrainians affected by the war.

We will continue to add resources to this page as they become available. Please get in touch (philip.hyland@mu.ie or m.shevlin@ulster.ac.uk) if you have any materials or resources that can be shared here.

Below are mental health materials and measures available in Ukrainian, Russian, and (for reference) English. Simply click on whatever you need and it will download.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Materials:

1. Psychosocial support to people in Ukraine and impacted countries, developed by the Psychosocial Support Centre of the IFRC.

2. Coping with the psychological consequences of war, flight, and displacement - developed by Prof. Brigitte Lueger-Schuster at the University of Vienna.

3. Therapeutic stories for children - developed by Professor Justyna Ziółkowska at SWPS University, Poland. Available in Ukrainian, Polish, and English.

Mental Health Assessment Materials:

1. Demographic questions_Ukrainian

1. Demographic questions _Russian

1. Demographic questions_English

2. Depression_The International Depression Questionnaire_Ukrainian

2. Depression_The Patient Health Questionnaire-9_Ukrainian

2. Depression_The Patient Health Questionnaire-9_Russian

2. Depression_The Patient Health Questionnaire-9_English

3. Anxiety_The International Anxiety Questionnaire_Ukrainian

3. Anxiety_The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7_Ukrainian

3. Anxiety_The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7_Russian

3. Anxiety_The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7_English

4. Trauma Exposure_The Life Events Checklist 5_Ukrainian

4. Trauma Exposure_The Life Events Checklist 5_Russian

4. Trauma Exposure_The Life Events Checklist 5_English

5. PTSD and Complex PTSD_The International Trauma Questionnaire_Ukrainian

5. PTSD and Complex PTSD_The International Trauma Questionnaire_Russian

5. PTSD and Complex PTSD_The International Trauma Questionnaire_English

6. Somatic Problems_The Patient Health Questionnaire_Ukrainian

6. Somatic Problems_The Patient Health Questionnaire_Russian

6. Somatic Problems_The Patient Health Questionnaire_English

7. Impairments in living_WHODAS 2.0_Ukrainian

7. Impairments in living_WHODAS 2.0_Russian

7. Impairments in living_WHODAS 2.0_English

8. For CHILDREN & ADOLESCENTS_Trauma and PTSD/CPTSD_CATS and ITQ-CA_Ukrainian

8. For CHILDREN & ADOLESCENTS_Trauma and PTSD/CPTSD_CATS and ITQ-CA_Russian

8. For CHILDREN & ADOLESCENTS_Trauma and PTSD/CPTSD_CATS and ITQ-CA_English

9. For CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS_Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen 2 - Self Report Version_Ukrainian

9. For CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS_Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen 2 - Caregiver Report Version_Ukrainian

9. For CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS_Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen 2 - Self Report Version_Russian

9. For CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS_Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen 2 - Caregiver Report Version_Russian

9. For CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS_Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen 2 - Self Report Version_English

9. For CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS_Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen 2 - Caregiver Report Version_English

10. PCL5 PTSD_Ukrainian

10. PCL5 PTSD_Russian

10. PCL5 PTSD_English

11. Traumatic Grief Inventory Self Report Plus_Ukrainian

11. Traumatic Grief Inventory Self Report Plus_Russian

11. Traumatic Grief Inventory Self Report Plus_English

12. Depressive Anxious Avoidance Prolonged Grief Questionnaire _Ukrainian

12. Depressive Anxious Avoidance Prolonged Grief Questionnaire _Russian

12. Depressive Anxious Avoidance Prolonged Grief Questionnaire _English

13. Experienced Unrealness Scale _Ukrainian

13. Experienced Unrealness Scale _Russian

13. Experienced Unrealness Scale _English

14. Grief Cognitions Questionnaire _Ukrainian

14. Grief Cognitions Questionnaire _Russian

14. Grief Cognitions Questionnaire _English

15. Prolonged Grief Symptoms_Ukrainian

Help the Ukrainian Military & Humanitarian Organizations

There are many ways you can support Ukraine in the face of Russian military aggression. Please visit www.standforukraine.com to donate to verified projects to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a variety of humanitarian charities.

You can donate directly to the Armed Forces of Ukraine by clicking here.