Медична наука України (Sep 2022)

EMOTIONAL STATE OF CHILDREN OF UKRAINE WHO WERE AFFECTED BY WAR FACTORS IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORY

  • О.М. Misiura,
  • V.A. Sova,
  • O.V. Anoprienko,
  • O.S. Sudyka,
  • А.І. Merkotan,
  • M.V. Khaitovych

DOI
https://doi.org/10.32345/2664-4738.3.2022.09
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 3
pp. 60 – 65

Abstract

Read online

Relevance. The infliction of war and military aggression is a violation of children's basic rights, because during war children gain experiences that are in stark contrast to their needs to grow up in a physically and emotionally safe and predictable environment. Objective of the work was to establish the frequency and manifestations of emotional disorders in children who lived in the occupied territory of Ukraine in February-March 2022. Material and methods. In May-July 2022, 184 children aged 3-17 years who lived in February-March 2022 in Kyiv and Chernihiv regions in the territories occupied by Russian troops were examined. Psychological and psychiatric counseling of 119 children was carried out. The "Child's Dream" method was used to identify themes of disturbing thoughts (the child was asked to draw a sleeping child and a dream that she had). Parents of 81 children were also surveyed using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (PSC-17): 29 children from May 3 to May 17 (Group I); 17 children from May 19 to May 31 (II group); 35 children from June 6 to July 14 (III group). Results. Anxiety disorders were detected in 27.7% of children, and conditions associated with high anxiety (insomnia, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, behavioral disorders) were found in another 24.4%. In 72.4% of the children of the I group, 29.4% of the children of the II group, and 17.1% of the children of the III group, internalization disorders were found; disorders of attention and externalization were found only in children of I (55.2% and 51.7%, respectively) and II groups (20.4% and 11.8%, respectively). Conclusions. More than half of the children who lived in the occupied territory were found to have psychoemotional disorders with a predominance of anxiety. 3 months after experiencing acute stress, internalization problems remain in 17% of children. These emotional disorders indicate the need to develop psychological correction measures.

Keywords