Intervention impact on quality of life in Ukrainians with post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Abstract Background The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among the population of Ukraine at approximately 25%. Almost half of the population, or 57%, is at risk of developing PTSD. Methods This longitudinal study included an assessment of QoL dynamics among 109 Ukrainian civilians with PTSD, before and after receiving complex treatment during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Clinical, anamnesis, socio-demographic, psychological, and statistical methods were employed. To assess quality of life, we used the Ukrainian versions of the 36-item survey (SF-36) and European Quality Assessment Questionnaire in 5 Regions (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaires. Results On the 30th day after the complex treatment, the following parameters showed significant improvement compared to the 1st day: physical functioning (48 vs 5), general perception of health (56 vs 52), and synthetic index associated with physical health (34 vs 29). On the 90th day, there was additional improvement in body pain, vitality, and mental health compared to the 30th day. By the 180th day, the score in general health reached statistical significance at 76. According to items characterizing mental health, it was possible to achieve reliable improvement in overall mental health 100, p = 0.0049 only on the 180th day of the study. Conclusions Normalization of mental health indicators in patients with PTSD occurs more slowly than physical indicators. Therefore, it requires long-term active monitoring of this category of patients during the post-rehabilitation period. In particular, special attention should be paid to psychological aspects even when somatic recovery has been achieved.

Keywords

• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Quality of life indicators
• The Russian-Ukrainian conflict
• Cognitive behavioural therapy
• Mental health