War and women: An analysis of Ukrainian refugee women staying in the Czech Republic

Abstract

In addition to the loss of life, Russian aggression against Ukraine, which began in February 2022, also brings interpersonal losses resulting from the need to emigrate. Parallel to the fighting men, women bear most of the burden of caring for the family. Using in-depth interviews supplemented by questions about adverse childhood experiences and administration of The Centrality of Events Scale and the PTSD Checklist – PCL-5 with 43 Ukrainian women (18–60 years old), we analyzed adaptation to the situation of emigration and the association of their war and earlier experiences with the level of traumatization. Women were interviewed shortly after emigration to the Czech Republic (3–42 week afterward). High levels of adverse childhood experiences and post-traumatic stress symptoms were found. The war was perceived as a currently negative central event associated with traumatic stress symptoms, and 79% of the sample expressed the opinion that the war had changed them. The results of this study suggest an intertwining of previous life experiences with the current need and ability to adapt.

Keywords

• Ukraine
• refugee
• trauma
• adaptation
• emigration