Well-being of mental health workers during the Russian-Ukrainian War

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56508/mhgcj.v7i1.189

Keywords:

well-being, mental health, war, epidemiology, mental health professionals

Abstract

Introduction: While the detrimental impact of the Russian-Ukrainian War on mental health of Ukrainian population has been well-documented, less attention has been given to mental health workers (MHWs) providing mental health support services amid the war.

Purpose: To examine levels of domain-specific well-being in Ukrainian MHWs; identify and quantify the relative importance of factors associated with well-being; and examine interactions of risk and protective factors in relation to each well-being domain.

Methodology: A convenience sample of 178 MHWs completed a survey that assessed their well-being, and sociodemographic, war-related, mental health, and psychosocial characteristics.

Results:  Lower levels of mental health difficulties such as anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms, and higher levels of psychosocial factors such as higher optimism, gratitude, and presence and search for meaning were associated with higher well-being. MHWs with high levels of protective psychosocial factors were more likely to report higher well-being even in the presence of mental health difficulties.

Conclusions: Results of this study provide insight into the levels and correlates of multiple well-being domains among Ukrainian MHWs amid the ongoing war. They further suggest that interventions to mitigate mental health difficulties and bolster protective psychosocial factors may help promote well-being in this population

Author Biographies

Hun Kang, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, USA

Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven

Ian C. Fischer, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, West Haven, USA

Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA

Viktor Vus, Institute for Social and Political Psychology

Department of Small Group Psychology, Institute of Social and Political Psychology, National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine 

Anna Chobanian, Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenko

Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenko, Sumy, Ukraine 

Alla Kolyshkina, Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenko

Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenko, Sumy, Ukraine

Liudmyla Ponomarenko, Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenko

Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenko, Sumy, Ukraine

Irina Esterlis, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, West Haven, USA

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, West Haven, USA

Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA

Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, USA

Robert H. Pietrzak, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, USA

Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences;

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, USA;

Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA

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Published

2024-03-24

How to Cite

Kang, H., Fischer, I. C. ., Vus, V., Chobanian, A., Kolyshkina, A., Ponomarenko, L., Esterlis, I. ., & Pietrzak, R. H. . (2024). Well-being of mental health workers during the Russian-Ukrainian War. Mental Health: Global Challenges Journal, 7(1), 41–49. https://doi.org/10.56508/mhgcj.v7i1.189

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