Keywords
Beck Depression Inventory
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Spielberger-Hanin State-Trait Anxiety Inventory
Impact of Event Scale
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist
How to Cite
Abstract
In press
Background. War is one of the most powerful stress-inducing factors, capable of radically altering an individual's mental state and behavioral responses. According to existing research, prolonged armed conflicts not only increase levels of anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but also significantly affect adaptive capacity, cognitive risk appraisal, and the interpersonal domain of life in both civilian populations and military personnel.
Aim. To study and assess the course of depressive, anxiety, and post-traumatic symptoms among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have faced open military aggression.
Materials and Methods. Data from 2,100 IDPs collected during the period 2023–2025 via electronic questionnaires were analyzed. The assessment battery included: a specially designed anamnestic questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Spielberger-Hanin State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Impact of Event Scale (IES), and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL). The study was a private initiative of the authors and received no grant funding.
Research Ethics. Participation of respondents was voluntary, based on informed consent. The study was conducted in accordance with the World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki (1964–2024). Ethical approval was obtained from the Bioethics Committee of Uzhhorod National University.
Results. The study sample was predominantly composed of women (77.0%), individuals with completed secondary or higher education (89.0%), and those with a sanguine temperament type (51.5%). According to the BDI results, mild depressive symptoms were identified in 56.0% of respondents. Assessment using the STAI revealed low anxiety levels in 53.0% of participants, moderate levels in 45.0%, and high levels in 2.0% (with moderate anxiety being more prevalent among women). Analysis using the IES demonstrated a predominance of elevated levels of intrusion (65.5%) and physiological hyperarousal (71.5%). Based on the PCL results, a high risk of developing PTSD was identified in 20.0% of IDPs, predominantly among women (95.2%), individuals without permanent housing (65.2%), and those with sanguine and choleric temperament types (85.2%).
Conclusions. A high prevalence of mild depressive and moderate anxiety symptoms, as well as a significant level of post-traumatic distress, was found among IDPs. Key risk factors for PTSD include female gender, lack of permanent housing, and certain temperament types. The results underscore the need for targeted psychoprophylactic and rehabilitation programs for this group.
Keywords: psychiatry, Beck Depression Inventory, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Spielberger-Hanin State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Impact of Event Scale, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist.
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