TY - JOUR
T1 - A Qualitative Preliminary Study of Ukrainian Healthcare Providers’ Perspectives on Service Member’s Mental Health Since the Russian Invasion
AU - Lawry, Lynn Lieberman
AU - Korona-Bailey, Jessica
AU - Schoenfeld, Andrew J.
AU - Amowitz, Zoe
AU - Brim, William
AU - Shanahan, Patrice
AU - Maddox, John
AU - Hamm, Tiffany E.
AU - Juman, Luke
AU - Janvrin, Miranda
AU - Kanagaratnam, Amandari
AU - Mani, Vivitha
AU - Berezyuk, Oleh
AU - Koehlmoos, Tracey Pérez
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2026. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.
PY - 2026/9/1
Y1 - 2026/9/1
N2 - Introduction: The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine represents the return of large-scale combat operations to Europe for the first time since 1945 and the largest sustained conventional armed conflict in Europe of the 21st century. The current war has led to the rapid escalation of a mental health crisis with predictions of between 10 and 15 million Ukrainians ultimately needing professional psychological assistance as a result of the current hostilities. Materials and Methods: We conducted qualitative key informant interviews (KII) during the ongoing conflict using a Ukraine Trauma System Assessment Tool (TSAT) to understand the experiences of the health and trauma system in Ukraine with respect to mental health disorders and care delivery for these conditions in the time period following the Russian Federation invasion. Results: Between September 2023 and February 2024, 36 civilian and military healthcare or healthcare-adjacent participants were interviewed, including 22 (61%) males and 13 (36%) females. Mental health conditions are seen as having a detrimental impact on service members in Ukraine. Respondents reported frequent presentations of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and traumatic brain injury, described varied treatment practices including psychotherapy, pharmacologic support, and telemedicine, and highlighted persistent gaps in access to care. Participants also emphasized the importance of rehabilitation and noted that untreated mental health conditions adversely affected readiness and return-to-duty rates. Conclusions: The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has precipitated a significant mental health crisis, impacting both civilians and military personnel. Comprehensive mental health services for PTSD, anxiety, depression, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other related disorders among Ukrainians are needed. Integration of mental health care into rehabilitation settings, development of expanded community mental health service, and the embedding of psychiatrists and psychologists within military units are necessary to effectively address these needs.
AB - Introduction: The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine represents the return of large-scale combat operations to Europe for the first time since 1945 and the largest sustained conventional armed conflict in Europe of the 21st century. The current war has led to the rapid escalation of a mental health crisis with predictions of between 10 and 15 million Ukrainians ultimately needing professional psychological assistance as a result of the current hostilities. Materials and Methods: We conducted qualitative key informant interviews (KII) during the ongoing conflict using a Ukraine Trauma System Assessment Tool (TSAT) to understand the experiences of the health and trauma system in Ukraine with respect to mental health disorders and care delivery for these conditions in the time period following the Russian Federation invasion. Results: Between September 2023 and February 2024, 36 civilian and military healthcare or healthcare-adjacent participants were interviewed, including 22 (61%) males and 13 (36%) females. Mental health conditions are seen as having a detrimental impact on service members in Ukraine. Respondents reported frequent presentations of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and traumatic brain injury, described varied treatment practices including psychotherapy, pharmacologic support, and telemedicine, and highlighted persistent gaps in access to care. Participants also emphasized the importance of rehabilitation and noted that untreated mental health conditions adversely affected readiness and return-to-duty rates. Conclusions: The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has precipitated a significant mental health crisis, impacting both civilians and military personnel. Comprehensive mental health services for PTSD, anxiety, depression, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other related disorders among Ukrainians are needed. Integration of mental health care into rehabilitation settings, development of expanded community mental health service, and the embedding of psychiatrists and psychologists within military units are necessary to effectively address these needs.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105049021599
U2 - 10.1093/milmed/usag092
DO - 10.1093/milmed/usag092
M3 - Article
C2 - 41790572
AN - SCOPUS:105049021599
SN - 0026-4075
VL - 191
SP - e2030-e2038
JO - Military Medicine
JF - Military Medicine
IS - 9-10
ER -