Suffering Despite Fleeing Acute Stress Disorder among Ukrainian War Refugees in Europe

Fleeing from war, witnessing death and destruction and leaving family behind can be frightening, stressful and result in Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), a mental health condition that can occur in the first month after a traumatic event. This cross-sectional study of 637 Ukrainian war refugees used two structured surveys. The first consisted of questions regarding demography, the circumstances of the refuge, pre-2/24 2022 traumas and autoimmune diseases, and experiences in the host country. The second instrument was the Acute Stress Disorder Scale. The prevalence of ASD among refugees was high (93.5%). Several factors increasing the risk of developing ASD were identified, e.g. witnessing Russian attacks, OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.26-6.78, insufficient financial resources, OR 3.56, 95% CI 1.61- 7.91, feeling of loneliness in the host country OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.58-8.69). Pre-existing depression, death of a close person, a spouse left in Ukraine, among others, were found to significantly (p<0.05) exacerbate the ASD symptoms. The study shows the extreme levels of trauma among the Ukrainian war refugees. The knowledge regarding ASD vulnerabilities in the present conflict (women, witnesses of attacks, depressed, lonely, and discriminated) may facilitate prompt and adequate psychological help. Since ASD is an antecedent of PTSD and several autoimmune disorders, these results may also serve as a predictor of future challenges for the Ukrainian Society