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Running Away from the War in Ukraine: The Impact on Mental Health of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Refugees in Transit in Poland

Author

Listed:
  • Damiano Rizzi

    (Fondazione Soleterre Strategie di Pace Onlus, 20123 Milan, Italy
    Unità di Medicina d’Urgenza, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy)

  • Giulia Ciuffo

    (CRIdee, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica, 20123 Milan, Italy)

  • Giulia Sandoli

    (Fondazione Soleterre Strategie di Pace Onlus, 20123 Milan, Italy)

  • Matteo Mangiagalli

    (Fondazione Soleterre Strategie di Pace Onlus, 20123 Milan, Italy
    Dipartimento di Scienze Clinico-Chirurgiche, Diagnostiche e Pediatriche, Unità di Terapia Intensiva, Università degli Studi di Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy)

  • Pietro de Angelis

    (Fondazione Soleterre Strategie di Pace Onlus, 20123 Milan, Italy)

  • Gioele Scavuzzo

    (Fondazione Soleterre Strategie di Pace Onlus, 20123 Milan, Italy)

  • Mariana Nych

    (Fondazione Zaporuka, 03022 Kiev, Ukraine)

  • Marta Landoni

    (CRIdee, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica, 20123 Milan, Italy)

  • Chiara Ionio

    (CRIdee, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica, 20123 Milan, Italy
    Unità di Ricerca sul Trauma, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica, 20123 Milan, Italy)

Abstract

A growing body of research highlights how communities traumatized by conflict and displacement suffer from long-term mental and psychosocial illnesses. The Russian army’s attack on Ukraine has resulted in an estimated 10 million people being internally or externally displaced from Ukraine, of whom more than 3.8 million have left Ukraine to seek refuge elsewhere in Europe. Soleterre has decided to launch an intervention to provide psychological support to Ukrainian refugees and IDPs, aimed at containing war trauma, assessing the severity of symptoms, and enabling those affected to receive psychological support. The intervention model envisioned the administration of an intake form to provide a rapid collection of qualitative and quantitative information for those arriving in Poland or Lviv from Ukraine. Our results showed how most of the samples reported high or very high levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. Moreover, results highlighted how being close to families or being able to keep in touch with them work as a protective factor in enhancing resilience, as well as a support network. These findings underscored the importance of re-thinking our perception of “family” in a broader sense, considering the new facets it can take on in post-conflict situations.

Suggested Citation

  • Damiano Rizzi & Giulia Ciuffo & Giulia Sandoli & Matteo Mangiagalli & Pietro de Angelis & Gioele Scavuzzo & Mariana Nych & Marta Landoni & Chiara Ionio, 2022. "Running Away from the War in Ukraine: The Impact on Mental Health of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Refugees in Transit in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:24:p:16439-:d:996821
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Whitehead, J. & Fokaf, O. & Deinekhovska, T. & Egan, M. & Seguin, M., 2025. "Stressors faced by forcibly displaced Ukrainians in England within 6 months of arrival: A qualitative study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 371(C).
    2. Maria Kasierska & Julia Suwalska & Dorota Łojko & Marta Jakubiak-Głowacka & Sławomir Tobis & Aleksandra Suwalska, 2023. "Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Polish Population in the Context of the War in Ukraine: Analysis of Risk Factors and Practical Implications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-13, September.
    3. Magdalena Nowicka & Ewa Jarczewska-Gerc & Magdalena Marszal-Wisniewska, 2022. "Response of Polish Psychiatric Patients to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine in February 2022―Predictive Role of Risk Perception and Temperamental Traits," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-11, December.

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