Yavna K, Sinelnichenko Y, Zhuravel T, Yule W, Rosenthal M. Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) to Ukrainian children and adolescents to self-manage post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 - The first 7 months.
J Affect Disord 2024;
351:243-249. [PMID:
38272365 DOI:
10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.206]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 prompted many to provide mental health input, especially trauma management, to Ukrainian children and adolescents (C/A) exposed to it.
METHODS
Rapid cascade training of 200 Ukrainian psychologists during 2022 to provide, in pairs, free of charge and without selection, TRT courses of 4-6, 90 min sessions online or face to face to C/A 7 to 23 years in Ukraine and those migrating abroad. CRIES-8 PTSD questionnaires were administered at the beginning and end of the courses during May-December 2022. Age, gender, their geographical war risk, and whether C/A had stayed or migrated elsewhere were collected. A CRIES-8 score of ≥17/40 defined likely PTSD.
RESULTS
3123 C/A completed an initial CRIES-8 questionnaire with matching demographics, 2737 a questionnaire at the end and 1798 both. At entry to TRT, likely PTSD was greater in females (65 %) than males (52 %, p < 0.001) declining with increasing age, particularly in males (p < 0.001). Migration had mixed effects and moving to lower war risk areas or abroad did not reduce PTSD risk. TRT benefited 68 % of C/A overall by reducing CRIES-8 from ≥17 to <17, the rate increasing the more experienced the TRT facilitators became (p < 0.0001). Online and face to face outcomes were the same.
LIMITATIONS
The chaos of war prevented capture of all potential C/A questionnaires and long-term repeat testing not yet undertaken.
CONCLUSIONS
Even in the chaos of war, effective mental health input can be rapidly and cheaply (c.50 USD/child) provided and should be encouraged.
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