Parent-reported posttraumatic stress reactions in children and adolescents: Findings from The Mental Health of Parents and Children in Ukraine Study

Martsenkovskyi, Dmytro; Karatzias, Thanos; Hyland, Philip; Shevlin, Mark; Ben-Ezra, Menachem; McElroy, Eoin; Redican, Enya; Louison Vang, Maria; Cloitre, Marylene; Ho, Grace W.K.; Lorberg, Boris; Martsenkovsky, Igor

Abstract

Background: Despite the long-standing ongoing war in Ukraine, information regarding war-related negative mental health outcomes in children is limited. A nationwide sample of parents in Ukraine was surveyed to assess posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in their children and to identify risk factors associated with child PTSD status.
Methods: A nationwide opportunistic sample of 1,238 parents reported on a single randomly chosen child within their household as part of The Mental Health of Parents and Children in Ukraine Study. Data were collected approximately six months after the war escalation in February 2022. The prevalence of PTSD was estimated using the parent-reported Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS).
Results: Based on parental reports, 17.5% of pre-schoolers and 12.6% of school-age children met DSM-5 criteria for PTSD. Delay in milestone development (AOR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.38 – 4.08), having a parent affiliated with the emergency services or army (AOR = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.28 – 3.53), parental PTSD/Complex PTSD status (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.22 – 2.89), and mean changes in parental anxiety (AOR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.44 - 2.72) were among the strongest predictors were among the strongest predictors of increased risk of paediatric PTSD
Conclusion: Russia’s war escalation in Ukraine resulted in increased estimated prevalence of war-related PTSD in children of various ages. Urgent efforts to increase the capacity of National paediatric mental health services are critically needed to mitigate these challenges in an environment of limited financial and human resources.

Citation

Martsenkovskyi, D., Karatzias, T., Hyland, P., Shevlin, M., Ben-Ezra, M., McElroy, E., Redican, E., Louison Vang, M., Cloitre, M., Ho, G. W., Lorberg, B., & Martsenkovsky, I. (2024). Parent-reported posttraumatic stress reactions in children and adolescents: Findings from The Mental Health of Parents and Children in Ukraine Study. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 16(8), 1269–1275. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001583

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 26, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Sep 25, 2023
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: Jul 31, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 25, 2023
• Print ISSN: 1942-9681
• Electronic ISSN: 1942-969X
• Publisher: American Psychological Association
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 8
• Pages: 1269–1275
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001583
• Keywords: war, children, adolescents, posttraumatic stress disorder, mental health
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/3158521