Anxiety, depressive symptoms, and distress over the course of the war in Ukraine in three federal states in Germany
IntroductionThe Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting consequences are in the center of political discussions, media, and likely individual thinking of the population in Germany. Yet, the impact of this prolonged exposure on mental health is not known hitherto.MethodsUsing the population bas...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-04-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1167615/full |
| _version_ | 1827958954546692096 |
|---|---|
| author | Janka Massag Sophie Diexer Bianca Klee Daniela Costa Cornelia Gottschick Anja Broda Oliver Purschke Nils Opel Nils Opel Mascha Binder Daniel Sedding Thomas Frese Matthias Girndt Jessica Hoell Irene Moor Jonas Rosendahl Michael Gekle Rafael Mikolajczyk Rafael Mikolajczyk |
| author_facet | Janka Massag Sophie Diexer Bianca Klee Daniela Costa Cornelia Gottschick Anja Broda Oliver Purschke Nils Opel Nils Opel Mascha Binder Daniel Sedding Thomas Frese Matthias Girndt Jessica Hoell Irene Moor Jonas Rosendahl Michael Gekle Rafael Mikolajczyk Rafael Mikolajczyk |
| author_sort | Janka Massag |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting consequences are in the center of political discussions, media, and likely individual thinking of the population in Germany. Yet, the impact of this prolonged exposure on mental health is not known hitherto.MethodsUsing the population based cohort study DigiHero from three federal states (Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, and Bavaria), we assessed anxiety levels (GAD-7), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), and distress (modified PDI) in the first weeks of war and 6 months later.ResultsOf those 19,432, who responded in the first weeks of war, 13,934 (71.1%) responded also 6 months later. While anxiety and emotional distress decreased during the 6 months, their average scores were still elevated, and a substantial fraction of respondents displayed clinically relevant sequelae. Persons from low-income households were especially affected, specifically by fears related to the personal financial situation. Those who reacted with a particularly strong fear in the beginning of war were more likely to have persistent clinically relevant symptoms of depression and anxiety also 6 months later.DiscussionThe Russian invasion of Ukraine is accompanied by continuing impairment of mental health in the German population. Fears surrounding the personal financial situation are a strong determinant. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T15:44:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4bb7f4e53fe44f07871979afefa1cab2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T15:44:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-4bb7f4e53fe44f07871979afefa1cab22023-04-27T05:07:48ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402023-04-011410.3389/fpsyt.2023.11676151167615Anxiety, depressive symptoms, and distress over the course of the war in Ukraine in three federal states in GermanyJanka Massag0Sophie Diexer1Bianca Klee2Daniela Costa3Cornelia Gottschick4Anja Broda5Oliver Purschke6Nils Opel7Nils Opel8Mascha Binder9Daniel Sedding10Thomas Frese11Matthias Girndt12Jessica Hoell13Irene Moor14Jonas Rosendahl15Michael Gekle16Rafael Mikolajczyk17Rafael Mikolajczyk18Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics (IMEBI), Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyInstitute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics (IMEBI), Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyInstitute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics (IMEBI), Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyInstitute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics (IMEBI), Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyInstitute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics (IMEBI), Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyInstitute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics (IMEBI), Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyInstitute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics (IMEBI), Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyDepartment for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, GermanyGerman Center for Mental Health, Site Jena-Magdeburg-Halle, Jena, GermanyDepartment of Internal Medicine IV, Oncology/Haematology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyDepartment of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Mid-German Heart Centre, University Hospital, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyInstitute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyDepartment of Internal Medicine II, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyPaediatric Haematology and Oncology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyInstitute for Medical Sociology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany0Department of Internal Medicine I, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany1Julius-Bernstein-Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyInstitute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics (IMEBI), Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Sciences, Medical Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyGerman Center for Mental Health, Site Jena-Magdeburg-Halle, Jena, GermanyIntroductionThe Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting consequences are in the center of political discussions, media, and likely individual thinking of the population in Germany. Yet, the impact of this prolonged exposure on mental health is not known hitherto.MethodsUsing the population based cohort study DigiHero from three federal states (Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, and Bavaria), we assessed anxiety levels (GAD-7), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), and distress (modified PDI) in the first weeks of war and 6 months later.ResultsOf those 19,432, who responded in the first weeks of war, 13,934 (71.1%) responded also 6 months later. While anxiety and emotional distress decreased during the 6 months, their average scores were still elevated, and a substantial fraction of respondents displayed clinically relevant sequelae. Persons from low-income households were especially affected, specifically by fears related to the personal financial situation. Those who reacted with a particularly strong fear in the beginning of war were more likely to have persistent clinically relevant symptoms of depression and anxiety also 6 months later.DiscussionThe Russian invasion of Ukraine is accompanied by continuing impairment of mental health in the German population. Fears surrounding the personal financial situation are a strong determinant.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1167615/fullanxietyarmed conflictscohort studiesdepressionpsychological distress |
| spellingShingle | Janka Massag Sophie Diexer Bianca Klee Daniela Costa Cornelia Gottschick Anja Broda Oliver Purschke Nils Opel Nils Opel Mascha Binder Daniel Sedding Thomas Frese Matthias Girndt Jessica Hoell Irene Moor Jonas Rosendahl Michael Gekle Rafael Mikolajczyk Rafael Mikolajczyk Anxiety, depressive symptoms, and distress over the course of the war in Ukraine in three federal states in Germany Frontiers in Psychiatry anxiety armed conflicts cohort studies depression psychological distress |
| title | Anxiety, depressive symptoms, and distress over the course of the war in Ukraine in three federal states in Germany |
| title_full | Anxiety, depressive symptoms, and distress over the course of the war in Ukraine in three federal states in Germany |
| title_fullStr | Anxiety, depressive symptoms, and distress over the course of the war in Ukraine in three federal states in Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anxiety, depressive symptoms, and distress over the course of the war in Ukraine in three federal states in Germany |
| title_short | Anxiety, depressive symptoms, and distress over the course of the war in Ukraine in three federal states in Germany |
| title_sort | anxiety depressive symptoms and distress over the course of the war in ukraine in three federal states in germany |
| topic | anxiety armed conflicts cohort studies depression psychological distress |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1167615/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jankamassag anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT sophiediexer anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT biancaklee anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT danielacosta anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT corneliagottschick anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT anjabroda anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT oliverpurschke anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT nilsopel anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT nilsopel anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT maschabinder anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT danielsedding anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT thomasfrese anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT matthiasgirndt anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT jessicahoell anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT irenemoor anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT jonasrosendahl anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT michaelgekle anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT rafaelmikolajczyk anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany AT rafaelmikolajczyk anxietydepressivesymptomsanddistressoverthecourseofthewarinukraineinthreefederalstatesingermany |