Prevalence and correlates of ICD ‐11 prolonged grief disorder among adults living in Ukraine during the war with Russia

Background: Although high rates of bereavement are evident in war‐affected populations, no study has investigated the prevalence and correlates of probable ICD‐11 prolonged grief disorder (PGD) under these circumstances. Methods: Participants were 2050 adults who participated in a nationwide survey exploring the effects of the Ukraine‐Russia war on the daily lives and mental health of Ukrainian people. Results: Of the total sample, 87.7% (n = 1797) of people indicated a lifetime bereavement. In the full sample, 11.4% met the diagnostic requirements for probable ICD‐11 PGD, and amongst those with a lifetime bereavement, the conditional rate of probable ICD‐11 PGD was 13.0%. Significant risk factors of ICD‐11 PGD included the recent loss of a loved one (6 months to a year ago), being most affected by a partner or spouse's death, loved one dying in the war, no recent contact with the deceased prior to their death, and meeting depression and anxiety diagnostic requirements. Conclusion: The study reveals that a significant percentage of Ukrainian bereaved individuals have probable ICD‐11 PGD, and identifying risk factors, particularly war‐related losses, will aid in the development of intervention and prevention programs for bereaved adults

Prevalence and correlates of ICD-11 prolonged grief disorder among adults living in Ukraine during the war with Russia

Background: Although high rates of bereavement are evident in war-affected populations, no study has investigated the prevalence and correlates of probable ICD-11 Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) under these circumstances. Methods: Participants were 2050 adults who participated in a nationwide survey exploring the effects of Ukraine-Russia war on the daily lives and mental health of Ukrainian people. Results: Of the total sample, 87.7% (n = 1,797) of people indicated a lifetime bereavement. In the full sample, 11.4% met the diagnostic requirements for probable ICD-11 PGD, and amongst those with a lifetime bereavement, the conditional rate of probable ICD-11 PGD was 13.0%. Significant risk factors of ICD-11 PGD included the recent loss of a loved one (6 months to a year ago), being most affected by a partner or spouse’s death, loved one dying in the war, no recent contact with the deceased prior to their death, and meeting depression and anxiety diagnostic requirements. Conclusion: The study reveals that a significant percentage of Ukrainian bereaved individuals have probable ICD-11 PGD, and identifying risk factors, particularly war-related losses, will aid in the development of intervention and prevention programs for bereaved adults

Development and validation of the caregiver-report version of the international depression questionnaire (IDQ-CG) and international anxiety questionnaire (IAQ-CG)

The International Depression Questionnaire (IDQ) and International Anxiety Questionnaire (IAQ) are self-report measures of ICD-11 single episode depressive disorder (DD) and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). The present study sought to describe the development and psychometric evaluation of the caregiver-report versions of the IDQ and IAQ for children, referred to as the IDQ-CG and IAQ-CG, respectively. Participants were 639 parents living in Ukraine who provided data on themselves and one child in their household as part of "The Mental Health of Parents and Children in Ukraine Study: 2023 Follow-up" study. The latent structure of the IDQ-CG and IAQ-CG were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), composite reliability (CR) estimates were estimated, and convergent validity was assessed. Prevalence rates of probable ICD-11 DD and GAD were also estimated. CFA results indicated that the IDQ-CG and IAQ-CG were unidimensional, while the internal reliability of both scales was excellent. Convergent validity was established via associations with external measures of internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems as well as trauma exposure. Factors associated with increased IDQ-CG and IAQ-CG scores included pharmacological support for emotional or behavioural problems, delayed milestone development, being forced to move to another part of Ukraine, serious life disruption due to the war, and having experienced a bereavement. Of the total sample, 1.6% met diagnostic requirements for ICD-11 DD and 5.8% met diagnostic requirements for ICD-11 GAD. This study supports the psychometric properties of the IDQ-CG and IAQ-CG. These measures can be effectively used to identify young people in need of mental health support. [Abstract copyright: © 2024. The Author(s).

War exposure, PTSD, and Complex PTSD among parents living in Ukraine during the Russian war

Background: High rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been documented in war-affected populations. The prevalence of Complex PTSD (CPTSD) has never been assessed in an active war zone. Here, we provide initial data on war-related experiences, and prevalence rates of ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD in a large sample of adults in Ukraine during the Russian war. We also examined how war-related stressors, PTSD, and CPTSD were associated with age, sex, and living location in Ukraine. Method: Self-report data were gathered from a nationwide sample of 2,004 adult parents of children under 18 from the general population of Ukraine approximately six months after Russia’s invasion. Results: All participants were exposed to at least one war-related stressor, and the mean number of exposures was 9.07 (range = 1-26). Additionally, 25.9% (95% CI = 23.9%, 27.8%) met diagnostic requirements for PTSD and 14.6% (95% CI = 12.9%, 16.0%) met requirements for CPTSD. There was evidence of a strong dose-response relationship between war-related stressors and meeting criteria for PTSD and CPTSD. Participants who had the highest exposure to war-related stressors were significantly more likely to meet the requirements for PTSD (OR = 4.20; 95% CI = 2.96 -5.95) and CPTSD (OR = 8.12; 95% CI = 5.11 - 12.91) compared to the least exposed.Conclusions: Humanitarian responses to the mental health needs of the Ukrainian population will need to take account of posttraumatic stress reactions. Education in diagnosing and treating PTSD/CPTSD, especially in the situation of a significant lack of human resources and continuing displacement of the population, is necessary.<br/