The effect of the Russian invasion on mental, social, and behavioral health among Ukrainians living in the United States.

Abstract

Objective: The present research examines the disparities among Ukrainians residing in the United States, comparing Ukrainians who migrated before the February 2022 Russian invasion against those who arrived afterward. We compare these two cohorts vis-a-vis anxiety, depressive symptoms, optimism, posttraumatic stress, life satisfaction, family economic stress, cultural stress (discrimination, negative context of reception, and language stress), hazardous alcohol use, and domestic violence perpetration and victimization.

Method: The present sample included 703 Ukrainians (53.63% women) residing in the United States. We conducted a series of multivariate analyses of variance using arrival cohort (pre- vs. postinvasion) and gender (male vs. female) as independent variables.

Results: Results indicated that postinvasion participants reported greater internalizing symptoms, cultural/economic stress, and hazardous alcohol use, whereas preinvasion arrivals reported greater levels of optimism and life satisfaction. No significant interactions between cohort and gender emerged for any of the outcomes.

Conclusion: Our findings offer valuable insights into the mental health and well-being of displaced Ukrainians within the backdrop of ongoing conflicts. These findings have significant implications for support and intervention efforts not only for Ukrainians but also for other crisis migrant groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).