Mental health during the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian War: A scoping review and unmet needs

Introduction

The Russo-Ukrainian War (RUW) poses a significant mental health burden, warranting a scoping review of the evidence to shed light on the unmet needs. Methods.

MEDLINE/PubMed and EMBASE databases were inquired from inception until September 1st, 2023, to address the following a-priori-formulated questions: i) “Which psychiatric population has been assessed? How did the conflict affect the functioning of people with established mental health conditions (e.g., treatment adherence, hospitalization rates, and use of illicit substances)?” ii) “Did any psychiatric symptoms or disorders arise because of the RUW? If so, among which groups (e.g., civilians, combatants, refugees, caregivers) and in what geographical regions?”, iii) “The impact of the Russo-Ukrainian war: what evidence focused on pre- and post-mental health status?”, iv) “Did the conflict affect the rates of suicidal ideation or behaviors (e.g., attempt and death by suicide)? How did the war affect mental status, especially among vulnerable populations?”, v) “What psychosocial or medical interventions have been adopted for internally displaced people or refugees complaining of mental health disturbances?”, vi) “What rating tools or ad-hoc measures have been developed/adopted?”, vii) “How did the existing evidence compare the RUW with other conflicts in different geographical regions or periods?”.

Results

Twenty-seven records addressed questions 1–3 and 5–6, with the female gender facing the highest burden. Reliable records about the Russian side of the conflict are needed.

Conclusion

Cohort studies across different phases of the RUW and populations are required to deliver effective clinical and public health interventions, especially to at-risk populations.