Nearly one in three civilians in Ukraine meets the criteria for PTSD: what the new study shows

On September 29, 2026, the journal European Journal of Psychotraumatology published a study on the prevalence of traumatic events, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) among Ukraine’s civilian population. The lead author is Emma Facer-Irwin (King’s College London); the co-authors include Olga Onuch (University of Manchester) and Volodymyr Kulyk (Kyiv School of Economics). Researchers from George Washington University, the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) and the organisation Combat Stress also took part.

What was studied

A nationally representative telephone survey of 2,504 adults in government-controlled regions of Ukraine. Participants were asked about traumatic events across their lifetime and war-related events (fires and explosions, shelling, destruction, injury, displacement, the disappearance or death of loved ones), as well as about symptoms of PTSD and CPTSD.

Key figures

• 31,2% of respondents met the criteria for PTSD or CPTSD;
• of these 25,2% — PTSD, 6% — CPTSD.

What is linked to higher risk

The researchers found an association with PTSD or CPTSD for the following factors: being female, older age, lower educational attainment, previous military service, displacement because of the war, and a larger number of lifetime traumatic events and war-related stressors. Being single was associated only with CPTSD, not with PTSD.

Not only veterans

Co-author Volodymyr Kulyk stresses (translation by the editors): PTSD and CPTSD are not limited to veterans or people close to the combat zone. The authors note that these disorders are also widespread among internally displaced people, residents of cities that come under missile and drone attacks far from the front, and people who care for the wounded or traumatised.

Limitations of the study

• This is self-report: participants assessed their own symptoms, so the result is neither a clinical diagnosis nor a physician’s assessment.
• The data were collected at a single point in time, so they show a snapshot rather than change over time.
• The sample covers only government-controlled regions: the study says nothing about people in the occupied territories or abroad.

The authors’ conclusions

The level of traumatic experience in the sample is very high, and many people nevertheless continue to function. PTSD is much more common than CPTSD, which, in the authors’ view, may mean that responses to a prolonged, unpredictable threat do not always fit the models developed for post-conflict settings. Mental health services need planning for both the near term and the long term. Trauma-focused treatment is important, but community support, social connections and population-level measures also remain valuable.

Where to get help in Ukraine

• 7333 — “Lifeline Ukraine”, 24 hours a day, free and anonymous: suicide prevention and mental health support;
• 0 800 100 102 — the line of the National Psychological Association, daily from 10:00 to 20:00;
• 0 800 33 20 29 — the crisis line of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, 24 hours a day.

The numbers are taken from the Cabinet of Ministers’ page about the “Ty yak?” (“Are you okay?”) programme (June 2023); please check that they are still valid before calling. If you have thoughts of suicide or are in immediate danger, call 103 or 112.

Sources

• University of Manchester: Nearly one in three Ukrainian civilians has PTSD or CPTSD
• Facer-Irwin E. et al. (2026), European Journal of Psychotraumatology, DOI 10.1080/20008066.2026.2697563
• Government programme “Ty yak?”: where to turn for help

This material is for information only and does not replace consultation with a doctor or psychologist. Self-medication can be harmful to your health.