| Abstract [eng] |
Russia's war against Ukraine has shocked millions of Ukrainians and their supporters around the world. Lithuanian society supports Ukraine and is also very close to the threat of the extended war. Children and adolescents are more vulnerable due to their age-specific developmental characteristics and the atrocities of ongoing war can negatively affect their mental health. The purpose of this research was to ask and find out how the war in Ukraine has affected the mental health of Lithuanian children and teenagers and Ukrainians staying in Lithuania. Methods: Parents raising 4-7 years old children filled out an anonymous questionnaire. For Ukrainians questionnaire was translated into Russian language. Parents were asked about the ways of communicating with the child about the war and its impact for child’s physical and mental health, appetite, sleep, drawings and play. Children were interviewed individually with brief semi structured questions and drew a war. Teenagers aged 16-19 filled out an anonymous Google Forms questionnaire. They were asked how much they were interested in the events of the war in Ukraine, whether the war in Ukraine affected their physical and mental health, ability to concentrate and study, hobbies, appetite, sleep and feels of fear due to the threat of war in Lithuania. Results: 116 Lithuanian parents, 12 Ukrainian parents and 395 Lithuanian teenagers filled in the questionnaires. Talked and drew with 36 Lithuanian and 11 Ukrainian children. 80,2% of Lithuanian and 58,3% of Ukrainian parents did not talk to their children about the war events before the war. After the onset of the war Ukraine, 57,8% of Lithuanian parents and 83,3% of Ukrainian parents reported that their children began inquiring about the conflict. More than third of parents stated that finding appropriate ways and expressions to talk with child about the war was challenging. Both Lithuanian and Ukrainian parents observed changes in their children's games, drawings, emotions, and mood following the beginning of the war. Ukrainian parents also noticed changes in child's behavior and appetite. Children's drawings predominantly featured themes of military equipment, collapsed buildings, warring soldiers, and the fearful expressions of people. Ukrainian children drew chaotic, unfinished drawings. Most of the teenagers who participated in the study indicated that they are moderately interested in the war in Ukraine and follow the news about the war less than once a week. 48,9% of the respondents noticed that the ongoing war affected their emotions and mood. Compared to boys, girls noticed this statistically significantly more often (p=0,008). 60,8% of teenagers said that they feel fear about the threat of war in Lithuania. Conclusion: The ongoing war had a greater impact on Ukrainians who were directly exposed to the events of the war. However, it is crucial to research and monitor the emotional health of children and adolescents living in a peaceful country. Drawing and symbolic play can be an appropriate method to understand the experiences of preschool children. |
