Russian-Ukrainian war has taken a mental toll on Ukrainian teens

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-12-09 03:00

Australia; International; QLD

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***This media release contains information some readers may find distressing as it refers to data about mental health, suicide and self-harm. If you or anyone you know needs help, support is available now. Call Lifeline (Aus) on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or Lifeline (NZ) on 0800 543 354. ***
The current Russian invasion of Ukraine has taken a toll on Ukrainian teens, with new international and Australian research showing high levels of symptoms of PTSD and depression, especially among those who were living in the war-affected region during the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. There was also an increase in suicidality among all teens exposed to war.

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Research JAMA, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).

Journal/
conference: JAMA Pediatrics

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The University of Queensland, University of Turku, Finland

Funder: This study was supported by the INVEST Research Flagship Centre and the Research Council of Finland (decision No. 345546). Dr Sourander received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No. 101020767, ERC Advanced).

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