Effects of Russia's invasion in Ukraine

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is taking a toll on people everywhere. 

Russia attacking Ukraine. This has been on news media for weeks now, and with attacks only escalating, we wonder how President Putin could do something so inhumane. Today we will dive into the toll on people's mental health. Could there be any long term effects?

Overview

The apparent reason Russia invaded Ukraine was because Ukraine has become too Westernized, and, a threat to Russia. It could no longer feel "safe, develop, and exist." Thousands of people have died since then and 10 million+ have been dislocated. 

Why is Putin doing this?

    The original goal of the Russian leader was to overthrow Ukraine and overthrow its government, thereby ending its desire to eventually join the Western alliance NATO. However, he was unable to occupy the capital Kyiv and has now moved his ambitions to the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine. 

    He has since gone back and forth, changing his aims of what he actually wants to do with Ukraine. At another point, he stated he was doing this to "demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine,"and to protect those who have been exposed to what he called bullying and slaughter by the Ukrainian government for eight years. He goes on to claim that what he is doing is neither war or aggression, just a required "special military operation."

    A month after the first strike, Russia declared its main goal to be the "liberation of Donbas." This broadly refers to the eastern regions of Ukraine, Luhansk and Donetsk. More than one-third of the region has already been occupied by Russian-backed separatists in the war that began in 2014, and Russia now wants everything. 

What's happening currently?

    The Kremlin argued that it had "generally achieved" the purpose of the first phase of the aggression, which it defined as significantly diminishing Ukraine's combat capabilities. However, it is clear that Russia has reduced its ambitions, as it has withdrawn from the entire Kyiv region, and left behind murdered bodies. 

    Despite the falsified word of "denazification" still present, Russian troops now aim to conquer two major eastern regions along the eastern south coast, from the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian border. 

How is this affecting people: 

• According to UNICEF, nearly 500,00 children are at risk of their physical and mental health, despite recent developments to protect the rights of kids affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Now, UNICEF says that virtually all children involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine needs psychosocial support.
• Armed conflict has has serious psychological impact on civilians in eastern Ukraine, but the stigma surrounding mental health problems and the collapse of medical buildings has hampered treatment and recovery. 
• Prolonged fighting has continuously exposed civilians to the horrors that comes with war, while state support continues on its downfall. Many people are mortified from this and currently face extreme stress, increasing the feeling of complete helplessness and overwhelming their ability to deal with all this.
• Studies suggest that watching traumatic events may affect audience's mental health. With Ukrainian media found anywhere online and misinformation being spread as well, this has unhealthy effects on public health. 
• Compared with people who did not watch as much, people who watched 4+ hours of television about attacks per day detailed an increase of stress and cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There was also a higher risk of the development of health problems in later years
• In Ukraine, where the macho patriarchal culture is widespread and the mechanism for certifying effective counselors is weak, there is a great resistance to psychotherapy. The problem is exacerbated by the shame fueled by the Soviet era, when oppressive authorities turned psychiatry into a tool of punishment, institutionalized political dissidents, and therefore further increased mental health problems.
• Additionally, Ukraine's crisis comes after two whole years of continuous bad news: first the pandemic, then a multitude of articles of racism, inequality, and climate change, along with other issues that have taken an emotional toll on people around the world. Studies show that news coverage about the pandemic has contributed to mental pain, and mixing another emotional topic into the batch can make these feelings worse. 
• People who tend to be anxious are more likely to reach out to crisis coverage. This may foster a cycle of anguish, in which it's very difficult to free yourself from. 

Sources:

Desk, India TV News. “Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Moscow Sends Long-Range Nuclear-Capable Bombers on Patrol over Belarus.” English, 5 Feb. 2022, https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/russia-ukraine-conflict-putin-moscow-sends-long-range-nuclear-capable-bombers-patrol-over-belarus-latest-updates-2022-02-05-758190.

Coleman, Julie. “Russia's Staggering Losses over 3 Weeks of Ukraine Fighting Already Exceed Entire Wars.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 18 Mar. 2022, https://www.businessinsider.com/russias-losses-deaths-ukraine-already-exceed-multiple-wars-2022-3.

“Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis.” Center for Disaster Philanthropy, 7 Apr. 2022, https://disasterphilanthropy.org/disasters/ukraine-humanitarian-crisis/#:~:text=From%20Feb.,Ukrainians%20are%20fleeing%20is%20unprecedented.

Ducharme, Jamie. “Watching War Unfold on Social Media Affects Mental Health.” Time, Time, 8 Mar. 2022, https://time.com/6155630/ukraine-war-social-media-mental-health/.

“Ukraine Conflict Affecting Children's Mental Health: UNICEF | | UN News.” United Nations, United Nations, https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/02/1111172.

ABC News, ABC News Network, https://abcnews.go.com/International/mental-health-effects-ukraine-war-zone-children/story?id=83203801.