Cargando…

Life and mental health in limbo of the Ukraine war: How can helpers assist civilians, asylum seekers and refugees affected by the war?

The terror spread by the war disrupts lives and severs families, leaving individuals and communities devastated. People are left to fend for themselves on multiple levels, especially psychologically. It is well documented that war adversely affects non-combatant civilians, both physically and psycho...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Anjum, Gulnaz, Aziz, Mudassar, Hamid, Hadar Khasrow
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9983366/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36874809
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1129299
_version_ 1784900529502027776
author Anjum, Gulnaz
Aziz, Mudassar
Hamid, Hadar Khasrow
author_facet Anjum, Gulnaz
Aziz, Mudassar
Hamid, Hadar Khasrow
author_sort Anjum, Gulnaz
collection PubMed
description The terror spread by the war disrupts lives and severs families, leaving individuals and communities devastated. People are left to fend for themselves on multiple levels, especially psychologically. It is well documented that war adversely affects non-combatant civilians, both physically and psychologically. However, how the war puts civilians’ lives in a limbo is an under-researched area. This paper focuses on three aspects: (1) how the mental health and well-being of Ukrainian civilians, asylum seekers, and refugees are affected by the war caused limbo; (2) what factors affect this process of being stuck in the limbo of war; and (3) how psychologists and helpers in the war-ridden and host countries can provide meaningful support. Based on the authors’ own practical work with Ukrainian civilians, refugees, and professional helpers during the war, this paper provides an overview of multi-level factors that impact human psyches in a war, and possible ways to help those who are living in the war limbo. In this research and experiential learning-based review, we offer some helpful strategies, action plans, and resources for the helpers including psychologists, counselors, volunteers, and relief workers. We emphasize that the effects of war are neither linear nor equal for all civilians and refugees. Some will recover and return to a routine life while others will experience panic attacks, trauma, depression, and even PTSD, which can also surface much later and can prolong over the years. Hence, we provide experience-based ways of dealing with short-term and prolonged trauma of living with war and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mental health professionals and other helpers in Ukraine and in host countries can use these helping strategies and resources to provide effective support for Ukrainians and for war refugees in general.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-9983366
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2023
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-99833662023-03-04 Life and mental health in limbo of the Ukraine war: How can helpers assist civilians, asylum seekers and refugees affected by the war? Anjum, Gulnaz Aziz, Mudassar Hamid, Hadar Khasrow Front Psychol Psychology The terror spread by the war disrupts lives and severs families, leaving individuals and communities devastated. People are left to fend for themselves on multiple levels, especially psychologically. It is well documented that war adversely affects non-combatant civilians, both physically and psychologically. However, how the war puts civilians’ lives in a limbo is an under-researched area. This paper focuses on three aspects: (1) how the mental health and well-being of Ukrainian civilians, asylum seekers, and refugees are affected by the war caused limbo; (2) what factors affect this process of being stuck in the limbo of war; and (3) how psychologists and helpers in the war-ridden and host countries can provide meaningful support. Based on the authors’ own practical work with Ukrainian civilians, refugees, and professional helpers during the war, this paper provides an overview of multi-level factors that impact human psyches in a war, and possible ways to help those who are living in the war limbo. In this research and experiential learning-based review, we offer some helpful strategies, action plans, and resources for the helpers including psychologists, counselors, volunteers, and relief workers. We emphasize that the effects of war are neither linear nor equal for all civilians and refugees. Some will recover and return to a routine life while others will experience panic attacks, trauma, depression, and even PTSD, which can also surface much later and can prolong over the years. Hence, we provide experience-based ways of dealing with short-term and prolonged trauma of living with war and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mental health professionals and other helpers in Ukraine and in host countries can use these helping strategies and resources to provide effective support for Ukrainians and for war refugees in general. Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-02-17 /pmc/articles/PMC9983366/ /pubmed/36874809 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1129299 Text en Copyright © 2023 Anjum, Aziz and Hamid. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
spellingShingle Psychology
Anjum, Gulnaz
Aziz, Mudassar
Hamid, Hadar Khasrow
Life and mental health in limbo of the Ukraine war: How can helpers assist civilians, asylum seekers and refugees affected by the war?
title Life and mental health in limbo of the Ukraine war: How can helpers assist civilians, asylum seekers and refugees affected by the war?
title_full Life and mental health in limbo of the Ukraine war: How can helpers assist civilians, asylum seekers and refugees affected by the war?
title_fullStr Life and mental health in limbo of the Ukraine war: How can helpers assist civilians, asylum seekers and refugees affected by the war?
title_full_unstemmed Life and mental health in limbo of the Ukraine war: How can helpers assist civilians, asylum seekers and refugees affected by the war?
title_short Life and mental health in limbo of the Ukraine war: How can helpers assist civilians, asylum seekers and refugees affected by the war?
title_sort life and mental health in limbo of the ukraine war: how can helpers assist civilians, asylum seekers and refugees affected by the war?
topic Psychology
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9983366/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36874809
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1129299
work_keys_str_mv AT anjumgulnaz lifeandmentalhealthinlimbooftheukrainewarhowcanhelpersassistciviliansasylumseekersandrefugeesaffectedbythewar
AT azizmudassar lifeandmentalhealthinlimbooftheukrainewarhowcanhelpersassistciviliansasylumseekersandrefugeesaffectedbythewar
AT hamidhadarkhasrow lifeandmentalhealthinlimbooftheukrainewarhowcanhelpersassistciviliansasylumseekersandrefugeesaffectedbythewar