War and its psychological consequences

The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has already cost many lives. Every day, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians flee from the cruel war in their country and seek refuge. Experiences of war, such as the circumstances of a sudden and dramatic flight and the worry for the remaining relatives and for their future, mean enormous stress physically and psychologically. Fear, sadness and despair, sleep disorders, dejection, but also other symptoms can be signs of the development of serious mental illnesses in those affected. The consequences of such traumatic experiences can be severe depression, trauma or anxiety disorders.

Nevertheless, the psyche can also overcome such traumas. Individual resilience and social support from the global community play an important role in this. Each and every one of us can therefore contribute to supporting the people from Ukraine in overcoming the traumatic experiences caused by the war and by the loss of familiar structures and livelihoods such as income, housing or social contacts.

On the following pages, the Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR) has compiled information (also in Ukrainian language) that is intended on the one hand to help people who have fled Ukraine to cope psychologically with their traumatic experiences and on the other hand to offer support to scientists who have fled Ukraine.