You can download the full report of the study "Mental Health and Attitudes of Ukrainians Towards Psychological Assistance during the War" using the form below.

When it comes to mental health, Ukrainians trust psychologists and psychotherapists (24%), family doctors (16%), and psychiatrists (15%) the most. These are the results of the third wave of the survey conducted by Gradus Research as part of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program, an initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska.

The previous wave of the study, conducted in 2023, showed an increase in trust among Ukrainians in a professional opinion on their own mental health problems.

Trust in family doctors in this context increased from 12% to 16%. Of all the age groups surveyed, older people trust family doctors the most.

Subjective assessment of own mental health

The polled Ukrainians assess their condition as average - this indicator is stable and has been at the level of 50-51% over the past year and a half.

At the same time, the proportion of respondents who define their own mental health as unsatisfactory is increasing (from 9% in 2022 to 13% in 2024).

Young people aged 25 to 34 (14%) and people aged 35 to 44 (14%) are the most negative about their condition.

More fatigue, less hope: what emotions prevail in the mood of Ukrainians

The emotions that have been most prevalent in the mood of respondents lately are: fatigue (46%), tension (44%), and hope (31%).

Compared to the previous two waves of the survey, the number of those experiencing tension, fear, anger, irritation, powerlessness, frustration, and despair has increased.

The share of those who feel hopeful has decreased (from 40% in 2022 to 31% in 2024).

Full-scale war remains the biggest source of stress

77% of Ukrainians have experienced stress or severe nervousness recently. This figure has remained unchanged since the fall of 2023.

Among the main causes of stress and severe nervousness, respondents named

• a full-scale war with Russia (72%);
  
• financial difficulties (41%);
  
• the socio-political situation in the country (38%);
  
• personal health (30%);
  

These indicators remain unchanged "leaders" throughout the entire period of the study - from 2022 to 2024.

What are the most popular ways to cope with stress

Sitting on the Internet (39%), watching TV/movies/serials (34%), communicating with friends and family (32%) are the top 3 ways to overcome stress and nervousness, according to respondents.

The share of people who prefer reading books is growing (from 14% in 2022 to 18% in 2024).

Do Ukrainians seek psychological help?

40% of Ukrainians surveyed said that they had felt the need for psychological help in the last six months. This figure is significantly higher among women than among men (47% compared to 32%).

Only 8% of respondents have seen a specialist (this figure has increased by 2 percentage points over the past six months). The number of appeals among women is almost twice as high as among men (10% compared to 6%).

What prevents people from seeking support in a specialist's office

The top barriers to seeking psychological help are as follows:

• 29% of respondents do not consider their problems sufficient to seek help;
  
• 25% express confidence that they can cope on their own;
  
• 23% are convinced that it is expensive;
  
• 22% believe that there are those who need it more now;
  
• 20% do not believe it will help.

The third wave of the study was conducted as part of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program, an initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska, with the support of the USAID project "Building a Resilient Public Health System" implemented by Pact.

The third wave of the study aimed to assess the dynamics of the state of mental health of Ukrainians and their attitudes toward psychological care compared to the indicators of 2023 and 2022.

The study was conducted by Gradus Research using a self-administered questionnaire in the Gradus mobile application. The sample reflects the population structure of cities with more than 50 thousand inhabitants aged 18-60 by gender, age, settlement size, and region, excluding the temporarily occupied territories and territories of active hostilities. Period of the survey: Wave 1 - September 22-26, 2022, Wave 2 - October 18-20, 2023, Wave 3 - January 10-15, 2024. Sample size: Wave 1 - 2,001 respondents, Wave 2 - 2,000 respondents, Wave 3 - 2,423 respondents.

The All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program "Are You Okay?" is an initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska aimed at building a high-quality system of psychosocial support services and developing a culture of mental health care. You can download the full report of the study "Mental Health and Attitudes of Ukrainians Toward Psychological Assistance during the War" using the form below.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)