Psychological Distress and Perceived Stress Outcomes of Anxieties Related to COVID-19 and Russia’s Attack on Ukraine

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Abstract

In recent years, European societies have been faced with an enormous challenge when the ongoing struggle of theCOVID-19 pandemic coincided with the biggest military conflict in the region since World War II, namely Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine. As such crises can have a substantial impact on mental health, it is crucial to follow their effect on the population, especially in the circumstances of multiple coexisting threats. Two studies examined the association ofCOVID-19 anxiety and war-related anxiety with mental health in Finnish population. We found that COVID-19 anxiety and anxiety over Russia’s attack on Ukraine were associated with psychological distress and perceived stress. Moreover, we found an interaction effect on psychological distress consistently in two samples, showing that participants who reported higher COVID-19 and war-related anxiety experienced higher psychological distress. These results show the especially heavy burden that these serious coinciding crises have on the mental health of the population. The findings of the current study provide directions for future research and have implications for practitioners and decision makers alike.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-26
JournalJOURNAL OF LOSS AND TRAUMA
Volume29
Issue number1
Early online date19 Jul 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024
Publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Publication forum classification

  • Publication forum level 1

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