IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v70y2024i6p1164-1174.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Resilience, avoidant coping and post-traumatic stress symptoms among female Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people

Author

Listed:
  • Olena Khailenko
  • Alison M Bacon

Abstract

Background: Since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, over 10 million Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes. This has contributed to an increase in post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in both refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Previous research has suggested that refugees may experience higher levels of PTS due to additional stressors inherent in migration to a new country, language barriers and separation from family and social support. PTS symptoms may also be exacerbated by avoidant coping which we proposed would be more prevalent amongst refugees because of the isolating effects of migration-related stressors. Aims: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between PTS symptoms, resilience and avoidant coping in refugees and IDPs. We predicted that refugees would report higher levels of PTS symptoms and use of avoidant coping strategies, and that avoidant coping would mediate the effect of resilience on PTS symptoms. We tested a moderated mediation model to examine whether this effect differed between IDPs and refugees. Methods: A total of 229 women (108 IDPs and 121 refugees), who were displaced after the full-scale invasion, were recruited using online platforms and volunteering centres. They completed an online questionnaire comprising measures of PTS, resilience and coping. Results: We found no significant differences in resilience, PTS symptoms or reported use of avoidance coping strategies between refugees and IDPs. As expected, avoidance coping mediated the negative association between resilience and PTS symptoms, but no group differences in this effect were observed. Conclusions: Contrary to previous research, our findings indicate that PTS symptoms may be similarly problematic for refugees and IDPs. This may be due to increased time since the invasion as many refugees may have had time to adjust. Use of avoidant coping strategies may exacerbate PTS symptoms and our study highlights the need for mental health interventions aimed at reducing PTS symptoms in Ukrainian IDPs and refugees through fostering resilience and adaptive coping strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Olena Khailenko & Alison M Bacon, 2024. "Resilience, avoidant coping and post-traumatic stress symptoms among female Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 70(6), pages 1164-1174, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:70:y:2024:i:6:p:1164-1174
    DOI: 10.1177/00207640241264662
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640241264662
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/00207640241264662?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Beiser, Morton & Hou, Feng, 2001. "Language acquisition, unemployment and depressive disorder among Southeast Asian refugees: a 10-year study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 53(10), pages 1321-1334, November.
    2. Rosann Cholankeril & Ellen Xiang & Hoda Badr, 2023. "Gender Differences in Coping and Psychological Adaptation during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-14, January.
    3. Lluis Oviedo & Berenika Seryczyńska & Josefa Torralba & Piotr Roszak & Javier Del Angel & Olena Vyshynska & Iryna Muzychuk & Slava Churpita, 2022. "Coping and Resilience Strategies among Ukraine War Refugees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-14, October.
    4. Raffael Kalisch & Dewleen G. Baker & Ulrike Basten & Marco P. Boks & George A. Bonanno & Eddie Brummelman & Andrea Chmitorz & Guillén Fernàndez & Christian J. Fiebach & Isaac Galatzer-Levy & Elbert Ge, 2017. "The resilience framework as a strategy to combat stress-related disorders," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 1(11), pages 784-790, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hongyun Fu & Mark VanLandingham, 2012. "Mental Health Consequences of International Migration for Vietnamese Americans and the Mediating Effects of Physical Health and Social Networks: Results From a Natural Experiment Approach," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(2), pages 393-424, May.
    2. Etilé, Fabrice & Frijters, Paul & Johnston, David W. & Shields, Michael A., 2021. "Measuring resilience to major life events," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 598-619.
    3. Félix Neto & Daniela C. Wilks & Ana Cristina Menezes Fonseca, 2019. "Job-Related Well-Being of Immigrants," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 141(1), pages 463-475, January.
    4. O'Donnell, Alexander W. & Stuart, Jaimee & O'Donnell, Karlee J., 2020. "The long-term financial and psychological resettlement outcomes of pre-migration trauma and post-settlement difficulties in resettled refugees," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    5. Martina Olcese & Paola Cardinali & Andrew P. Camilleri & Laura Migliorini, 2024. "Feeling Community During War: Community Resilience of Ukrainian Women Refugees in Italy," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 1857-1875, December.
    6. Jung Eun Shin & Jung-Seok Choi & Soo-Hee Choi & So Young Yoo, 2021. "The Effect of Postmigration Factors on Quality of Life among North Korean Refugees Living in South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-10, October.
    7. Rita Sjöström & Gunilla Kaev & Lars Söderström, 2022. "Evaluation of a Health-Management Course for Recently Settled Immigrants," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 365-381, March.
    8. Christopher Jamil de Montgomery & Marie Norredam & Allan Krasnik & Jørgen Holm Petersen & Emma Björkenstam & Lisa Berg & Anders Hjern & Marit Sijbrandij & Peter Klimek & Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz, 2022. "Labour market marginalisation in young refugees and their majority peers in Denmark and Sweden: The role of common mental disorders and secondary school completion," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(2), pages 1-16, February.
    9. Steel, Zachary & Momartin, Shakeh & Silove, Derrick & Coello, Marianio & Aroche, Jorge & Tay, Kuo Wei, 2011. "Two year psychosocial and mental health outcomes for refugees subjected to restrictive or supportive immigration policies," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(7), pages 1149-1156, April.
    10. Daniel Auer & Johannes S. Kunz, 2021. "Communication Barriers and Infant Health: Intergenerational Effects of Randomly Allocating Refugees Across Language Regions," SoDa Laboratories Working Paper Series 2021-07, Monash University, SoDa Laboratories.
    11. Roxy Elisabeth Christina Damen & Jaco Dagevos & Willem Huijnk, 2022. "Refugee Reception Re-examined: a Quantitative Study on the Impact of the Reception Period for Mental Health and Host Country Language Proficiency Among Syrian Refugees in the Netherlands," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 1-21, March.
    12. David Whitsett & Martin F Sherman, 2017. "Do resettlement variables predict psychiatric treatment outcomes in a sample of asylum-seeking survivors of torture?," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 63(8), pages 674-685, December.
    13. Jessica E. Lambert & Fatma Charfi & Uta Ouali & Amina Aissa & Joop de Jong, 2024. "Depression and Functioning during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Adults across Tunisia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(10), pages 1-13, October.
    14. Ballard, Majella & Richard Gill, Peter & Hand, Tammy & MacKenzie, David, 2024. "A critical evaluation of adolescent resilience self-report scales: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    15. Dinesh Bhugra & Julian Leff & Rosemarie Mallett & Craig Morgan & Jing-Hua Zhao, 2010. "The Culture and Identity Schedule a Measure of Cultural Affiliation: Acculturation, Marginalization and Schizophrenia," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 56(5), pages 540-556, September.
    16. Magdalena Nowicka & Ewa Jarczewska-Gerc & Magdalena Marszal-Wisniewska, 2022. "Response of Polish Psychiatric Patients to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine in February 2022―Predictive Role of Risk Perception and Temperamental Traits," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-11, December.
    17. Harrison Ng Chok & Judy Mannix & Cathy Dickson & Lesley Wilkes, 2018. "Experiences of registered nurses from a refugee background: A scoping review," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(7-8), pages 1275-1283, April.
    18. Hinton, Devon E. & Nickerson, Angela & Bryant, Richard A., 2011. "Worry, worry attacks, and PTSD among Cambodian refugees: A path analysis investigation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(11), pages 1817-1825, June.
    19. Blight, Karin Johansson & Ekblad, Solvig & Persson, Jan-Olov & Ekberg, Jan, 2006. "Mental health, employment and gender. Cross-sectional evidence in a sample of refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina living in two Swedish regions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(7), pages 1697-1709, April.
    20. Lukas M. von Ziegler & Amalia Floriou-Servou & Rebecca Waag & Rebecca R. Gupta & Oliver Sturman & Katharina Gapp & Christina A. Maat & Tobias Kockmann & Han-Yu Lin & Sian N. Duss & Mattia Privitera & , 2022. "Multiomic profiling of the acute stress response in the mouse hippocampus," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-20, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:70:y:2024:i:6:p:1164-1174. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.