Зміни показників стрес-регулюючих систем у підлітків на тлі війни в Україні

Abstract

Purpose - to identify changes in indicators of stress-regulatory systems in adolescents during military operations in Ukraine. Materials and methods. 243 children and adolescents (130 boys and 113 girls) aged 10-17 years were examined. The level of cortisol (C), prolactin (PRL) and serotonin (S) was determined in blood. Two groups of patients were formed: the first group included 203 schoolchildren who were examined before russia’s invasion of Ukraine; the second group consisted of 40 adolescents examined after February 24, 2022. The indicators of the stress-regulatory systems of adolescents of two groups and the ratio of С/S and PRL/S were compared. When assessing differences, the Mann-Whitney test was used and the odds ratio (OR) was calculated. Results. The risk of developing a depressive state in a schoolchildren increased 24 times during the war in Ukraine. This is consistent with the detected changes in the stress-regulatory systems in the adolescents of the second group: the activation of the stress-realizing hormones - С and PRL and a simultaneous decrease in the level of C in the blood - an indicator of the stress-limiting system. Confirmation of the imbalance of stress-realizing and stress-limiting systems are high levels of adaptation coefficients: C/S and PRL/S. It was established that girls are most stress-sensitive to events related to changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system during hostilities in the country. In girls, the levels of C and PRL, C/S and PRL/S coefficients increase, and the concentration of serotonin decreases by 2 times. Conclusions. The obtained results indicate a violation of adaptation and compensatory mechanisms in adolescents during the war. This is the basis for the emergence and progression of various diseases, including post-traumatic stress disorder. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.