The mental functioning of school-age children in Poland since the outbreak of war in Ukraine and during the subsequent refugee crisis.

Abstract

There is growing body of research focusing on the functioning of children who have fled from war-torn areas. However, there is currently lack of data regarding the functioning of children residing in host countries. The aim of this study is to examine the presence of emotional problems, negative attitudes, interpersonal problems, and functional difficulties among Polish children during the first month after the outbreak of war and initial phase of the current refugee crisis. The study group comprised children aged 9-15 (N=360), living in Poland. The Children's Depression Inventory 2 (CDI-2) and The Cognitive Triad Inventory for Children (CTIC) was used to measure emotional functioning. The study took place 7 to 39days after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The children reported more emotional problems (t(359)=9.340; p<.001; d=0.49) with a negative mood (t(359)=6.692; p<.001; d=0.35) and negative self-esteem (t(359)=9.632; p<.001; d=0.51). The severity of depression symptoms was the highest in the first week after the outbreak of the war (F(5,354)=2.472; p<.05; η2=0.03). The view of the self (F(1,358)=3.858; p=.05; R2=0.01) and of the world (F(1,358)=5.359; p<.05; R2=0.02) improved over time; however, their vision of the future remained unchanged. The results shows that children who are not directly affected by the war can also display difficulties in mental functioning. In the initial months following the outbreak of the war and during the early stage of the current refugee crisis, Polish children demonstrated significantly higher levels of emotional problems and negative self-esteem. Moreover, the perception of oneself and the world appeared to be influenced by the duration since the onset of the war.