Prevalence and Distribution of Mental Disorders at Inpatient Psychiatry Service of a Large Military Hospital in Ukraine

Background: In recent years, dramatic political changes and the ensuing war in Ukraine have led to a significant increase in the number of stress-related disorders, in particular among military personnel. The study was designed to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of mental health disorders among the Ukrainian military referred to inpatient assessment and treatment at a large military psychiatric hospital located in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of 9109 inpatient admissions to the psychiatric clinic of national military medical clinical centre in Kyiv, Ukraine, between January 2014 and December 2018. Most of the patients were contracted military service officers, 2014-2018.

Results: The population suffered from a wide range of mental illnesses. Neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders were predominant among the officers, while psychotic disorders, personality disorders, and mental retardation were prevalent among the conscripts. In 2016-2018, the nosological structure of mental disorders remained stable with the highest prevalence of stress-related and somatoform disorders, except a decrease in substance use disorders and an increase in psychotic disorders. Among the outpatients discharged (n = 128) in 2017-2018, the majority had sleep disturbances and flashbacks (73%); anxiety and irritability (84%); and suffered from fatigue and low mood (80.9%). The level of satisfaction with the social benefits and support from the authorities of the veterans was extremely low (7.4%).

Conclusion: The study revealed the impact of war trauma on the mental health of the service members, necessitating the development of specific preventive measures and digital mental health tools to support military personnel resource shortages and stigma.