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Stress Disorders, Post Traumatic · Journal article
European Journal of Psychotraumatology · July 28, 2026
Early or partial results. Treat as a signal, not a conclusion.
This is a protocol describing the planned UNITY longitudinal cohort study of mental health in Ukrainian children aged 8–16 years and their caregivers during the Russian invasion. No outcomes have been collected or analysed; the protocol announces intended sampling, measurement domains, and study structure across three planned waves. The work addresses important gaps in child-focused, integrated caregiver–child, and longitudinal assessment of war-related mental health in Ukraine.
Nationally-representative longitudinal cohort study with stratified sampling. Ukrainian children aged 8–16 years and one caregiver per child, recruited from schools across 22 oblasts stratified by exposure to Russian attacks, age, gender, and urban/rural location.. Intervention: Longitudinal mental health assessment via structured instruments measuring anxiety, depression, PTSD, prolonged grief, externalizing problems, suicidality, positive affect, social and family support, posttraumatic cognitions, somatic sympt…. n = 3,000. 22 oblasts (regions) across Ukraine, stratified by high, medium, and low exposure to Russian attacks..
Target sample of N=3,000 children to be recruited via schools from 22 oblasts across Ukraine Stratified sampling by region exposure level (high, medium, low to Russian attacks), age (8–12 and 13–16 years 1:1), gender (1:1), and urban/rural location (1:1) Children assessed for anxiety, depression, PTSD, prolonged grief, externalizing problems, suicidality, positive affect, social and family support, posttraumatic cognitions, somatic symptoms, functioning, and posttraumatic growth
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This protocol outlines a needed national longitudinal study designed to characterise mental health needs and protective factors in Ukrainian children and families during sustained wartime stress. Results, when available, will inform evidence-based mental health services and interventions; the protocol itself provides no clinical guidance pending data collection and analysis.
This is a protocol for a planned longitudinal cohort study with no results yet reported; it describes intended design and measurement but provides no outcome data, effect sizes, or evidence of efficacy or harm.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
This protocol outlines a needed national longitudinal study designed to characterise mental health needs and protective factors in Ukrainian children and families during sustained wartime stress. Results, when available, will inform evidence-based mental health services and interventions; the protocol itself provides no clinical guidance pending data collection and analysis.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Background: The full invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022 has created a situation of sustained stress for the Ukrainian population. Initial surveys indicate that Ukrainians have experienced elevated rates of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since the onset of the war. Most research has focused on adults and there is relatively less study on children and adolescent mental health. Research that has been conducted is limited by (a) predominant reliance on parent reports of children's mental health, (b) biased sampling, (c) lack of integrated child and caregiver reports, and (d) cross-sectional designs.Method: The Ukrainian Families Navigating Insecurity, Trauma, and Yielding Strength (UNITY) initiative is a nationally-representative longitudinal cohort study of mental health in Ukrainian children aged 8-16 years. Children (N = 3,000) will be recruited via schools from 22 oblasts across Ukraine. Sampling will be stratified from regions with high, medium, and low exposure to Russian attacks during the war. Recruitment will be stratified according to 8-12 and 13-16 years of age (on a 1:1 basis), gender of children (1:1), and urban vs. rural region (1:1). One caregiver of the child participant will also be assessed. Children will be assessed for anxiety, depression, PTSD, prolonged grief, externalizing problems, suicidality, positive affect, social and family support, posttraumatic cognitions, somatic symptoms, functioning, and posttraumatic growth. Caregivers will be assessed for family exposure to traumatic events, psychological distress, prolonged grief, psychological wellbeing, parenting practices, hope, and positive affect. The UNITY study will initially be conducted over three waves, with the expectation of ongoing collection following the war. The protocol was pre-registered at https://archive.org/details/osf-registrations-n62gy-v1.Discussion: The UNITY study will provide much-needed evidence regarding the mental health needs of young Ukrainians and their families, and the factors that moderate psychological adjustment during and after the war.
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