Functional state of women with psycho-emotional disorders during the russian-ukrainian war
S.S. Naskalova, O.V. Bondarenko, L.V. Mekhova, N.M. Koshel, A.M. Ustymenko, V.B. Shatylo
- State Institution “D.F. Chebotaryov Institute of Gerontology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine”, Kyiv, Ukraine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/fz71.05.013

Abstract
Psycho-emotional disorders (PED) not only disrupt mental health, but also cause significant changes in the
physical functioning of the body and lead to the development of many diseases, disability and premature
death. The purpose of our study is to determine the impact of PED on the functional state of civilian women
during the Russian-Ukrainian war. 76 people aged 30 to 59 years, who had been permanently resident
in the Kyiv region since the beginning of the war, were examined. According to the results of the PCL-5
questionnaire, 21 women had symptoms of PTSD, while the other 55 did not have them. The control group
included 44 women of the same age, examined before the war. To assess the psycho-emotional state, the
Beck Depression Inventory and the Spielberger State–Trait Anxiety Inventory were also used, and to identify
sleep disorders, the Insomnia Symptom Questionnaire. The concentration of glucose (fasting and with a
standard glucose tolerance test), cortisol and insulin was determined in blood plasma, and the content
of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
(LDL-C) and triglycerides was determined in blood serum. The function of the microvascular endothelium
was determined by laser Doppler flowmetry in a test with reactive hyperemia, the state of the autonomic
nervous system was determined by the method of spectral analysis of heart rate variability. It was found
that during the war, even in the absence of PTSD symptoms, women are often diagnosed with anxiety,
depression and sleep disorders, which are combined with insulin resistance, but the level of glycemia
is not yet impaired. Women with PTSD symptoms have statistically significantly higher rates of anxiety
and depression, most of them have significant sleep disorders. Compared to women before the war, they
have higher cortisol levels, increased sympathetic nervous system activity, and insulin resistance. These
changes are combined with an increased incidence of prediabetic disorders of carbohydrate metabolism,
dyslipidemia, and microvascular endothelial dysfunction.
Keywords:
war; civilian women; psycho-emotional disorders; posttraumatic stress disorder; anxiety; depression; sleep disorders; cortisol; insulin resistance; prediabetes; dyslipidemia; heart rate variability
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