87% of Ukrainians experienced acute stress situations in 2024, with 40% witnessing shelling and 26% losing a loved one

Survey results indicate that in 2024, only 10% of Ukraine's population avoided stressful situations, while 87% of Ukrainians faced at least one stressful experience.

The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) conducted the survey.

According to the study:

• Nearly 40% of the population (39%) experienced bombings and shelling.
• 30% experienced or continue to experience separation from loved ones.
• Over a quarter of respondents (26%) faced the death of loved ones in 2024.
• Approximately 23% experienced the illness of loved ones.
• 18% were ill themselves.

As sociologists note, 2023 and 2024 had the worst indicators since 2000. In particular, in 2013, the "pre-war" year, 52% of the population was in one way or another in a stressful situation.

The survey showed that a significant part of the respondents last year faced serious life challenges, such as:

• loss of job,
• experiencing the health of loved ones or their own illnesses.

On average, each respondent experienced 2-3 types of stress.

The analysis indicates that stress levels vary by region, increasing from west to east across the country. Specifically, 90% of respondents in the western regions reported experiencing stress, compared to 86% in the central, 92% in the northern, and 97% in the eastern regions. The incidence of stress in 2024 does not significantly differ by gender, with 92% of women and 87% of men reporting stress. Additionally, the differences in stress levels among age groups, between urban and rural residents, and across different wealth levels are statistically insignificant.

As Volodymyr Paniotto, Director General of KIIS, explained, commenting on the survey results, the stressful situations studied by sociologists are specific circumstances or events that can (or may not) cause distress.

"Stress can be positive and mobilize a person, or it can be negative and cause physical or psychological exhaustion, depression. To study stress, you need to use not one question but a whole block of questions. Of course, the more stressful situations, the higher the level of distress.

But the fact that 87% of Ukraine's population experienced one or another stressful situation in 2024 does not mean that all of them were distressed," he pointed out.

For reference:

The all-Ukrainian survey was conducted from December 2 to 17, 2024, by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS). It employed telephone interviews, specifically computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI), using a random sample of mobile phone numbers. The survey included 985 respondents aged 18 and over from all regions of Ukraine under government control.

Formally, under normal circumstances, the statistical error of such a sample (with a probability of 0.95 and taking into account the design effect of 1.3) did not exceed 4.1% for indicators close to 50%, 3.5% for indicators close to 25%, 2.5% for indicators close to 10%, 1.8% for indicators close to 5%.

It should be noted that the art installation welcomes guests to envelop themselves in vibrant cocoons, recline on a plush throw, try on a playful toy fur coat, depict the history of Ukrainians' struggles on the wall, and listen to the city's sounds—all in an effort to experience warmth and find solace and healing amidst times of war. Rubryka attended the space's grand opening and provided a detailed account of the experience.

It was also reported that specialists from the All-Ukrainian mental health program "How are you?" explained what techniques to use to help a stranger in crisis.

Additionally, Ukrainian specialists have developed the "YeZaraz" app to provide emotional support to Ukrainians and help restore emotional balance. The app is available for installation on Android and iOS devices.