Psychological well-being in Europe after the outbreak of war in Ukraine

Julian Scharbert (), Sarah Humberg, Lara Kroencke, Thomas Reiter, Sophia Sakel, Julian Horst, Katharina Utesch, Samuel D. Gosling, Gabriella Harari, Sandra C. Matz, Ramona Schoedel, Clemens Stachl, Natalia M. A. Aguilar, Dayana Amante, Sibele D. Aquino, Franco Bastias, Alireza Bornamanesh, Chloe Bracegirdle, Luís A. M. Campos, Bruno Chauvin, Nicoleen Coetzee, Anna Dorfman, Monika Santos, Rita W. El-Haddad, Malgorzata Fajkowska, Asli Göncü-Köse, Augusto Gnisci, Stavros Hadjisolomou, William W. Hale, Maayan Katzir, Lili Khechuashvili, Alexander Kirchner-Häusler, Patrick F. Kotzur, Sarah Kritzler, Jackson G. Lu, Gustavo D. S. Machado, Khatuna Martskvishvili, Francesca Mottola, Martin Obschonka, Stefania Paolini, Marco Perugini, Odile Rohmer, Yasser Saeedian, Ida Sergi, Maor Shani, Ewa Skimina, Luke D. Smillie, Sanaz Talaifar, Thomas Talhelm, Tülüce Tokat, Ana Torres, Claudio V. Torres, Jasper Assche, Liuqing Wei, Aslı Yalçın, Maarten Zalk, Markus Bühner and Mitja D. Back
Additional contact information
Julian Scharbert: University of Münster
Sarah Humberg: University of Münster
Lara Kroencke: University of Münster
Thomas Reiter: University of Munich
Sophia Sakel: University of Munich
Julian Horst: Osnabrück University
Katharina Utesch: University of Münster
Samuel D. Gosling: University of Texas at Austin
Gabriella Harari: Stanford University
Sandra C. Matz: Columbia University
Ramona Schoedel: University of Munich
Clemens Stachl: University of St. Gallen
Natalia M. A. Aguilar: National University of the Northeast
Dayana Amante: Catholic University of Cuyo
Sibele D. Aquino: Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
Franco Bastias: University of Konstanz
Alireza Bornamanesh: Isfahan University of Medical Sciences
Chloe Bracegirdle: University of Oxford
Luís A. M. Campos: Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
Bruno Chauvin: University of Strasbourg
Nicoleen Coetzee: University of Pretoria
Anna Dorfman: Bar Ilan University
Monika Santos: University of South Africa
Rita W. El-Haddad: American University of Kuwait
Malgorzata Fajkowska: Polish Academy of Sciences
Asli Göncü-Köse: Çankaya University
Augusto Gnisci: University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Stavros Hadjisolomou: American University of Kuwait
William W. Hale: Utrecht University
Maayan Katzir: Bar Ilan University
Lili Khechuashvili: Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University
Alexander Kirchner-Häusler: University of Sussex
Patrick F. Kotzur: Durham University
Sarah Kritzler: Ruhr University Bochum
Jackson G. Lu: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Gustavo D. S. Machado: Federal University of Santa Catarina
Khatuna Martskvishvili: Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University
Francesca Mottola: University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Martin Obschonka: University of Amsterdam
Stefania Paolini: Durham University
Marco Perugini: University of Milan-Bicocca
Odile Rohmer: University of Strasbourg
Yasser Saeedian: Deakin University
Ida Sergi: University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Maor Shani: Osnabrück University
Ewa Skimina: SWPS University
Luke D. Smillie: The University of Melbourne
Sanaz Talaifar: Imperial College London
Thomas Talhelm: The University of Chicago
Tülüce Tokat: Verona University
Ana Torres: Federal University of Paraíba
Claudio V. Torres: University of Brasilia
Jasper Assche: Ghent University
Liuqing Wei: Hubei University
Aslı Yalçın: Çankaya University
Maarten Zalk: Osnabrück University
Markus Bühner: University of Munich
Mitja D. Back: University of Münster

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, has had devastating effects on the Ukrainian population and the global economy, environment, and political order. However, little is known about the psychological states surrounding the outbreak of war, particularly the mental well-being of individuals outside Ukraine. Here, we present a longitudinal experience-sampling study of a convenience sample from 17 European countries (total participants = 1,341, total assessments = 44,894, countries with >100 participants = 5) that allows us to track well-being levels across countries during the weeks surrounding the outbreak of war. Our data show a significant decline in well-being on the day of the Russian invasion. Recovery over the following weeks was associated with an individual’s personality but was not statistically significantly associated with their age, gender, subjective social status, and political orientation. In general, well-being was lower on days when the war was more salient on social media. Our results demonstrate the need to consider the psychological implications of the Russo-Ukrainian war next to its humanitarian, economic, and ecological consequences.

Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-44693-6

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44693-6

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