Ivanna Korobeinikova
German Sport University Cologne, Germany
Title: Post-traumatic stress disorder in Ukrainian athletes in war condition
Biography
Biography: Ivanna Korobeinikova
Abstract
Purpose: Study the level of PTSD in Ukrainian athletes and non-athletes in war conditions.
Methods: Brief Scale of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, the scale for assessing the impact of a traumatic event. 54 elite athletes (members of Ukrainian National Teams, age 20-32) and 109 non-athletes (Ukrainian citizens, age 22-43) were examined.
Introduction: War is a powerful psycho-traumatic event that affects the well-being and psychological state of people. Current evidence suggests positive effects of exercise on posttraumatic stress symptoms. The authors found the health benefits of sports and exercise in people living with post-traumatic stress disorder (Clemens et al, 2018). Based on this, we assumed that athletes may be less prone to stress since their activity helps to reduce stress and start recovery processes.
Results:
The median intrusion scale and excitability scale were significantly lower in athletes. While avoidance subscale scores are higher than non-athletes (Table 1). The avoidance subscale is a coping strategy, due to physical activity, because in athletes the mechanisms of stress resistance are more developed.
Variables |
Athletes (n=54) |
Non athletes (n=109) |
||||
Median |
Lower Quartile |
Upper Quartile |
Median |
Lower Quartile |
Upper Quartile |
|
Intrusion subscale |
11.05 |
4.00 |
17.00 |
16.14 |
11.00 |
21.00 |
Avoidance subscale |
14.11 |
6.00 |
19.00 |
12.5 |
9.00 |
19.00 |
Excitability scale |
12.40 |
5.00 |
17.00 |
17.29 |
8.00 |
21.00 |
As a result of processing the data, we see that athletes are less susceptible to post-traumatic stress and disorder anxiety depression (Table 2).
Variables |
Athletes (n=54) |
Non athletes (n=109) |
||||
Median |
Lower Quartile |
Upper Quartile |
Median |
Lower Quartile |
Upper Quartile |
|
Brief Scale of anxiety, depression and PTSD |
3.500 |
1.000 |
6.00 |
5.00 |
3.00 |
7.00 |
Conclusion:
As a result of processing the data, we see that athletes are less susceptible to post-traumatic stress and disorder anxiety depression.
Keywords: PTSD, War, Athletes, Coping Strategy.
References:
- Bomyea J, Risbrough V, & Lang AJ (2012). A consideration of select pre-trauma factors as key vulnerabilities in PTSD. Clinical Psychology Review, 32, 630-641. Doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2012.06.008.
- Lawrence S, De Silva M, Henley R. Sports and games for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010.
- Ley C, Rato Barrio M, Koch A. "In the Sport, I Am Here": Therapeutic Processes and Health Effects of Sport and Exercise on PTSD. Qual Health Res. 2018 Feb;28(3):491-507. doi: 10.1177/1049732317744533. Epub 2017 Dec 3. PMID: 29199529; PMCID: PMC5764144.
- Kokun, O., Agayev, N,. Pischko, I., & Stasiuk, V. (2020). Characteristic impacts of combat stressors on posttraumatic stress disorder in Ukrainian military personnel who participated in the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. International Journal of Psychology & Psychological Therapy, 20(3), 315–326. https://www.ijpsy.com/volumen20/num3/554.html
- Kokun O, Pischko I, Lozinska N. Military personnel's stress reactivity during pre-deployment in a war zone. Psychol Health Med. 2022 Jul 22:1-12. Doi: 10.1080/13548506.2022.2104882. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35866414.