DIAGNOSTICS OF PTSD LEVEL AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN A FRONT-LINE METROCOLIS

Introduction. Armed conflicts have a devastating effect on the mental health of the affected population. The large-scale attack on the Ukrainian state carried out by the aggressor country resulted in numerous injuries to millions of Ukrainians: loss of property, income, business, homes, infrastructure, and most importantly, health. Thus, there is an urgent need to investigate issues related to trauma in Ukraine, in particular, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Children caught in war zones in Ukrainian cities may experience or witness horrific events, including death, injury, bombings, food insecurity, violence, etc. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to highlight the results of a study of the level of severity of signs of PTSD among high school students in a front-line metropolis, who are expected to develop traumatization as «witnesses of war». The objectives of our work are theoretical analysis and empirical diagnosis of the psychological characteristics of the influence of traumatic experience on the psyche of students. Methods. Diagnosis of the level of PTSD among high school students in a front-line metropolis was carried out using the questionnaires «The Mississippi scale for civilian PTSD» and «Self-esteem scale regarding the presence of PTSD (PCL-C) (civilian version)». Characteristics of the sample. The study involved 33 students studying in grades 9-11 in Kharkiv. 42% of the sample were boys, and 58% were girls. The age of the study participants was from 14 to 17 years, of which 27% were 14 years old, 30% were 15 years old, 21.5% were 16 years old, 21.5% were 17 years old. The average age of study participants was 15.8 years. Most of the teenagers who took part (63.7%) were in their hometown, although not very safe, – of Kharkiv at the time of the survey. Another 15.1% changed their place of residence, but remained in the country, that is, the linguistic and cultural conditions of their stay did not change significantly. 21.1% of schoolchildren who took part in the study radically changed their living conditions, moved to another country, and according to the mandatory conditions of the host countries (England, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic), they combine education in a Ukrainian school and in a school in another country, which can additionally increase risks of developing PTSD. Originality. Our study reveals current experiences, the influence of traumatic experience through the study of signs of PTSD in an empirical subgroup of high school students in a front-line metropolis, which can improve the efficiency of the psychological service of the institution with its contingent. Conclusion. Following scientists, we determine that children and families living in or fleeing war regions have a high likelihood of suffering from mental health problems. This is because they face an accumulation of risk factors at different socio-ecological levels. The combination of fear, grief, separation from loved ones, sheltering in place, explosions from gunfire, and witnessing death and destruction has a huge impact on children as the war in Ukraine continues. Conceptual Hypothesis for Empirical Study: Adolescents attending high school in a military environment are at high risk for developing PTSD. Based on the data obtained, we generally determine that a third of respondents have high scores on the intrusion scale, 30% try to avoid memories and anything that may remind of a traumatic situation, 36.5% have physiological manifestations characteristic of PTSD (heart palpitations, pain in various parts of the body, numbness of the limbs, sweaty palms, etc.). 18.8% of teenagers who received a high score on the «suicidal tendencies» scale deserve special attention. According to the data obtained, 70% of boys and 61% of girls have normative indicators on the scales and do not have manifestations of PTSD. 30% of boys and 26% of girls have some signs of PTSD. At the same time, 13% of girls showed signs of a clinical variant of PTSD (high rates on almost all scales). Using the screening method, 30% of boys and 43.5% of girls with symptoms of PTSD were identified. Using the Mann-Whitney U test, it was determined that the differences between the manifestations of PTSD in boys and girls are statistically significant (p < 0.05), therefore, the empirical hypothesis that the level of post-traumatic stress disorder in girls will be higher than in boys found confirmation. The indicated empirical achievements coincide with the assumptions made in the framework of other studies (in particular, the work of K. Garza, T. Jovanovic). The study did not reveal a significant connection between the factor of a person moving from his hometown to other cities or countries and the level of manifestation of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite the fact that the scores for children who left Kharkiv were slightly higher, the difference was too small to draw definitive conclusions, so our second empirical hypothesis was not confirmed. Taking into account the obtained results, appropriate methodological recommendations were developed for adolescents (to regulate the psychological state through concern for finding internal and external resources), and adolescents were invited to join the educational channel of the Psychological Service of the O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv and take part in practical online-class «Prevention of stress: development of stress surfing skills» (speaker: O. P. Nikitina). The prospect of our work is to check the effectiveness of support and continue the study of this topic among students of higher educational institutions.