The Toll of War on Health and Aging
A study by the Dmytro Chebotarov Institute of Gerontology of Ukraine's National Academy of Medical Sciences has revealed how the war's impact on health and aging varies by gender and age. Conducted in the Byshiv community during the full-scale invasion, the research established a link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and accelerated aging, while also uncovering gender and age-based differences in recovery rates.
Key findings include:
- 80% of women showed recovery after two weeks of specialized therapy, whereas men in the same period displayed only a weak tendency toward improvement.
- For middle-aged individuals, the gap between chronological and biological age is about 10 years, while for older people this figure is 5 years.
- The age group most susceptible to depression was found to be those between 40 and 50 years old.
Critically, when PTSD symptoms are present, the biological age of women exceeds their chronological age by 8.9 years. Without signs of PTSD, this difference is only 4.46 years.
Analyzing the Research Outcomes
The research further confirmed that the conflict has hastened aging for many Ukrainians, with biological age surpassing chronological age by 10 to 15 years in numerous cases. Men were found to suffer more frequently from cardiovascular diseases, while individuals aged 60-70 demonstrated greater stress resilience than younger people. The selection of Byshiv for the study was largely incidental and dependent on grant availability.
The Institute of Gerontology's work is hampered by chronic underfunding. As Valentina Chyzhova noted,
“From a purely psychological perspective, this can be explained by their greater life experience; they have endured stress before... and have developed a certain algorithm for coping”. These findings underscore the urgent need to study the war's impact on the population's psychological and physical state and to support therapeutic programs for trauma survivors. This research provides crucial data on the long-term human cost of the conflict, beyond immediate casualties.
The results emphasize the critical importance of addressing mental health and physical well-being in wartime Ukraine. PTSD and its consequences require immediate study and the development of rehabilitation programs, especially for vulnerable groups. The noted chronic underfunding of the Institute of Gerontology could hinder the implementation of such vital programs, highlighting the necessity for increased state support in this area.
The findings from the Dmytro Chebotarov Institute highlight a pressing issue regarding the accelerated aging of Ukrainians due to the ongoing conflict. For a deeper understanding of the broader implications of this research, including how the war has led to an increase in biological age by a decade or more for many individuals, read more in our related article on how war impacts aging in Ukraine.