Exploring the Impact of Military Conflicts on Mental Health of Students: The Case of Ukraine

This study examines the mental health of students from Kyiv universities, considering the context of 21 months of war in Ukraine. Our primary dataset is derived from an online survey. Employing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, we analyze two key facets of mental health: anxiety levels and safety perception. Our findings reveal that anxiety levels among students are primarily shaped by the frequency of contemplation regarding the ongoing war and their emotional responses to war-related news. Similarly, obsessive thoughts about the war negatively impact safety perception, a trend that, however, tends to diminish for students studying abroad during the conflict. Conversely, for students who remain in Ukraine, the absence of psychological support from the university exacerbates the situation, contributing to a significant decrease in the sense of safety.