Socio-psychological aspects of the military aggression in Ukraine: a focal point on women’s reproductive health

Abstract

The review article analyzes national and foreign scientific researches on the impact of social and-psychological aspects of the military aggression in Ukraine on women’s reproductive health. The relevance of this problem has been studied since the beginning of the aggression in eastern Ukraine and Crimea, when a completely new segment of the population first appeared – internally displaced persons (IDPs). The full-scale invasion in Ukraine, which has been ongoing since February 2022, continues to destroy the lives of civilians and infrastructure, leading to large-scale internal migration and forced departure of the population outside the country. The criticality of the humanitarian catastrophe is confirmed by the fact that by the beginning of 2025, 12.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and the military aggression has become the largest one in Europe. According to various sources, from 8 to 10 million Ukrainians were forced to leave their homes, including 3.7 million who became IDPs, most of whom are women and children. The analysis of foreign and Ukrainian scientific publications shows that the consequences of traumatic events during war are symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, which are caused by changes in habitual living conditions, permanent uncertainty, threats to personal safety and the safety of immediate family, loss of loved ones, etc. The data presented confirm that pregnant women are most susceptible to traumatic events and their consequences during hostilities, on whom the war factor can have a critical impact, increasing the risk of adverse obstetric and perinatal consequences. The cessation of the effect of such a significant stress factor on the organism as the military action is impossible before its end, regardless of whether the woman continues to be in her place of permanent residence, has moved to a safer region of the country, or is a refugee who has left the country. This view of the problem confirms the need for a comprehensive approach to diagnosing psychological disorders in pregnant women and requires the immediate need to develop individual programs for medical and psychological support for women during pregnancy.