Assessment of stress and health conditions among students in the context of the war in Ukraine

Abstract

Background and Study. Aim In the context of a military conflict, students’ health is subjected to significant stress and psychological challenges. Monitoring the health condition of this vulnerable group can provide important data for developing effective support measures. The aim of this study is to assess the level of stress and health condition of students in Ukraine during the war and to compare these indicators with those of students from neighbouring countries, Poland and Romania. Material and Methods. The study used the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) questionnaire to assess stress levels among students. A total of 443 students participated: 36 from Poland, 215 from Romania, and 179 from Ukraine. Factor analysis (PCA) was employed to test the validity and reliability of the PSS 10 questionnaire structure, with the number of factors determined using the Kaiser criterion. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The Python library in the PyCharm CE environment was used as the analysis tool. The Mann-Whitney test was applied for group comparisons. Correlation analysis was conducted between the overall PSS-10 score and measures of positive and negative affect. A logistic regression model was used to identify predictors of stress. Results. The results of the factor analysis showed that both factors significantly and reliably measure different aspects of stress. Cronbach’s alpha values for Factor 1 (0.87) indicate high reliability, while for Factor 2 (0.79), they indicate good reliability. A correlation of 0.89 for Factor 1 indicates a very strong positive relationship between this factor and the overall level of stress. A correlation of 0.69 for Factor 2 indicates a strong positive relationship, though not as strong as Factor 1 (p=0.0000). The results confirm that the overall PSS-10 scores are closely related to both positive and negative emotional states, with a more pronounced impact on negative emotions. The highest number of students with a stress level of 2 is observed among students from Ukraine (32.65%) and Romania (35.60%), while in Poland this figure is 4.99%. Conclusions. The study showed that the military conflict in Ukraine significantly affects the psycho-emotional state of students, causing high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Younger students and women were found to be particularly vulnerable. These results underscore the need to develop targeted support programs to improve the mental health of students in the context of the war.