Almost 90% of Ukrainians experienced stress in 2024: what affected the population the most

In 2024, 87% of Ukrainians faced at least one stressful situation. Only 10% of respondents said they had not experienced any stress. This is stated in the study of the KIIS, reports UNN. 

The report states that these are some of the worst indicators for the entire period of observations that KIIS has been conducting since 2000.

For comparison, in 2013 this figure was only 52%.

The most common stressful situations of Ukrainians in 2024:

- Bombing and shelling - 39% of respondents;

- separation from loved ones - 30%;

- death of loved ones - 26%;

- serious illness of loved ones - 23%;

- personal illness - 18%.

War is the main factor of stress

KIIS researchers note that after 2020, the number of people who did not experience any stressful situations began to decline rapidly. Initially, this was due to the coronavirus pandemic: in 2020, the share of such respondents dropped to 29%.

However, the greatest stress on the population was caused by the full-scale invasion of Russia.

While in 2020 only 2% of Ukrainians faced shelling or bombing, in 2024 this figure rose to 39%. At the same time, the number of people who lost their jobs or lost their livelihoods has been gradually increasing since 2019.

This indicator peaked in 2022-2023, and in 2024 it declined slightly, which may indicate that the population has partially adapted.

Stress hit residents of the East and South hardest

The survey also shows regional differences in stress levels. Residents of the western regions were the least affected, with 90% of respondents experiencing stress there.

At the same time, this figure reaches 97% in eastern Ukraine and 92% in the south.

The number of those who have experienced stress is almost the same by gender: 92% of women and 87% of men faced at least one stressful situation. The researchers also found no significant differences in the level of stress between different age groups, between urban and rural residents, or even between people with different income levels.

Ukrainians live in a state of chronic stress caused primarily by the war.

The average Ukrainian in 2024 experienced 2-3 types of stress, and the share of those who did not face any stressful situations remains critically low at 10%.

The research was conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology from December 2 to 17, 2024, by telephone interviews (CATI). 985 respondents over the age of 18 were interviewed in the government-controlled territory of Ukraine (excluding residents of the occupied territories and those who left the country after February 24, 2022). The statistical error does not exceed 4.1%.

Prolonged stress leads to memory problems and excessive anxiety15.11.24, 17:02 • 18134 views