Analytical material by Serhii Dembitskyi, Doctor of Sociological Sciences: “Media stressors and the psychological well-being of Ukraine's population”

The website of the Institute of Sociology of the NAS of Ukraine has published an analytical material by Serhii Dembitskyi, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, "Media stressors and the psychological well-being of Ukraine's population"

Drawing on the findings of the study by the Institute of Sociology of the NAS of Ukraine in 2023 (October, N = 2767), we analysed 28 stressors (examined in more detail below), which made it possible to single out those that retain a significant effect on psychological well-being once a wide range of other stressors is taken into account. In October last year those factors were the following: 1) insufficient support from those close to you despite needing it (relevant for 17.3% of respondents); 2) having, because of difficult circumstances, to do things you do not approve of (relevant for 20.1% of respondents); 3) discrimination because of your belonging to a particular social group (relevant for 12.1% of respondents); 4) recalling stressful experiences from the past and the corresponding negative feelings (relevant for 44.4% of respondents); 5) significant financial or material losses (relevant for 51.6% of respondents); 6) health problems faced by those close to you (relevant for 57% of respondents); 7) distress at what is heard and seen in the media (radio, television, the internet) (relevant for 80.8% of respondents).

Together they explained 15% of the intensity of Ukrainians' psychological distress (that is, destructive stress), of which about 1.5% was accounted for by distress at what is heard and seen in the media.

At least three conclusions may be drawn from this. First, despite the considerable number of wartime stressors taken into account, media consumption was still a relevant factor in the worsening of psychological well-being. Second, the combined effect of the stressors caused by the war in 2023 cannot be called very strong, and the media's contribution to it (that is, to the combined effect of wartime stressors) amounted to only a tenth. These effects should not be underestimated, however, since the picture of stressors is always a mosaic, made up for the most part of many small effects where stressors of a chronic character are concerned. And distress at what is heard and seen in the media is precisely such a stressor. Third, more than 80% of respondents indicated that such distress was relevant to them, which was the highest figure among the wartime stressors. That is, in 2023 this chronic stress effect was of a mass character.

The full material is here