Higher depression levels in Ukrainian female students were strongly linked to higher fear of war and burnout, especially for burnout where the connection was very strong.

Students who were more depressed also had much higher levels of fear and emotional exhaustion — the worse their depression, the worse their fear and burnout.

When these young women feel more depressed, they also tend to feel more scared of the war, more emotionally drained, and more alone — and their depression is the biggest factor linked to feeling burned out.

When students are both scared of the war and feel lonely or depressed, their burnout gets much worse — it’s not just the sum of each stressor, but a combined effect.

Ukrainian female students reported higher fear of war in 2024 than in 2023, with the difference being statistically significant but small in size.

No matter when they were surveyed, students who were more afraid of the war were also more emotionally drained — this connection stayed strong throughout the war.