Mental Health Status in Forcibly Displaced Persons from Nagorno-Karabakh: Results of a Pilot Study

Relevance. One of the global problems facing the world community is the problem of refugees and forcibly displaced persons (IDPs). In our time, the problem is becoming increasingly critical and creates serious humanitarian, social, and health problems. The total forced displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh after almost a year of blockade and military aggression in 2023 was an emergency situation in Armenia. Its peculiarity was that, on the one hand, it was an escape across national borders to a neighboring country, and on the other, it was a resettlement to a country that is their historical homeland with a common history, culture, language, and religion. The status of IDPs has a profound impact on the mental health of people as a result of such factors as war trauma, migracija and post-migration factors, unfavorable socio-economic conditions, motivation factors, socio-demographic factors, and the socio-political context of their lives.Purpose. To study risk factors for the development and timely diagnosis of anxiety and depressive disorders in NDPs from Nagorno-Karabakh.Material and methods. The study used data from 733 respondents. The GAD-7 questionnaire and the PHQ-9 depression scale were used, and a hierarchical regression analysis of the data was conducted.Results. Descriptive statistics are presented for the entire sample and for individual regions of the country. It was found that women predominated, most of the migrants were married and moved with their families, and most had secondary education. Every fifth person noted a history of mental trauma. 60% of respondents showed signs of depression and anxiety that required therapeutic intervention. Severe impairments of functionality and performance were detected in 42% and 44% of respondents.Discussion and conclusions. The identified features in the severity and prevalence of affective disorders actually cause a rather small percentage of variability in anxiety and depression. This means that there are a number of other factors that are more influential in determining depression and anxiety than demographic and socio-psychological factors. This study has a number of limitations noted in the text, which forces us to have a reservation when interpreting the results of these parameters.