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Stress situations in the lives of Ukrainians, 2020

The press release was prepared by Liana Novikova

From December 4 to 8, 2020, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) conducted a CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviews) survey based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers. The sample is representative for the adult population (18 years and older) of Ukraine. The sample does not include territories that are temporarily not controlled by the authorities of Ukraine - the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, some districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. 2001 interviews were conducted during the survey.

The statistical error of the sample (with a probability of 0.95 and taking into account the design effect 1.1) does not exceed: 2.4% for indicators close to 50%, 2.1% for indicators close to 25%, 1.5% - for indicators close to 10%, 1.1 % - for indicators close to 5%.

According to a KIIS survey, two-thirds (67%) of respondents experienced some sort of stressful situation during 2020. This is significantly more than in the period 2017-2019, when 50-53% of respondents experienced stress. Compared to all previous years of measurements (2013-2019), in 2020 there is a relatively highest proportion of those who survived a serious illness or death of relatives (16% of respondents), as well as those who lost their jobs (13%). Compared to 2019, in 2020 it became more of those who lost faith in people, faced meanness (there were 6% in 2019, became 10% in 2020), and those who found themselves without means of subsistence (there were 3%, became 6%). At the same time, both in 2019 and in 2020, compared to 2013-2018, a significantly smaller share of those who felt helpless or lost faith in their own strength.

Only about a third of respondents (32%) did not experience any stressful situation during 2020, which is much less than in 2019 (49%). Practically, this indicator returned to the values of 2014-2015, when 34-35% of respondents did not experience any stress. This situation can be explained by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of Ukrainians, which was reflected in a significant increase in the share of those who survived a serious illness or death of loved ones, became unemployed, found themselves without means of subsistence.

Most often in 2020, Ukrainians experienced these types of stressful situations:

  • 16% of respondents experienced severe illness of loved ones, which is 3 percentage points more than in 2019.
  • 16% of respondents had to survive the death of loved ones, which is 7 percentage points more than in 2019.
  • 15% of respondents experienced serious illness or surgery themselves, same as in 2019.
  • 13% of respondents lost their jobs and were forced to become unemployed, which is 7 percentage points more than in 2019.
  • Lost faith in people, faced with meanness 10% of respondents, which is 4 percentage points more than in 2019.


Graph 1. Stressful situations experienced by Ukrainians in 2020,% (11% of respondents experienced other stressful situations, which are not on this list)

 

To some extent, the percentage of those who have not experienced any stressful situations can be an integral indicator that would characterize the general level of stress in society (Graph 2). As you can see, the situation was mostly better in 2013, before the conflict in eastern Ukraine: 48% of respondents did not experience any stressful situations. In 2014 and 2015 the situation was the worst, only 35% and 34% of the population did not experience stress, respectively (ie two thirds of the population experienced at least one type of stress). In 2016 and 2017, the situation improved, the share of people who did not experience stressful situations increased to 42%, but in 2018 it decreased again to the level of 2016. However, in 2019, this indicator went up again and amounted to 49%. However, 2020 also the COVID pandemic brought new challenges that significantly increased the overall stress level of Ukrainians, which was reflected in a significant drop in the share of those who did not survive stress during 2020 - to 32%.

Graph 2. Percentage of respondents who did not experience any stress, the dynamics of 2013-2020.



By age:

  • There are more people over the age of 50 who have experienced their own serious illness in the past year (19-26%) and those who have survived the death of loved ones (21-22%), compared to people under the age of 50 (5-11% and 10 -17% respectively).
  • Instead, among respondents under the age of 50, a larger share of those who lost their jobs and remained unemployed (15-19%) than among respondents aged 60 and over (2-6%).
  • In general, respondents aged 18-39 experienced relatively less stress (among them about 60% experienced stress in 2020) than respondents aged 40-69, among whom stress was experienced by 71-73%.

 

By gender:

  • In general, during 2020, women experienced stress situations somewhat more often: among men, 62% of respondents experienced a stressful situation, and among women – 71%.    
  • Women were more likely to experience severe illness of loved ones (19% among women vs. 13% among men), death of relatives (18% vs. 14%), and their own serious illness or surgery (18% vs. 12%). Also, over the past year, women were slightly more likely than men to feel helpless (6% among women vs. 4% among men), and men were more likely than women to experience bombing or shelling (3% among men vs. 1% among women).  Note that the poorer state of health of women compared to men may be due to the fact that the life expectancy of women in Ukraine is about 10 years longer than among men.

By the level of financial security of the family:

  • Respondents with medium and high financial status have generally less level of stress (among them 33% and 48%, respectively, said they did not experience any stress) than respondents with low and very low financial status (among whom 24% and 19% accordingly indicated the absence of stress).
  • People with low and very low financial security were much more likely than people with medium and high financial security to experience serious illness / surgery, lose their job and feel helpless.
  • About a quarter of respondents with a very low level of material well-being experienced the death of loved ones in 2020, which is significantly more than among respondents with a medium (15%) and high (12%) level of well-being.
  • 17% of respondents with the lowest level of financial security had to find themselves without means of subsistence during the last year, while in other categories this share ranges from 2% to 9%.
  • Among the respondents with a high level of wealth, there are almost no respondents who have lost faith in their own strength, while among the respondents of other categories this share is 3-4%.

 

Annex 1. Formulation of questions from the questionnaire.

In which of these situations did you have to be during the year?

PASS THE CARD. MILTIPLE RESPONSE POSSIBLE

Survive a serious illness, surgery 1 Lose faith in people, face meanness 11
Survive the serious illness of loved ones 2 Lose faith in own strength 12
Survive the death of loved ones 3 Seriously conflict with others 13
Live in a state close to suicide 4 Expose to threats, intimidation 14
Lose a job and be forced to be unemployed 5 Survive the bombing, shelling 15
Suffer from assault or robbery 6 Experiencing other stressful situations 16
Suffer from theft or fraud 7 I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY STRESS SITUATIONS 17
To be without means of subsistence 8 DIFFICULT TO SAY 18
Feel helpless 9 REFUSAL TO ANSWER 19
Seek help from the court 10    

 

Annex 2. Tables

Table 1.  In which of these situations did you have to be during the year? % of those who experienced certain situations

  2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Survive a serious illness, surgery 9 7 11 11 9 12 15 15
Survive the serious illness of loved ones 12 10 14 13 12 9 13 16
Survive the death of loved ones 7 6 9 9 7 9 9 16
Live in a state close to suicide 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1
Lose a job and be forced to be unemployed 6 8 9 6 7 5 6 13
Suffer from assault or robbery 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Suffer from theft or fraud 2 2 3 4 2 2 2 4
To be without means of subsistence 5 6 6 9 8 6 3 6
Feel helpless 12 12 13 13 13 10 5 5
Seek help from the court 2 2 2 1 2 3 1 2
Lose faith in people, face meanness 9 8 9 14 8 8 6 10
Lose faith in own strength 6 5 7 8 7 6 4 3
Seriously conflict with others 2 4 3 3 3 2 1 2
Expose to threats, intimidation - 2 1 1 2 2 0 2
Survive the bombing, shelling - 7 6 1 1 1 0 2
Experiencing other stressful situations 15 28 22 12 16 13 9 11
I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY STRESS SITUATIONS  48  35 34 37  42 38 49 32
DIFFICULT TO SAY / REFUSAL TO ANSWER 2 4 2 5 5 10 1 2

 

According to the latest Omnibus, December 2020.:

In which of these situations did you have to be during the year?

Age groups:

  18-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70+
Survive a serious illness, surgery 5 10 11 19 25 26
Survive the serious illness of loved ones 12 14 19 21 16 16
Survive the death of loved ones 10 9 17 22 21 21
Live in a state close to suicide 1 1 0 1 0 0
Lose a job and be forced to be unemployed 15 17 19 12 6 2
Suffer from assault or robbery 1 1 1 1 2 2
Suffer from theft or fraud 5 4 3 3 4 5
To be without means of subsistence 4 6 7 5 6 7
Feel helpless 4 4 3 5 8 8
Seek help from the court 1 4 2 3 2 2
Lose faith in people, face meanness 7 13 12 13 8 8
Lose faith in own strength 3 3 2 2 3 2
Seriously conflict with others 2 2 2 2 2 2
Expose to threats, intimidation 2 2 1 1 3 1
Survive the bombing, shelling 2 2 4 3 4 0
Experiencing other stressful situations 13 10 9 12 13 6
I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY STRESS SITUATIONS 41 37 27 24 26 33
DIFFICULT TO SAY / REFUSAL TO ANSWER 0 2 1 3 2 1

 

Gender:

  Ukraine as a whole, % Men Women
Survive a serious illness, surgery 15 12 18
Survive the serious illness of loved ones 16 13 19
Survive the death of loved ones 16 14 18
Live in a state close to suicide 1 0 1
Lose a job and be forced to be unemployed 13 12 13
Suffer from assault or robbery 1 1 1
Suffer from theft or fraud 4 3 4
To be without means of subsistence 6 5 6
Feel helpless 5 4 6
Seek help from the court 2 3 2
Lose faith in people, face meanness 10 11 10
Lose faith in own strength 3 2 3
Seriously conflict with others 2 2 1
Expose to threats, intimidation 2 2 1
Survive the bombing, shelling 2 3 1
Experiencing other stressful situations 11 10 11
I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY STRESS SITUATIONS 32 36 28
DIFFICULT TO SAY / REFUSAL TO ANSWER 2 2 2

 

The level of financial security of the family (self-assessment)[i]:

  Very low Low Medium High
Survive a serious illness, surgery 19 19 14 9
Survive the serious illness of loved ones 13 19 18 11
Survive the death of loved ones 26 18 15 12
Live in a state close to suicide 2 1 1 0
Lose a job and be forced to be unemployed 20 17 10 6
Suffer from assault or robbery 4 1 1 1
Suffer from theft or fraud 6 3 5 3
To be without means of subsistence 17 9 3 2
Feel helpless 9 7 5 2
Seek help from the court 1 2 2 3
Lose faith in people, face meanness 10 10 12 8
Lose faith in own strength 4 4 3 0
Seriously conflict with others 4 2 1 2
Expose to threats, intimidation 2 1 2 2
Survive the bombing, shelling 4 3 2 2
Experiencing other stressful situations 12 11 10 12
I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY STRESS SITUATIONS 19 24 33 48
DIFFICULT TO SAY / REFUSAL TO ANSWER 2 2 2 1

 

Regarding comments,please contact Liana Novikova, l.novikova@kiis.com.ua



[i] Very low level - not enough money even for food. Low level - enough money for food, but it is difficult to buy clothes. Medium level - enough money for food, clothes and can save a little. High level - can afford to buy some expensive things or anything they want.

 

 


21.1.2021
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