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Postpartum · Mental Health

Perinatal mental health and reproductive behavior among women in wartime Ukraine: a cohort study protocol

Krupelnytska L, Yatsenko N, Molotokas A, Morozova-Larina O, Vavilova A, Baratiuk A, Kazakov S, Artyomenko V

Published July 6, 2026 Frontiers in psychiatry
DOI 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1874060 PMID 42519206 PMC PMC13383117

Abstract

Background

War reshapes the conditions under which reproductive decisions are made and pregnancy is experienced. Prolonged insecurity, displacement, economic instability, disruption of healthcare, and reduced social support may lead women and families to postpone pregnancy or face pregnancy and childbirth under constrained conditions. These challenges highlight the need for research on how war-related stress and trauma affect women's reproductive behavior and perinatal mental health.

Method

This prospective cohort study will recruit at least 328 women through healthcare institutions providing reproductive and perinatal care. Eligible participants will include non-pregnant women, pregnant women, and women within the first year postpartum. Where feasible, partners of enrolled women will also be included to provide complementary dyadic data. Participants will be followed from baseline to 3, 6, and 12 months. Data will be collected through web-based questionnaires and routine clinical records. No experimental intervention will be delivered, and participation in the study will not modify standard clinical care. Repeated measures will capture mental health, reproductive intentions and behavior, war-related and perinatal experiences, and key sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics. Primary analyses will use mixed-effects models to examine mental-health trajectories, with reproductive status modeled both as a baseline cohort characteristic and, where participants change status during follow-up, as a time-varying covariate; reproductive transitions will also be examined as secondary longitudinal outcomes.

Discussion

This protocol addresses an important gap by using a longitudinal design to examine women's experiences in a wartime setting. By situating mental health within disrupted reproductive plans, insecurity, healthcare strain, and family-level experiences, the study may help identify how armed conflicts shape both psychological vulnerability and reproductive decision-making. The findings may inform more responsive care for women affected by war.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov; identifier: NCT07551934.

Topics

By this author

Infections · Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

HYPERPLASIA OF THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS IN UKRAINE

Salmanov AG et al., 2023 Wiadomosci lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland : 1960)

The To determine the role of infectious diseases as the cause of the Cervical, Ovarian and Breast hyperplasia in Ukraine. Materials and We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study from January 1st, 2020 to December 31st, 2022. This study included patients aged 20-59 years with a diagnosis of hyperproliferative pathology of the women reproductive organs without atypia, who sought medical care for hyperplastic processes admitted to the 12 hospitals from 9 regions of Ukraine. We had examined 4,713 women; out of which 81.1% met the clinical definition of female reproductive organs hyperplasia. Of all hyperplasia cases, most frequently recorded types were breast hyperplasia (41,7%), followed by cervical hyperplasia (31,1%) and ovarian hyperplasia (27,2%). History of Cervicitis (p<0.001), Vaginal cuff infection (p<0.001), Oophoritis (p<0.001), and Mastitis (p<0.001) were identified as independent risk factors of Cervical, Ovarian and Breast hyperplasia. This study showed that surgical site infections after obstetric and gynecological operations are is the cause of Cervical, Ovarian and Breast hyperplasia. Therefore, early detection and treatment SSIs can reduce the risk of hyperplasia these organs.

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Postpartum › Mental Health › Postpartum Depression · Mental Health and Psychosocial Care › Psychosocial Support › Peer and Community Support
Liudmyla Krupelnytska, Nazar Yatsenko, Antonina Molotokas, Olha Morozova-Larina, Alona Vavilova, Artem Baratiuk, Stanislav Kazakov, Volodymyr Artyomenko
L Krupelnytska, N Yatsenko, A Molotokas, O Morozova-Larina, A Vavilova, A Baratiuk, S Kazakov, V Artyomenko
PMID 42519206 42519206 DOI 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1874060 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1874060 Krupelnytska et al. 2026, Krupelnytska 2026

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