Summary
Objective. To assess the mental health of the population and its changes using the CES-D scale.
Methodology. A quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire consisting of five socio-demographic questions and thirty questions about the respondent's mental well-being.
Results. The population's overall arithmetic mean score on the CES-D scale increased by 24.6%, from 10.8 to 13.455. The greatest change was observed in the working age group (30–60 years). The largest increases were in the proportion of respondents who often or always feel low energy (N = 418), anxious (N = 484), sad (N = 397), hopeless about the future (N = 231) and more interested in world events than in their personal life (N = 324). The military conflict had a greater negative impact on the mental state of educated people. However, since March, the mental state of the Lithuanian population has improved considerably.
Conclusions. The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms, as measured by the CES-D scale, increased by 24.6% to 13.45. For the vast majority of respondents (55.6%; N = 562), the war had a negative impact on their working or learning activities. Of these, 17.4% (N = 98) had a very negative impact. Lithuania’s losses in the mental health sector as a result of the war in Ukraine could range from USD 111.4 to 950 million per year, which is several times higher than the direct costs of the war. Since March, the mental health of the Lithuanian population has steadily improved.
