War's Unseen Wounds: Physical Proximity to the War, Event Centrality, and PTSD Symptoms in the Context of Russian-Ukrainian Armed Conflict: A Moderating Model

Objective: The present study investigated the factors associated with posttraumatic stress manifestations among the civilian population in the proximity of the war between Russia and Ukraine, which commenced on February 24, 2022. We aimed to test the moderating role of proximity to the war on the relationships between event centrality and intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Method: The research was conducted on a sample of 676 participants (23.4% males and 76.6% females) aged between 18 and 56 years old (M = 33.88; SD = 10.66). The participants consisted of civilians residing either within Ukraine or outside its borders, with a maximum distance of 100 km from the border at the onset of the conflict. They completed questionnaires designed to assess event centrality and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Results: The results of the present study highlighted the role of both psychological and physical proximity to the war in predicting posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms of intrusions and hyperarousal. Also, event centrality interacted with the physical distance to the war in predicting intrusions and avoidance. Conclusions: The present study contributes to the understanding of the studied variables in the context of the war between Ukraine and Russia, as well as to a deeper comprehension of how physical proximity is related to individual emotional outcomes.