Assessing the mental health and psychosocial well-being of Ukrainian pediatric trauma and burn patients and their caregivers amidst the war: insights from a surgical medical mission in Poland.

This article focuses on the mental health assessment of Ukrainian pediatric burn and trauma patients and their caregivers during a surgical medical mission in Poland amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Using validated tools—the Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self-Report (YSR)—nineteen children and their mothers were evaluated, revealing a high prevalence of children at risk for or already experiencing clinically significant mental health disorders, particularly depression, anxiety, and related problems. Caregivers exhibited prominent anxiety-phobic experiences alongside hope and happiness regarding treatment prospects. The study highlights the complex interplay between pre-existing burn injuries and war-related stressors on psychosocial well-being, emphasizing the need for integrated mental health support in surgical missions and further research with larger samples to better address this vulnerable population's needs.