Coping and Resilience Strategies among Ukraine War Refugees

Abstract

(1) Background: The war in Ukraine has triggered a huge humanitarian crisis: millions of refugees have escaped from their homes looking for shelter beyond Ukraine’s borders. This emergency offers a unique opportunity to investigate and to document those characteristics of the human condition that emerge in exceptional circumstances provoked by war. Based on considerations derived from recent studies on resilience, the research at the base of this paper was conducted to better understand the circumstances, states of mind, and coping mechanisms of the refugees leaving their homes looking for security. (2) Methods: A qualitative approach was applied, resorting to semi-structured interviews (n = 94) to closely explore the traumatic experiences lived by refugees and to identify their coping strategies. (3) Results: The data obtained pointed to a plurality of coping and resilience strategies. Maintaining communication with separated loved ones as well as experiencing accompaniment by helpers and hosts emerged as principal elements for coping and resilience. It was found that a prior development of interior life or practice of prayer served as psychological “capital” that increased their resilience. (4) Conclusion: The results point to the need to care for social networking, attention by hosts, and cultivating interior life as keys for resilience.

Geographies of Care: The Catholic Church in Poland’s Assistance to Refugees from Ukraine During Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

“…The influx of refugees from Ukraine to Poland caused a huge mobilization of Polish society and confirmed the durability and scale of the Polish tradition of solidarity, hospitality, and religiosity (Oviedo et al, 2022 ). Just a dozen hours after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the first volunteers appeared at eight road border crossings (Dorohusk–Jagodzin, Zosin–Uściług, Dołhobyczów–Uhrynów, Hrebenne–Rawa Ruska, Budomierz–Hrushev, Korczowa–Krakowiec, Medyka–Szeginie and Krościenko–Smolnica; Straż Graniczna, 2022 , October 31), and at the Przemyśl railroad station (Przemyśl–Mościska railroad border crossing) ready to help Ukrainians fleeing their homeland from the effects of war.…”

“…Professional psychological and therapeutic care for war refugees from Ukraine is urgent (Bouchard et al, 2022 ). It is also important to take care of refugees’ social networks and their support in religious life through chaplains and pastoral assistance and religious services in accordance with their religion (Oviedo et al, 2022 ). Religious congregations, clergy, Caritas Poland and numerous Church institutions of the Catholic Church are meeting these challenges and responding with concrete assistance.…”

“…The research problem solved in the paper has not yet been addressed in the literature. However, attention should be paid to the recent studies conducted by Oviedo et al, ( 2022 ) and Roszak, ( 2022 ), who examined the traumatic experiences of war refugees from Ukraine and identified their coping strategies and the resilience they achieved through their religiosity, as well as on Bouchard's research and on the psychotraumatology of war in Ukraine of others (Bouchard et al, 2022 ).…”

War trauma and strategies for coping with stress among Ukrainian refugees staying in Poland

“…What is also surprising is that praying has no protective effect in the case of the researched group. The positive impact of prayer was observed in the study carried out among Syrian (Kheirallah et al, 2022) and Ukrainian refugees (Oviedo et al, 2022). Spirituality has a crucial role in coping with war trauma.…”

Refugee Health: A Global and Multidisciplinary Challenge

“…Most of them are capable of coping with stress by communicating with their hosts in neighbouring countries, networking, and maintaining phone connection with their family members left in Ukraine. 16 A recent survey of 352 refugees in Przemysl, Poland demonstrated that 15–26% of them presented with severe and very severe anger, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. 17 Most psychological symptoms were associated with hardships of relocation and separation from their family and loved ones left in Ukraine.…”