Resilience Embedded in Psychological Capital of Ukrainian Refugees in Poland

Abstract

By this article we want to say that we still know very little about the migration of war refugees from Ukraine as the process has been happening massively before our eyes. This article contributes to the vast literature on refugees. Firstly, it presents a new non-Western perspective because Ukrainian refugees move predominately from Eastern to Central Europe. Secondly, it discusses the resilience of refugees, which we systematically embedded into the general concept of Psychological Capital (PsyCap), and proves it statistically in an interplay with three other components of PsyCap: self-efficacy, optimism and hope. The article also presents arguments for professionals on the ground to build a support on PsyCap resources, not only on trauma to Ukrainian refugees. The article is based on a small-scale exploratory survey of Ukrainian refugees conducted between March-May 2022 and field reflections of the coordinator of the Ukrainian House in Warsaw.

Untitled

“…The topic of individual psychological qualities that contribute to the adaptation of IDPs is addressed by I. Grabowska et al (2023). When studying the adaptation of Ukrainian IDPs in Poland, they use the concept of "psychological capital", which is a component of resilience that allows one to adapt to a forced sudden change in conditions.…”

The mental health of Ukrainian refugees: a narrative review

“…Coping and resilience are strongly linked with one another, with effective coping strategies shown increase resilience in Ukrainian refugees [47]. Adopting more adaptive coping strategies such as communication, promoting relationships with family and friends and problem-focused strategies have been shown to link with increased resilience within this population [47,48]. Whereas less-effective coping strategies, such as using pain relievers and sedatives, and emotion-focused coping are linked with lower levels of resilience among Ukrainian refugees and overall worse mental health outcomes [40,42].…”