The impact of war on the mental health of vulnerable populations in Ukraine: the role of international assistance in resilience and post-traumatic recovery
Year: 2027
Type: article
Abstract: This article uses a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach to explore the meaning that Ukrainian individuals and communities affected by the war attribute to psychological suffering and its relationship to international aid, moving beyond an interpretation limited to isolated symptoms. The research aims to interpret the lived world of those who have had to rebuild their lives amid the material, symbolic, and relational destruction caused by the conflict. Methodologically, a qualitative study with a phenomenological-hermeneutic orientation was conducted, combined with a review of peer-reviewed scientific literature and an in-depth interview with a Ukrainian woman suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who resides in a conflict zone and is protected by anonymity and informed consent. The findings show that war reshapes bodily, temporal, spatial, and intersubjective experiences: the body learns to anticipate danger; time is organized around immediate survival; the home is transformed into ruins, a temporary refuge, or a threatened space; and relationships are marked by loss, dispersion, and uncertainty. It is concluded that international aid promotes recovery when it recognizes agency, the rhythms of grief, and the situated meanings of communities, and not when it reduces resilience to an individual requirement for adaptation.
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7213624019