Bulletin of Vasyl' Stus Donetsk National University.
Series of Psychological Sciences

As Ukrainian society navigated its fourth year of unremitting national defense in 2025, psychological research increasingly shifted toward examining macro-level transformations in collective consciousness, societal resilience, and systemic post-traumatic growth. Grounded in Tedeschi and Calhoun's growth paradigms and social identity frameworks, this empirical study investigates how shared civic values, collective efficacy, and narrative identity reconstruction fostered societal-level post-traumatic growth across a stratified sample of 520 adult respondents nationwide. Assessment instruments included an adapted collective Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (W-PTGI), the Sense of Community Index, and scales measuring national solidarity. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that active civic engagement and strong social cohesion accounted for 53.1% of the variance in collective post-traumatic growth ($\beta = 0.54, p < 0.001$), buffering against chronic battle fatigue. The findings highlight that enduring societal resilience operates through shared narrative meaning-making rather than mere emotional suppression.

Chronic combat stress injuries frequently manifest as persistent sympathetic nervous system dominance, impaired heart rate variability (HRV), and autonomic dysregulation that resist conventional talk therapy. This clinical trial evaluates the efficacy of a 12-session biofeedback-assisted respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) training protocol combined with neurofeedback in restoring autonomic equilibrium among 78 combat veterans with chronic PTSD and hyperarousal. Pre- and post-intervention evaluations incorporated spectral HRV analysis, the PCL-5, and Spielberg's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Repeated-measures ANCOVA revealed statistically significant increases in high-frequency HRV power and baroreflex sensitivity ($p < 0.001$), alongside marked reductions in intrusive trauma symptoms and physiological reactivity. The integration of somatic biofeedback successfully bridged physiological self-regulation deficits in treatment-resistant veterans.

As increasing numbers of demobilized veterans returned to corporate and public sector employment in 2025, organizations faced the critical challenge of restructuring team cultures to accommodate combat-acquired competencies while preventing misunderstanding and micro-exclusions. Guided by Edmondson's psychological safety framework and inclusive leadership models, this organizational study examines workplace factors facilitating successful veteran occupational adjustment across 280 corporate teams. Assessment tools included the Team Psychological Safety Scale, Leader Inclusiveness Questionnaire, and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that manager training in trauma-informed inclusive leadership and team psychological safety accounted for 48.9% of the variance in veteran retention and job satisfaction ($\beta = 0.51, p < 0.001$). Practical guidelines for corporate HR departments are outlined.

The permanent consolidation of remote and location-independent knowledge work by 2025 expanded the phenomenon of digital nomadism and mobile freelancing, introducing unique challenges in psychological boundary management and recovery. Grounded in Ashforth's boundary theory and Sonnentag's recovery framework, this study examines how micro-boundary negotiation and spatial transitions influence emotional exhaustion and life satisfaction among 240 remote professionals. Survey data collected via the Work-Family Border Questionnaire and Recovery Experience Questionnaire indicated that individuals lacking physical or temporal boundaries experienced chronic hyper-connectivity and emotional depletion. Conversely, proactive boundary-crafting rituals successfully restored psychological detachment and vitality.

The extreme caseload pressure confronting frontline and telehealth psychologists in 2025 created a severe deficit in traditional human-led clinical supervision, prompting exploratory trials of AI-augmented supervision tools for tracking therapist countertransference and secondary traumatic stress. Grounded in Hawkins and Shohet's supervision models and digital ethics frameworks, this study evaluates the acceptability and efficacy of an AI supervision support tool among 94 practicing crisis psychotherapists. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations demonstrated that AI-driven session transcript analysis successfully alerted therapists to early signs of emotional exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and blind spots in trauma work, enhancing supervisory reflection without violating patient confidentiality. Ethical guidelines for AI integration in clinical supervision are established.

Prolonged disruption of traditional schooling environments has generated cumulative learning gaps and attentional dysregulation among war-affected schoolchildren. This quasi-experimental study evaluates a 14-week school-based cognitive remediation and emotional stabilization program ("Mind-Bridge") administered to 210 primary and secondary students across central and western Ukraine. Pre- and post-intervention measures included standardized academic achievement tests, the Conners Continuous Performance Test, and the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale. Results demonstrated significant improvements in sustained attention, working memory, and emotional self-regulation ($p < 0.001$), accompanied by reduced school-related anxiety. School-based psychological intervention models for post-crisis recovery are outlined.

Humanitarian aid workers operating in high-risk zones encounter severe ethical dilemmas, security compromises, and institutional betrayals that frequently precipitate profound moral injury. Grounded in Litz's moral injury framework, this empirical study investigates moral injury events, existential guilt, and spiritual re-evaluation among 175 international and domestic aid workers. Assessment tools included the MIES, TRGI, and ProQOL-5. Regression analyses revealed that administrative betrayal and resource-rationing triage dilemmas were primary drivers of severe moral injury and vocational disillusionment ($\beta = 0.56, p < 0.001$). Specialized peer support circles and value-based supervision successfully restored operational and existential coherence.

Assessing compassion fatigue and helper burnout among professionals operating under protracted national crisis conditions requires psychometric instruments sensitive to cumulative secondary trauma. This methodological study presents the development, factor structure verification, and psychometric standardization of the 18-item Wartime Compassion Fatigue Scale (W-CFS). Psychometric evaluation was conducted on a nationwide sample of 680 helping professionals (crisis psychologists, medics, and social workers) evaluated in 2025. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using robust maximum likelihood estimation confirmed a three-factor structure: Secondary Traumatic Stress, Exhaustion of Empathy, and Professional Despair ($\chi^2/\text{df} = 2.11, \text{CFI} = 0.969, \text{TLI} = 0.963, \text{RMSEA} = 0.039, \text{SRMR} = 0.033$). Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's $\alpha = 0.93$, McDonald's $\omega = 0.94$). Standardized normative tables are provided for institutional screening.

The prolonged exposure of combat veterans to severe psychological trauma raises critical clinical questions regarding the intergenerational transmission of stress to their children growing up in post-war family environments. Grounded in Bowen's family systems theory and Yehuda's epigenetic trauma models, this study investigates emotional regulation, behavioral adjustment, and attachment security among 140 families of combat veterans (children aged 8–15 years). Assessment batteries included the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), parental PCL-5 ratings, and family adaptability scales. Empirical findings demonstrated that paternal PTSD severity and emotional numbing strongly predicted internalizing and externalizing problems in children ($\beta = 0.47, p < 0.001$), mediated by parental emotional unavailability and marital discord. Family-based systemic interventions focused on transparent communication and emotional attunement successfully mitigated intergenerational trauma transmission.

Recurrent trauma-related nightmares and treatment-resistant insomnia represent debilitating core features of combat PTSD. This clinical study evaluates the therapeutic efficacy of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT)—a cognitive-behavioral technique wherein patients rewrite distressing nightmare scripts into benign narratives during waking hours—among 64 combat veterans suffering from chronic trauma nightmares. Pre- and post-treatment evaluations using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Nightmare Frequency Questionnaire, and PCL-5 demonstrated that IRT achieved statistically significant reductions in nightmare frequency and intensity ($p < 0.001$), alongside profound improvements in overall sleep quality and daytime functioning. IRT is validated as an efficient, low-barrier clinical intervention for military mental health programs.

The eventual reunification of transnational refugee families—following years of physical separation between mothers/children abroad and husbands remaining in Ukraine—presents a complex systemic transition characterized by role renegotiation and readjustment friction. Grounded in family systems and acculturation theories, this study examines marital adjustment, parenting strain, and identity reconstruction among 110 families who reunited in European host countries or upon returning to Ukraine. Assessment tools included the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, FACES-IV, and qualitative exit interviews. Results revealed that idealized expectations of seamless family restoration frequently clashed with independent autonomy developed during separation, requiring structured couples counseling and boundary recalibration to achieve harmonious reintegration.

Community-level rebuilding and social capital restoration constitute vital pillars of psychological healing in de-occupied and frontline territories. Grounded in Putnam's social capital theory and collective efficacy models, this empirical study investigates the relationship between participatory civic engagement, interpersonal trust, and collective well-being among 310 residents across regional rebuilding initiatives. Survey data analyzed via structural equation modeling indicated that active involvement in local civic reconstruction committees robustly predicted heightened social trust, reduced anomie, and improved community mental health ($\beta = 0.52, p < 0.001$). Participatory community development models are proposed as essential tools for post-conflict psychosocial rehabilitation.

Continuous exposure to digital news streams and crisis notifications over prolonged periods has catalyzed widespread digital media fatigue and intentional information avoidance among youth. Grounded in overload theory and transactional stress models, this study examines the psychological predictors of news avoidance and emotional burnout among 290 university students. Assessment tools included the News Fatigue Scale, Problematic News Consumption Scale, and Brief COPE. Path modeling demonstrated that informational overload directly predicted defensive information avoidance and emotional numbness ($\beta = 0.53, p < 0.001$). While avoidance temporarily reduced acute anxiety, it also impaired constructive civic awareness. Digital hygiene guidelines for educational institutions are discussed.

Older adults experiencing prolonged internal or international displacement face acute gerontopsychological challenges regarding life continuity and existential fulfillment. Grounded in Erikson's developmental stages and Frankl's logotherapy, this study examines meaning-making, loneliness, and subjective well-being among 165 displaced older adults (aged 65–80 years). Instruments included Leontiev's Purpose-in-Life Test, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and LSI-A. Empirical results indicated that participation in peer storytelling circles and community support networks significantly enhanced ego integrity and buffered against geriatric despair. Gerontological counseling guidelines for displacement centers are formulated.

Assessing social cohesion, mutual trust, and collective solidarity under protracted national crisis conditions requires psychometric instruments calibrated specifically for wartime socio-political contexts. This methodological study presents the development, factor structure verification, and psychometric standardization of the 16-item Wartime Social Cohesion Scale (WSCS). Psychometric evaluation was conducted on a nationwide sample of 740 Ukrainian adults evaluated in December 2025. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using robust maximum likelihood estimation confirmed a three-factor structure: Interpersonal Trust, Civic Solidarity, and Shared Future Orientation ($\chi^2/\text{df} = 2.06, \text{CFI} = 0.971, \text{TLI} = 0.965, \text{RMSEA} = 0.037, \text{SRMR} = 0.031$). Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's $\alpha = 0.94$, McDonald's $\omega = 0.95$). Standardized normative tables are provided for sociological and psychological research.