Exhaustion, Stress, and the Need for Support: How Ukrainians’ Emotional Resilience Has Changed During the War

This means stress is no longer a temporary reaction but has become a permanent part of life for many Ukrainians. The topic of mental and emotional well-being has gradually become an essential part of the public agenda.

As shown in Figure 1, Ukrainians are most concerned about the safety of their loved ones and themselves. Physical danger remains the main cause of stress, while secondary factors — fatigue, burnout, and loss of motivation — emerge against this backdrop.

Emotional exhaustion, which at first seemed like a short-term reaction to stress, has become a permanent condition for millions of people.

At the same time, studies show a growing number of people acknowledging the need for psychological support. According to the “How Are You” platform, launched on the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska, the share of Ukrainians seeking help from a psychologist rose from 7% in 2022 to 17% at the start of 2024.

Beyond professionals, people look for support in their close circles. The most common way of coping with stress remains talking with family or friends. The survey shows that 36% of Ukrainians choose this option, while only 4% turn to a family doctor.

As seen in Figure 2, Ukrainians still cope with stress mainly through low-intensity activities: spending time online (40%), talking with friends or family (36%), and watching TV (35%).

Social burnout and civic engagement

Fatigue and burnout are becoming increasingly evident not only at the individual level but also in their impact on social mechanisms — participation, trust, and solidarity. A spring survey by USAID Engage, conducted by Info Sapiens, recorded a significant decline in civic engagement: in 2022, 63% of Ukrainians took part in community life, while in 2024 the figure dropped to just 47%. Among internally displaced persons, the rate fell from 36% to 23%.

The decline in civic activity may be linked not only to emotional exhaustion but also to people’s return to work: unemployment stood at over 26% in Q2 2022, but by summer 2025 it had fallen to just 11%. This may explain why 20–25% of respondents said they did not participate in civic initiatives due to a lack of time.

At the same time, informal activities such as volunteering and mutual aid have remained stable. These forms of engagement allow people to feel connected without overburdening them psychologically and serve as a response to social fatigue. In this way, people are not abandoning civic engagement but rather choosing formats that align with their current emotional state.

Care as part of policy

Despite strong resilience, Ukrainian society is experiencing noticeable war fatigue. Data from the Public Health Center of Ukraine (2023) show that one in two Ukrainians feels emotionally worse than three years ago, and stigma around mental health often prevents people from seeking help. This confirms that fatigue is not only an individual problem but also a factor affecting social cohesion and the sustainability of volunteer practices.

That is why it is important to view care not as something supplementary but as an integral part of social and state policy. The goal is to ensure that mental health support is embedded in systemic solutions, since the long-term ability of citizens to participate in public life, support the army, and respond collectively to crises depends on it.

• For state and civic organizations: Focus on overcoming the barriers between recognizing the need for help and actually seeking it. Research shows that even those who feel the need for support often do not seek it out because of stigma or limited access. It is therefore crucial to expand free hotlines, establish mobile psychological teams for remote communities, and develop online platforms that provide quick and anonymous consultations.
• For volunteer movements: Implement preventive measures against burnout. These may include regular group meetings to exchange experiences, access to psychological counseling for activists, or rotating responsibilities to avoid overload. It is also important to promote “healthy volunteering” — models in which participants define their own level of involvement without feelings of guilt.
• For society as a whole: Work to overcome the barrier to openly discussing mental health issues. According to the Public Health Center, most Ukrainians who experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety did not seek help specifically out of fear of judgment. That is why it is essential to spread the understanding that seeking support is a sign of strength and responsibility, not weakness. Only in this way can long-term individual and collective resilience be ensured.

The psycho-emotional state should not remain at the margins of attention, neither at the personal nor at the societal level. Stress does not disappear by keeping silent about it. The war continues, and alongside physical endurance, we must also strengthen emotional resilience. This is not easy, but it is possible if we recognize the need for support and remain attentive both to ourselves and to one another.