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Original Research | Psychology | Volume 15 Issue 9, September 2026 | Pages: 941 - 949 | Saudi Arabia
Displacement, Distress, and the Fragmented Welfare Landscape: A Qualitative Study of Mental Health and the Social Determinants of Wartime Wellbeing Among Ukrainians
Abstract: This qualitative study examines the social welfare and mental health experiences of Ukrainians affected by the full-scale Russian invasion, drawing on semi-structured interviews conducted between 2025 and 2026 with 58 participants residing in Ukraine and abroad. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the study identifies three overarching themes: The Weight of Survival, Navigating Systems of Care, and Reclaiming Agency Amidst Rupture. Each theme encompasses three subthemes. Findings reveal that war-related psychological distress is pervasive but manifests in socially patterned ways, shaped by displacement status, gender, and the availability of formal and informal support. Participants describe a fragmented welfare landscape in which mental health services remain stigmatized and under-resourced, while informal networks, family, community, humor, serve as critical buffers. The study concludes that social welfare responses must move beyond trauma-focused clinical models toward integrated, community-embedded approaches that recognize the social determinants of wartime mental health.
Keywords: Ukraine, war, mental health, social welfare, qualitative research, displacement, trauma
How to Cite?: Ahmed F. Alanazi, "Displacement, Distress, and the Fragmented Welfare Landscape: A Qualitative Study of Mental Health and the Social Determinants of Wartime Wellbeing Among Ukrainians", Volume 15 Issue 9, September 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 941-949, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26914011151, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26914011151