Resilience of Ukrainian society to war-induced traumatic events

Abstract

The article examines the resilience of Ukrainian society under the conditions of prolonged war, conceptualizing it as a dynamic system of interaction between institutional structures and grassroots civic practices. Social resilience is defined as the ability of society to adapt to traumatic, crisis, or stress-inducing events while preserving cohesion, mutual support, and the capacity for recovery and development. The study demonstrates that despite large-scale destruction, mass migration, and resource depletion, Ukrainian society has exhibited significant adaptability and mobilization potential, which has transformed the consequences of war into a resource for collective survival and innovation. Drawing on empirical data from sociological monitoring and previous research on national solidarity, the study argues that Ukrainian resilience is not a fixed characteristic but an adaptive mechanism combining economic stabilization, social cohesion, and psychological endurance. Expert survey results reveal strong positive indicators, including high adaptability, stress resilience, and social cohesion, as well as mass volunteering, which functions as a crucial mechanism of solidarity and an alternative channel of trust. The analysis reveals a paradoxical configuration in which strong horizontal solidarity – expressed through volunteering, mutual aid, and community mobilization –coexists with a persistent deficit of institutional trust towards state authorities. This asymmetry suggests that resilience in Ukraine is primarily driven by bottom-up initiatives rather than by coordinated governmental action. Economic indicators, such as wage growth and recovery of household incomes, further demonstrate that material stabilization is closely mediated by emotional and symbolic expectations, making subjective perception an integral component of resilience. The study concludes that Ukrainian social resilience should be understood as a hybrid adaptive model in which civic self-organization compensates for institutional weaknesses. Future research should focus on mechanisms of institutionalization of civic solidarity, the longitudinal restoration of trust, and the transformation of collective trauma into developmental potential. The findings contribute to broader debates on resilience governance in societies exposed to protracted existential threats.