Resilience and Peer Social Support as Predictors of Students’ Psychological Well-Being during the War in Ukraine

Halyna Meshko (Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, Ternopil)
Oleksandr Meshko (Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, Ternopil)
Sergii Mamychenko (State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University)
Natalia Dievochkina (National University Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic)

International Journal of Counseling and Psychotherapy
Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): International Journal of Counseling and Psychotherapy, 3(1), 2026

Background: The ongoing war in Ukraine has significantly disrupted students’ educational experiences and increased their vulnerability to psychological distress, highlighting the need to identify protective factors that sustain well-being. Objective: This study examines the influence of resilience and peer social support on students’ psychological well-being in a war-affected context. Method: A quantitative correlational design was employed involving 120 high school students selected through proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using validated self-report scales and analysed using multiple linear regression. Results: Both resilience and peer social support significantly predict psychological well-being, with resilience emerging as the stronger predictor. Descriptive findings indicate high levels of resilience and peer support, while psychological well-being remains moderate, reflecting the persistent impact of wartime stressors. Conclusion: These findings suggest that internal adaptive capacity and interpersonal support function as complementary protective systems that help students cope with prolonged adversity. Contribution: This study contributes to the development of resilience-based and social support frameworks in conflict settings and provides empirical evidence to inform integrated psychosocial interventions in educational environments.