Trauma, distress, and resilience among Ukrainian migrants: mental health and cultural contexts in Europe

Abstract

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused unprecedented displacement across Europe, yet evidence on the psychological adaptation of Ukrainian migrants in different institutional contexts remains limited. This study examines how traumatic exposure, resilience, and cultural trauma symptoms, and perceived social support interact to shape mental health outcomes among Ukrainian migrants residing in eight countries: Slovenia, Poland, Cyprus, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Serbia, and Ukraine. Using validated psychometric instruments (RHS-15, HSCL-25, DSM-5 trauma clusters, Cultural Symptoms of Trauma, RS-25), the study employs a cross-sectional design to analyze individual and contextual determinants of psychological distress. The traumatic exposure is consistently associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms, while resilience serves as a robust protective factor across all mental health indicators. Cultural trauma symptoms emerged as a key mediator linking trauma exposure to distress, whereas perceived social support neither mediated nor moderated this relationship. These findings highlight the multidimensional nature of refugee mental health, underscoring the need for long-term, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive psychosocial support, alongside improvements in integration infrastructures and service accessibility. The study advances theoretical understanding of forced migration by demonstrating how cultural meaning-making and institutional structures jointly shape mental health trajectories among displaced populations.