Abstract
Our research focuses on Ukrainian university students, and our hypothesis is that religiosity is a possible protective factor for coping with war related disaster. A total of 5,059 university students (25.4% male, 74.6% female) from 5 Ukrainian universities were surveyed on-line from September 2022 to October 2024, 26.6% secular, 58.6% somewhat religious, 14.8% religious/very religious. Valid and reliable survey instruments were used to gather data about the fear of war, depression, burnout, loneliness, life satisfaction and substance use (i.e. tobacco, alcohol, pain relievers and sedatives) during war. Females reported significantly more fear of war, depression, burnout and loneliness than males who evidenced less religiosity than females. Regardless of gender, one-way ANOVA shows those who report being religious, regardless of level, have less fear of war, depression, and burnout, as well as more life satisfaction. Also, secular students reported a higher level of suicide ideation than those religious. The Kruskal-Wallis test shows that religious students, regardless of level, have less emotional, social and general loneliness than those secular. Regarding substance use, males reported a higher level of use than females. Regardless of gender, Chi-square test shows secular students with a higher level of increased substance use. Present results confirm our hypothesis that religiosity is a protective factor significantly associated with psycho-emotional well-being. Further research should include other related factors (e.g., marital status and location status during war) that may contribute to understanding and responding to the needs of young adults during and after war.
Presenters
Alexander ReznikSenior Research Associate, Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research (RADAR) Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, HaDarom, Israel Richard Isralowitz
Student, PhD, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Ukrainian war, Religiosity, Mental health, Well-being
