The relationship between psychological well-being and youth's readiness to return to Ukraine in the post-war period

Abstract

Background. The article presents the results of an empirical study of the relationship between psychological well-being and socio-psychological adaptation with the readiness of Ukrainian youth to return to Ukraine in the post-war period.

Methods. The sample consisted of 101 Ukrainians (18–35 years old) who are in European countries and the USA (online survey, 2025–2026). Surveys, testing, statistical methods of data processing were used: correlation, regression analysis. Techniques used: WHO-5 Well-Being Index, scale of socio-psychological adaptation K. Rogers, R. Diamond and author's questionnaire.

Results. The average return readiness level was M = 3.36 (SD = 0.88) on a five-point scale. Correlation and regression analysis showed that readiness to return did not have a statistically significant direct relationship with psychological well-being (ρ = .058, p = .562) and most indicators of social and psychological adaptation. Instead, the most pronounced factor of readiness turned out to be the significance of the return conditions (ρ = .412, p < .001). The regression model, which included return conditions and barriers, explained 44.0% of the variance of readiness (R² = .440, p < .001). Practical implications for psychological support of young people abroad were discussed.

Conclusions. The obtained results make it possible to deepen the understanding of the psychological mechanisms of formation of readiness for return in forced migrants. The lack of a direct statistically significant relationship between psychological well-being and willingness to return is a key and conceptually important outcome of the study. It is consistent with the idea that psychological well-being is not a determinant of a migration decision, but a general indicator of a psychological resource that can mediate the influence of other factors. An empirically established tendency towards a negative connection between socio-psychological adaptation and readiness for return, that is, the better a person adapted to a new social environment, the lower the probability of his return to the Motherland.