"I have to keep a straight face": a reflexive thematic analysis of interviews with partners of Ukrainian military service members experiencing war-related loss

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17721/BPSY.2026.1(23).11

Keywords:

2022 Russian invasion, ambiguous loss, grief, military service member, Ukraine, war-related loss, widow

Abstract

Background. The full-scale war in Ukraine has led to a marked increase in the number of women facing bereavement or prolonged ambiguity regarding the status of their military partners, underscoring the need to examine their psychological condition and support needs. This paper aims to present the findings of a study on the experiences, meaning-making processes, and needs of widows (or women whose partners are considered missing in action), as well as to outline directions for psychosocial interventions relevant to their lived experience. 

Methods. The study employed a qualitative design with semi-structured interviews; the sample comprised 20 Ukrainian women aged 28-56 years, and the data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke) with inductive coding. 

Results. Six key themes describing women's experience of military loss were identified: individual vulnerability and the inner work of grieving; social reactions and moral regulation; institutional interaction as a source of retraumatisation; motherhood under the burden of loss; the right to a future; and somatic consequences (sleep disturbances, endocrine changes). The findings indicate that social representations of "proper" mourning, the hierarchisation of the "legitimacy" of loss, and unethical institutional practices contribute to chronic distress and a persistent sense of psychologically unfinished grief, particularly in the context of ambiguous loss. Concerning current support needs, five themes were identified: invisible support; community as a therapeutic resource; clear pathways and accompaniment in navigating institutions; the right to individual grieving and a future without condemnation; and self-care as a basis for stabilisation. 

Conclusions. The findings of the study highlight women's demand for "invisible support" through concrete actions, access to peer communities, and ethically sensitive support protocols on the part of state institutions. The practical implication of this research could be seen in a shift from an individualised to a socially mediated model of war-related loss, including the development of psychosocial support programmes and state policies for families of Ukrainian military personnel.

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Author Biographies

  • Svitlana MAKSIMIENKO, Ukraine Sigmund Freud University

    Svitlana Maksimienko is a Master’s student in Specialty C4 "Psychology" at Sigmund Freud University Ukraine. She works within the cognitive-behavioral approach. Her research interests encompass the psychology of loss, trauma, and grief, the psycho-emotional state of military families, and psychosocial support during wartime. In her academic work, she focuses on studying the experiences of women enduring war loss, social and institutional factors of post-loss adaptation, and the application of qualitative research methods in psychology. Special attention is given to the study of personality factors (including the Big Five model), the influence of cognitive schemas and internal parts on behavior, identity formation, motivation, and self-regulation processes. In her professional practice, she combines a scientific approach with clinical work, dealing with issues of procrastination, internal conflicts, self-perception, and personal development.

  • Anastasiia KARPENKO, Ukraine Sigmund Freud University

    Anastasiia Karpenko is a Master’s student at Sigmund Freud University Ukraine. She earned her first higher degree in Administrative Management from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (Faculty of Sociology). Her research interests include the problems of aggression in modern society, family systems therapy, and trauma work. Her research activity focuses on the interdisciplinary analysis of social and psychological factors shaping behavioral responses, as well as methods for their therapeutic correction.

  • Daria PIDDUBNA, Ukraine Sigmund Freud University

    Daria Piddubna is a practicing psychologist and a Master’s student in Specialty C4 "Psychology." She works within an integrative approach (body–psyche–mind). She specializes in anxiety conditions and sleep disorders. Her scientific interests center on sleep and psychological adaptation in the context of loss during wartime. In her research, she employs quantitative and qualitative methods, particularly thematic analysis.

  • Viktoriia BORNYAKOVA, Ukraine Sigmund Freud University

    Viktoriia Bornyakova is a Master’s student in Specialty C4 "Psychology" at Sigmund Freud University Ukraine. In September 2022, she became a UN Ambassador in Ukraine by supporting the "Mental Help" project, which provides free psychological support to people affected by the war.

    Her research interests focus on emotional regulation, attachment psychology, interpersonal relationships, psychological adaptation under stress, trauma psychology, loss and grief, psycho-emotional states in crisis and wartime conditions, and post-loss adaptation processes. She pays special attention to examining social and psychological factors influencing the experience of loss, the interaction of individual and social mechanisms in shaping psycho-emotional well-being, and the role of support systems and environment in the recovery process.

  • Anastasiia IHNATOVSKA, Ukraine Sigmund Freud University

    Anastasiia Ihnatovska is a Master’s student in Specialty C4 "Psychology" at Sigmund Freud University Ukraine. Her research interests include clinical psychology, attachment psychology, personality traits research, personality disorders, and the psychology of loss, trauma, and grief.

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Published

16.07.2026

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 23 (2026): Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Psychology

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How to Cite

MAKSIMIENKO, S., KARPENKO, A., PIDDUBNA, D., BORNYAKOVA, V., & IHNATOVSKA, A. (2026). "I have to keep a straight face": a reflexive thematic analysis of interviews with partners of Ukrainian military service members experiencing war-related loss. Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Psychology, 1(23), 77-85. https://doi.org/10.17721/BPSY.2026.1(23).11