Pedagogical Support for Students’ Mental Health: Minimising War Trauma through Rural Community Resources

Abstract

The study correlates with several UN Sustainable Development Goals, namely: Good Health and Well-being (focusing on students’ mental health), Quality Education (highlighting the impact of trauma on the learning process and the creation of a safe educational environment), and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (outlining ways to overcome the consequences of war for the stable development of society). Aim: To investigate the impact of war trauma on the mental health of Ukrainian students and to justify the potential of the rural community in developing effective wellbeing strategies and improving their attitude toward learning. Materials and Methods: A theoretical analysis of the relevant literature on the outlined problem, complemented by a student survey conducted in March – April 2025 in Ukraine. Results: The study revealed that 31.6% of university students reported heightened anxiety over recent months, attributed to the unstable security situation, associated worries, and stress. Nearly half of the respondents (43%) exhibited symptoms of emotional burnout, while 21.7% reported a loss of interest in their studies and general apathy. Only 9% of participants demonstrated resilience and adaptability under martial law and academic demands, as reflected in their ability to mobilise personal resources. The strategies employed by students and educators to preserve mental health included engagement in volunteering and charitable activities (66.4%), ensuring adequate sleep and rest (60.2%), maintaining communication with family and friends, particularly in the rural community (35.7%), participating in physical activity (29.5%), and practising digital hygiene (36.5%), among other coping mechanisms. Conclusions: Based on the study findings, practical recommendations have been formulated to create a safe and supportive environment within higher education institutions, to strengthen students’ psychological resilience in crisis contexts, including war. The need to harness the resources of the rural education community to promote the mental health of young people was emphasised.