Psychological Support for Individuals in the Current Reality of Social Instability
Abstract
Abstract. The relevance of the chosen topic is determined by the growth of prolonged social instability caused by war, political and economic fluctuations, mass displacement, and information turbulence, which creates a chronic state of uncertainty and undermines the psychological well-being of the population. In these conditions, scientifically based approaches to psychological support become a key prerequisite for individual and social resilience. The purpose of the article is to provide a theoretical and methodological justification for strategies of psychological support for individuals in the current realities of social instability, taking into account the multilevel MHPSS model and the stepped care approach. To achieve this goal, domestic and foreign studies, guidelines of international organizations, and descriptions of scaled interventions were summarized and systematized. Working definitions of psychological support, psychological well-being, resilience, (in)tolerance to uncertainty were formulated, and the mechanisms of the impact of chronic uncertainty (allostatic load, rumination, feeling of loss of control, «spirals of loss» of resources, loss of a sense of coherence, and violation of basic psychological needs) were outlined. The research methodology involved the application of approaches to psychological support in individual and group forms using methods of analysis, generalization, systematization, and case studies to examine typical situations in Ukrainian practice. Key support strategies in crisis situations were proposed and justified: short CBT/ACT modules and stress management skills (individual level), PM+ and SH+/Doing What Matters and educational and community MHPSS/SEL programs (group level), supervisory and organizational mechanisms for safety and coordination (organizational level), as well as iCBT, guided self-help, and hybrid models (digital level). The article aims to deepen understanding of the psychological mechanisms of personal resilience in the face of uncertainty and to form a scientific basis for the implementation of culturally adapted, evidence-based, and resource-efficient mental health support measures in the current Ukrainian context.
Keywords: psychological support; psychological well-being; resilience; tolerance/intolerance to uncertainty; social instability.
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