Emotions, Religious Faith, and Coping Strategies of Ukrainians at the Beginning of the 2022 Russo-Ukraine War: A Qualitative Study

In the early part of the Russo-Ukrainian war, the conflict-affected process indicated a complex array of emotions and that people sought religious faith as a coping strategy. We explore emotions and coping with a qualitative study of 22 Ukrainians at the start of the Russian invasion of February 2022. Ukrainians experienced a range of shifting emotions, including fear and hatred, but also positive emotions such as hope and pride. Some felt loneliness, but this was mitigated through various coping strategies (e.g., volunteering, seeking social support, and religious faith). Whereas some found comfort through religious faith, the war presented dilemmas that tested their faith and morality, leading to temporary feelings of shame. This study provides needed nuance in how emotions and various coping mechanisms, including religious faith, evolve during the early stages of war.