Peculiarities of the psychological and professional state of ukrainian teachers during the war and the potential of Morita therapy for their recovery

Abstract

The article highlights the peculiarities of the psychological and professional state of Ukrainian teachers during the war. The results of an all-Ukrainian survey of teachers (January 2024) are presented, which showed that more than half of Ukrainian teachers have psychological distress, most of them have not yet recovered from the shocked mental state they experienced at the beginning of the war. At the same time, a rel atively high level of resilience was found among Ukrainian teachers, indicating that the war has hardened them and made them stronger in fulfilling their professional duties and solving problems in supporting students. Most teachers use methods that encourage students to look at everyday life, recognize fear as a natural emotion, and discuss it openly with students. Good communication and creative activities also help students successfully. However, when faced with students' passive attitudes toward life and great losses, teachers have difficulty providing assistance. Most teachers recognized the benefits of Morita therapy for restoring psychological and professional well-being, as well as for overcoming anxiety and tension, as a method of focusing on constructive actions.