Media Religiosity and War Coping Strategies of Young People in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine, in addition to significant human and financial losses, affected the mental health of Ukrainians. This study was carried out within the framework of the population psychological support program in the first month of the war. The objective of the research was to empirically study the interrelationship between media religiosity level and psychological coping given the effects of war. In order to accomplish the research objective, we used the Questionnaire for Media Religious Individual (QMRI: Kostruba, 2021), which involved writing a narrative: "What helps me to cope with negative emotions caused by war?" The survey was conducted during the first month of the war in Ukraine (March 2022) within the framework of the online psychosocial support program for the population. The sample consisted of 66 young volunteers, with the average age of 18.85 years (SD = 1.94), including 8 males and 58 females. The study was conducted using standardized questionnaires and writing a narrative. For statistical analysis, we used Statistica 12 and Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC-2015) software. The results demonstrate a tendency for media religious people to use more positive content markers [less emphasis on anger, painful feelings, less focus on the past and thoughts about death, more focus on religious coping (prayer, faith, etc.)].