Logotherapy techniques to unlock resilience among Ukrainian refugees: a pre-post quasi-experimental design

The ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war has triggered a significant refugee crisis, resulting in widespread trauma, displacement, and mental health challenges among affected populations. This study aimed to explore the potential usefulness of logotherapy, a meaning-centered therapy, in addressing the mental health needs of Ukrainian refugees. The research was conducted in a naturalistic scenario of a group of 20 Ukrainian refugees residing in Europe who received a tailored logotherapy or meaning-centered psychological support, compared with controls who did not. Meaning-oriented techniques, namely, Socratic Dialogue, Modification of Attitude, Paradoxical Intention, and Dereflection were used during the intervention. Participants were assessed in a pre-post quasi-experimental design using validated self-report measures for anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), and general health (General Health Questionnaire-12). The improvements were clearly observed as reductions in their self-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms after the meaning-centeres psychological support. Overall, these preliminary findings indicate that logotherapy may be a promising and feasible approach to psychological support for refugee populations. However, given its pilot nature and quasi-experimental design, causal conclusions cannot be drawn, and further research using larger, randomized, and methodologically rigorous designs is warranted to examine long-term effects and broader applicability.