“The 5-step model of self-reflection on choice and adaptation”: Empirical verification of the “Integrative model of existential choice and adaptation” within N. Peseschkian’s transcultural approach in Positive Psychotherapy

Ukraine’s prolonged war crisis creates critical mental health service gaps, with 9.6 million at risk yet < 10% receiving adequate support. Guided self-help tools are recognised as priority strategy for addressing this 90% treatment gap. The aim of the study was to present empirical verification and procedural operationalisation of the “Integrative Model of Existential Choice and Adaptation” (Iteration 1.2), applied to Kharkiv residents experiencing continuous traumatic stress. The theoretical framework synthesised N. Peseschkian’s transcultural Positive Psychotherapy approach, continuous traumatic stress theory, and agency restoration principles. The practical implementation – a digital “5-Step Model of Self-Reflection on Choice and Adaptation” – was empirically tested with N > 300 respondents using an 18-item structured feedback questionnaire. The model operationalised five self-reflection modules: Interpretation Module (transforming affect-laden memories into narrative), Existential Choice Module (diagnosing motivation across six bipolar continua with ambivalence validation), Integration Module (identifying war-specific place-identity using extended seven-type typology), Balance Module (assessing resources and “escape spheres” per Peseschkian’s model), and Adaptation Module (evaluating posttraumatic growth/depreciation co-existence). Over 95% of respondents reported new situation awareness; 97% identified place-identity awareness as most valuable outcome. Key innovation lied in integrating cross-cutting psychoeducation enabling cognitive reframing, symptom depathologisation, and secondary stress reduction. The model addresses critical wartime mental health gaps, combining clinical rigor with independent-use accessibility