Objective Mental health providers working in conflict zones often experience shared trauma, a dual exposure in which clinicians are both personally affected by and professionally engaged in the same collective traumatic event as their clients. This study examines the psychological well-being and professional experiences of mental health providers working in Ukraine during wartime, focusing on compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, resilience, and posttraumatic growth. Methods A cross-sectional survey was completed by 224 mental health providers actively delivering care during the conflict in Ukraine. Standardized self-report measures, including the Professional Quality of Life Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey, Patient Health Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, were used to assess psychological and professional outcomes. Linear and Poisson regression models were used to explore these outcomes in relation to workload, professional experience, and support systems. Results Many participants reported high burnout, secondary traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety, yet also described high compassion satisfaction and posttraumatic growth. Greater social and professional support was linked to lower burnout, reduced depression, and higher resilience and growth. Psychologists reported lower depersonalization than social workers, and being directly affected by the war was linked to higher growth. Conclusions Mental health providers in Ukraine face both high psychological strain and strong professional fulfillment. Targeted strategies, including resilience-building, balanced caseloads, peer and community support, and systemic programs such as Universal Mental Health Training, are essential to sustain the workforce in conflict zones.
Shklarski et al. (Tue,) studied this question.