This study explores the impact of a retreat-style intervention on the well-being and resilience of Ukrainian military families, focusing on military spouses. The intervention, Healing Base Camp facilitated by the Mountain Seed Foundation, fostered personal growth and post-traumatic recovery through positive psychology, peer support, and experiential activities such as mountain climbing. Using a qualitative descriptive design, the study examines the experiences of 26 Ukrainian military spouses (all females) who participated in the program. Findings reveal improvements in self-efficacy, emotional well-being, and family dynamics, with participants reporting increased confidence, strengthened family relationships, and renewed hope. These results emphasize the role of community-based interventions in promoting resilience in conflict-affected populations and offer insights into the potential for scalable programs to support mental health and recovery in military families.
Kivikoski et al. (2025) studied this question.