A virtual intervention to support educator well-being and students’ mental health in conflict-affected Ukraine: A non-randomized controlled trial

The war in Ukraine has caused widespread destruction, displacement, and distress. Educators are among those significantly affected by the conflict, facing the dual burden of educating youth directly impacted by the conflict while simultaneously dealing with their own psychological stress. This study evaluated the Psychosocial Support for Educators (PSE) program, a virtual intervention designed to improve Ukrainian educators' mental health, knowledge, and readiness to support students. A non-randomized control trial included 881 educators from three Ukrainian regions, with 572 participants in the PSE group and 309 in the control group. Surveys assessed psychosocial support knowledge, readiness, and mental health at baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Linear mixed model analyses revealed significant improvements in the PSE group across all measures. PSE participants reported greater increases in knowledge (<i>t</i> = 2.97, <i>p</i> = .003, <i>d</i> = .38) and readiness to support students (<i>t</i> = 6.63, <i>p</i> < .001, <i>d</i> = .85), with sustained gains at follow-up. They also reported greater reductions in stress (<i>t</i> = 2.70, <i>p</i> < .01, <i>d</i> = .35), anxiety (<i>t</i> = 3.20, <i>p</i> = .001, <i>d</i> = .41), and depression (<i>t</i> = 2.00, <i>p</i> < .05, <i>d</i> = .26) compared to the control group. The findings demonstrate that PSE can effectively enhance educators' mental health and their ability to support students in conflict-affected settings, underscoring the importance of accessible, tailored mental health interventions for educators in crisis zones.