Educational Engagement as a Psychological Resource for Post-Traumatic Growth in Adults under Prolonged Crisis

Nataliia  Akimova; Maryna  Orap; Natalia  Tsumarieva

doi:10.56508/mhgcj.v9i1.370

Authors

Nataliia Akimova Kherson State Agrarian and Economic University Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9952-1153
Maryna Orap Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7598-8453
Natalia Tsumarieva Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs: Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4005-0745

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56508/mhgcj.v9i1.370

Keywords:

Mental Health, Educational Engagement, Adult Learning, Post-Traumatic Growth, Trauma Recovery, Self-Regulation, Resource Compensation, Mental Health Infrastructure

Abstract

To read the full-text Open Access article and download the PDFs, please visit our Issue portal at Paradigm (Walter de Gruyter): https://reference-global.com/article/10.56508/mhgcj.v9i1.370

Introduction: Post-traumatic growth (PTG) manifests as positive cognitive, emotional, and behavioral adaptations emerging in response to acute or prolonged trauma. While clinical interventions are widely documented, the role of structural lifelong learning as a compensatory psychological resource under war-induced crisis remains insufficiently conceptualized.

Purpose: This study provides a comparative empirical and statistical evaluation of the psychological potential of adult educational engagement as a catalyst for hardiness and post-traumatic growth.

Methodology: A quasi-experimental design was deployed using a sample of 62 adults exposed to ongoing conflict contexts, equally distributed into an experimental group (n = 31, individuals pursuing a second higher education degree) and a control group (n = 31, individuals with a pre-war degree not engaged in further formal studies). Standardized psychometric auditing was performed utilizing the Impact of Event Scale–Revised (IES-R) and the Hardiness Survey. Quantitative data verification was conducted via correlation analyses to map neuropsychological resource compensation mechanisms.

Results: Empirical data demonstrate a statistically significant positive correlation between continuous educational engagement and elevated hardiness scores. Adult learning operates as a structured self-regulatory mechanism that actively counters learned helplessness and accelerates cognitive flexibility, confirming that lifelong learning is a viable non-clinical asset for post-traumatic adaptation and resource recovery.

Conclusion: Continuous educational engagement serves as a critical, structured non-clinical resource that significantly amplifies adult hardiness and initiates post-traumatic growth under prolonged crisis. Integrating adult education tracks into post-war recovery policies is an essential step for building long-term, sustainable public resilience mechanism.

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