Keywords
higher education teachers
emotional burnout
martial law
psychological resilience
emotional self-regulation
coping strategies
psychological well-being
How to Cite
Abstract
Aim. To provide a theoretical analysis of professional stress in the work of higher education teachers under wartime conditions, identify its principal determinants, elucidate the psychological mechanisms through which stress affects teachers’ professional functioning, and substantiate effective strategies for coping with stress and maintaining psychological well-being.
Methods. The study is theoretical and analytical in nature. Its methodological framework is based on systemic, psychological, and interdisciplinary approaches to the analysis of professional stress. The methods employed included theoretical analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, systematization, and content analysis of contemporary scholarly publications addressing professional stress, psychological resilience, emotional self-regulation, coping strategies, and professional burnout among teachers, with particular emphasis on studies concerning the functioning of higher education systems under martial law.
Results. Contemporary theoretical approaches to professional stress were synthesized, conceptualizing it as a multidimensional psychological phenomenon comprising emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. It was established that, under wartime conditions, professional stress among teachers is substantially intensified by the interaction of social, organizational, and psychological factors. The most significant factors include threats to personal safety, instability of the educational process, the digitalization of teaching, information overload, increased responsibility for students’ psychological well-being, and individual psychological characteristics. Prolonged exposure to professional stress was shown to contribute to emotional burnout, impaired cognitive functioning, reduced professional motivation, and decreased teaching effectiveness. Emotional self-regulation, psychological resilience, psychological flexibility, social support, and the use of adaptive coping strategies were identified as key psychological resources for managing professional stress. The findings emphasize the importance of a comprehensive approach that combines the development of teachers’ individual resources with systematic organizational programs of psychological support in higher education institutions.
Conclusions. Professional stress among higher education teachers under wartime conditions is a complex psychological phenomenon whose intensity is determined by the interaction between external stressors and individual psychological resources. The theoretical synthesis of contemporary research clarified the role of emotional self-regulation, psychological resilience, and social support as leading factors in maintaining teachers’ occupational health. The practical significance of the study lies in establishing a conceptual foundation for developing programs aimed at preventing professional stress, strengthening stress resistance, and supporting teachers’ psychological well-being in crisis and wartime settings.
Keywords: professional stress; higher education teachers; martial law; emotional burnout; psychological resilience; emotional self-regulation; coping strategies; psychological well-being.
Received: April 13, 2026
Accepted: May 21, 2026
Published: May 30, 2026
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Copyright (c) 2026 Lesia Vasylenko, Viktoriia Vatylyk, Bohdan Pupin