In 2025, NURE – the only higher education institution in eastern and central Ukraine to do so – participated in a scientific study evaluating the effectiveness of group interventions under the “Self-Help Plus” (SH+) course. The study aimed to prevent the development of mental disorders among Ukrainian students experiencing symptoms of mild to moderate stress, testing the efficacy of the World Health Organization (WHO) methodology in mitigating the impact of stress on youth health. The research was conducted under the auspices of the WHO.
Professional psychologists from NURE’s Social and Psychological Service completed training and were certified to implement the “Self-Help+” program.
Over the course of a month, 224 students from our university received training in practical psychological self-help skills for critical situations, guided by psychologists from the service. As a result, participants reported improved coping capacities, increased mindfulness, and better interpersonal communication. Many emphasized that they had no prior experience with self-reflection or psycho-emotional self-support.
The self-help stress management course fostered personal growth and skill development among our students. Key outcomes included mastering grounding techniques and breathing exercises, reducing anxiety, establishing a daily habit of emotional self-monitoring, increasing self-acceptance, improving sleep quality, and learning skills to support others within academic and family environments.
Participants’ Feedback:
“I am so glad I joined the ‘Self-Help+’ course. It helped me break free from a cocoon of obsessive worries and notice the people around me. I feel much freer”.
“I learned how to stop the stream of anxious thoughts, ‘unhook’ from them, and shift my focus back to the present moment.”
“I realized how important it is to help myself and how my mood affects those close to me”.
“The grounding technique helped normalize my sleep”.
“I realized that my emotions matter – I pay attention to them, but they don’t control my behavior”.
“Now I know that I am capable of managing anxiety without losing control”.
“This course made caring for my mental state a part of my daily self-care routine”.
Upon completing the SH+ course, a significant number of students reported lower anxiety levels, a decrease in negative thoughts, and an overall improvement in emotional well-being. Participants highlighted a renewed sense of inner stability and an enhanced ability to manage emotions in challenging situations.
Students developed foundational emotional regulation skills, such as breathing exercises and grounding techniques. They became better at identifying internal resources, which helped build resilience against everyday stress.
NURE continues to operate in a frontline city amid ongoing security challenges. With around 7,000 students – the majority residing in Kharkiv – constant threats to life and safety, persistent anxiety, tension, depressive moods, and cognitive fatigue are daily realities for our youth. The “Self-Help+” program offers an effective framework for learning skills to counter these challenges. This project allowed young people – many of whom have faced severe trauma, including living under occupation, exposure to shelling, separation from family, loss of loved ones, or constant worry for relatives serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine – to improve their well-being, connect with a supportive community, and receive psychological care.
Prioritizing mental health care – in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (specifically SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being) – and ensuring high-quality education remain primary tasks for NURE. Moving forward, the Social and Psychological Service will continue training students in stress management skills through the “Self-Help+” program.
