Institute of Sociology NASU

The interdependence of return and psychosocial well-being of forced migrants: foreign approaches and the Ukrainian dimension

stmm. 2026 (3): 96-122

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2026.03.096

Full text:

VOLODYMYR HNATIUK, PhD in Political Science, Research Fellow at the International Institute of Education, Culture and Relations with Diaspora, Lviv Polytechnic National University (12, Stepana Bandery St., Lviv, 79013)

v.v.hnatiuk@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2608-659X

SCOPUS ID: 57214889239

The article examines the complex and ambiguous dynamics of the relationship between return migration and the psychosocial wellbeing of forced migrants, focusing on Ukrainians within the context of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war. It is emphasised that traditional macroeconomic and state-centred approaches, which view return migration as a natural conclusion of the migratory cycle and an unconditional benefit, are conceptually inadequate and necessitate alternative supplementation. A review of Ukrainian researchers’ works reveals that the study of the psychosocial dimension of return is at an emerging stage, with existing scholarship focusing predominantly on migration intentions and general security factors. By synthesising contemporary approaches of international scholars, the article develops an analytical framework that proposes a model for conceptualising return migration as a turbulent, multidimensional, and non-linear process. It is argued that the success of return is determined not by the mere physical crossing of borders, but by an individual’s capacity to overcome “reverse culture shock”, leverage transnational experience, and restore a level of psychosocial wellbeing and agency that is above satisfactory. The article examines the influence of intersectional “filters” — namely spatial mobility, gender, and age — on the final decision to return. Furthermore, it is stressed that for Ukrainians, return migration frequently occurs under conditions of constrained voluntariness, manifesting as an “illusion of choice”. The article substantiates the view that state neglect of migrants’ psychosocial wellbeing and the absence of specialised intangible support mechanisms — against the backdrop of an exhausted host society — can transform return into a catalyst for systemic social tension and marginalisation. Ultimately, it is argued that the application of this analytical framework opens new horizons for Ukrainian scholarship and the formulation of effective post-war reconstruction policies.

Keywords: return migration; psychosocial wellbeing; Ukrainian forced migrants; voluntariness; contextuality

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Received 22.05.2026

Accepted for publication after review 08.07.2026