Experience of institutional mistrust and a contemporary sense of exclusion diminish and complicate proactive service utilisation among displaced Ukrainians (Swiss and Ukrainian contexts)
Scientific Report: Social Exclusion and Institutional Trust Among Refugee and IDP Ukrainians

Halyna Tsyhanenko, University of Basel, Switzerland (2022-2024), h.tsyhanenko@uasocte.org,
Oxana Bayer, Alfred Nobel University, Dnipro, bayer.oxana@gmail.com

Theoretical Background and Project Aims

Our project, which spanned from November 2024 to July 2025, investigated critical psychological factors affecting people forcibly displaced from their homes, both internally within Ukraine (Internally Displaced Persons or IDPs) and externally as refugees. The primary factors investigated were: social exclusion in host and new communities, and institutional trust. These factors are central to understanding Cultural Trauma and Cognitive Distortions in displaced populations. We hypothesised that individuals—especially those who have experienced multiple relocations and face cumulative stressors—would exhibit a greater sense of exclusion and a reduced willingness to engage with institutions in their host country, due in part to the disruption of identity and social ties.

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 dramatically increased the vulnerability of the Ukrainian population, adding a layer of extreme stress and traumatic experience to the psychological consequences of a war conflict that had already persisted since 2014. This led to the displacement of over 10 million people, both internally within Ukraine (Internally Displaced Persons or IDPs) and externally as refugees, notably with over 99,000 seeking temporary protection in Switzerland.

Drawing on a recent study employing custom-designed instruments and practice-based models (Tsyhanenko, 2025 preparing), we argue that for people who left the country of residence and received temporary protection in a wealthy country with individualized values (such as Switzerland), the multiple losses inflicted by the war in Ukraine compounds the challenges of adaptation or integration, which can lead to low levels of resilience and maladaptive coping mechanisms. The problem with integration is compounded by the stress of involuntary exile (Olechno E et al. 2025) and the fear of being excluded from active social life (full citizenship). Specific unmet needs, such as belonging, self-esteem, control, and meaningful existence (Williams, 2009), with other key aspects of psychological well-being and fulfilment, intensify the feeling of social exclusion, particularly with the lasting influence of the Soviet-era legacy of mistrust in authorities.

Methodology in Brief

We conducted an extensive survey with a sample of 451 Ukrainians, dividing them into three distinct subgroups:
1. Swiss Ukrainians (n=154): Refugees with temporary protection status in Switzerland.
2. IDP Ukrainians (n=126): Internally Displaced Persons who remained in Ukraine but changed their place of residence due to active military operations.
3. Resident Ukrainians (n=171): Respondents who remained in Ukraine without changing their place of residence.
The study utilized a comprehensive questionnaire, including custom-designed scales to measure Social Exclusion (SES), Institutional Trust (IT in both Swiss and Ukrainian bodies), Personal Integration (PI), Coping Strategies 40-SCS (Tsyhanenko, 2025 preparing), Resilience BRS (Smith et al., 2008), and the list of fundamental needs which social exclusion has the unique capability of threatening. This enabled a direct comparison of socio-emotional vulnerabilities across different displacement experiences.

Key Narrative Findings

Our preliminary analysis revealed several important and sometimes surprising trends regarding the psychological impact of displacement and institutional engagement:
1. Higher Perceived Social Exclusion Among Refugees
We tested a practice-based, two-dimensional model of Social Exclusion, which included: out-group social exclusion from the host community (Swiss community for Swiss Ukrainians, new host community for IDP Ukrainians) and in-group social exclusion from those who remained in Ukraine (experienced by both Swiss Ukrainians and IDP Ukrainians from the people of their old place of residence).
The most pronounced finding was the significantly higher level of perceived out-group social exclusion among Swiss Ukrainians compared to their counterparts internally displaced within Ukraine (IDPs). The mean total social exclusion score for the Swiss group (M=57.53) was substantially higher (Two-Sample t-Test assuming unequal variances: t=1.97, p≤0.001) than for the IDP group (M=44.29). The in-group exclusion means were 7.16 and 6.13, respectively (t=1.97, p≤0.007). The total mean social exclusion scores were 64.69 and 50.42 (t=1.97, p≤0.001), altogether showing a significantly higher perceived level of exclusion for the Swiss Ukrainians.
This suggests that while external displacement is traumatic, the combined challenges of adjusting to a foreign culture, a new language, and temporary protection status amplify feelings of being excluded from the host community. This difference was also observed in in-group exclusion (feeling excluded by those remaining in Ukraine).
2. Frustrated Psychological Needs
By analysing the data on frustrated fundamental needs, we observed that Swiss Ukrainians felt a much greater frustration regarding their needs for a purposeful life, development, and clarity in their immediate future. IDPs followed closely behind, while Resident Ukrainians reported the lowest levels of frustration in these areas. This reflects the profound uncertainty and lack of long-term planning capability inherent in the refugee status, despite the sympathetic reception in Switzerland.
3. Lower Resilience Levels in Displaced Groups
The comparison of the Brief Resilience Scale results showed that there is a tendency for differences between the levels of resiliency for IPD and Resident Ukrainians (Two Sample t-Test assuming unequal variances is 1.97 at p<=0.062), a considerable difference between Resident Ukrainians and Swiss Ukrainians (t=1.96 at p<=0.01), and no difference between IDP and Swiss Ukrainians (t=1.97 at p<=0.46), the means are 18.4, 17.99, and 17.62 for Resident Ukrainians, IDPs and Swiss Ukrainians accordingly. This finding supports the idea that prolonged exposure to war combined with the massive adaptation challenges of forced migration exacts a heavy toll on psychological reserves (Yasenok et al., 2025).
4. Institutional Engagement: The Legacy of Mistrust
The analysis of how frequently participants proactively address social institutions yielded an intriguing result. The Swiss Ukrainian subgroup reported a comparatively low level of pro-active engagement with Swiss institutions. This level was even lower than the engagement reported by IDP Ukrainians with institutions in their new locations within Ukraine. This low proactivity in a new, generally supportive environment strongly suggests that the historical Soviet legacy of mistrust towards official authorities—which promotes self-reliance and avoidance—may indeed carry over and inhibit engagement even with critical social services in the host country.

Contribution to wider research activities of the research team

The study supported by the EASP collaboration grant set the scene for a more comprehensive project and offer crucial, comparative data linking the experience of long-lasting war conflict and flight with cultural trauma and contemporary integration challenges faced by displaced persons. This cultural trauma—which is compounded by cognitive distortions, systematic errors in thinking that arise under stress—influences their behavior. The data highlights that even in a sympathetic country of residence such as Switzerland, however, the uncertainty of temporary protection status (which hinders long-term planning) and employer indecisiveness mean psychological barriers can prevent the proactive use of supportive services and the individual agency in the integration.

Practical Impact: The finding that Swiss Ukrainians feel high exclusion despite high sympathy from the local population and have low proactivity towards social institutions suggests potential gaps in communication and outreach. The findings can inform Swiss social service providers to tailor interventions that actively build trust and overcome passive avoidance. Achieving this requires a balance between provided integration support and incentives to evoke individual agency in the integration and resocialization process, work to dismantle the cognitive distortions of institutional threat through transparency and personalized engagement.

As part of the dissemination, preliminary findings were presented at the 18th biennial European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS) conference in Tbilisi (June 2025), with theses printed in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology. Based on the results, we are planning to prepare at least two manuscripts for publication in international peer-reviewed journals of social psychology.

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