Psychosocial condition of a frontline society

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Poland has become a frontline state due to its shared borders with Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. From the onset of the war, both the Polish state and society have provided military and humanitarian aid to their embattled neighbour. According to the estimates, Poland’s humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine amounts to nearly 5% of its GDP. Among countries offering aid, Poland has supplied Ukraine with the largest amount of heavy weaponry and has accepted the highest number of war refugees. Moreover, since June 2021, Poland has faced an influx of immigrants from Asia and Africa facilitated by Russia and Belarus. This hybrid warfare aims to destabilize and weaken the state. In light of these challenges, survey research was conducted on a representative sample of 728 respondents using the CAWI method (Computer-Assisted Web Interview). The findings reveal that Polish society is under stress. The conventional war in Ukraine, combined with the hybrid warfare waged by Belarus and Russia against Poland, has impacted the psychosocial well-being of Poles. There is growing fear that the war might spread into Poland along with concerns about the further influx of war refugees from Ukraine and immigrants from Asia and Africa. The economic consequences of the war have most significantly affected individuals with low status, lacking both financial and social capital. Although the impact of the war on quality of life has been limited, the respondents reported a perceived decline compared to the pre-war period. While some improvement is expected after the war, they anticipate it will not return completely to pre-war levels. The research also shows that Polish society is experiencing stress, with anxiety and depression being more prevalent among the respondents with fewer resources. People attempt to handle negative emotions by employing active strategies for coping with stress. A decline in sympathy towards Ukrainian war refugees is evident in the frontline society. Poles express negative opinions about the impact of these refugees on the country. The majority of respondents have negative attitudes towards further acceptance of Ukrainian refugees and also oppose accepting immigrants from Asia and Africa. The results of the research also indicate significant social disorganization and anomie, reflected in the lack of willingness to defend their own country in the event of a foreign invasion.