Society
Russians ‘Reframing’ Wartime Hardships, See War as ‘Rehabilitating’ Economy
November 18, 2025
In June 2025, a team from the HSE Center for Sociocultural Research published a paper in the Journal of Community Psychology examining the link between Russians’ sense of civic identity and their psychological well-being. The authors found a positive correlation between respondents’ sense of belonging to Russian society and the effectiveness of their coping strategies.
Наталья Кленова / Unsplash
In August 2022, six months after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a group of sociologists from the Higher School of Economics in Moscow conducted an online survey of 384 respondents from across Russia to assess how life under wartime conditions and sanctions has affected Russians’ mental health. The survey, conducted through the Anketolog.ru platform, included Russians aged 18 to 54. Its goal was to determine whether a strong civic identity influences psychological adaptation in challenging times.
The researchers found a sense of belonging helps individuals cope, while the lack of one aggravates symptoms of depression and maladjustment. The “challenging times” in question refer primarily to living under the economic and symbolic pressure of sanctions (which the authors also describe as a manifestation of “cancel culture”). Notably, the study does not address issues related to political repression or the direct risks of Russia’s fighting in the war, such as mobilization or drone attacks.
The researchers focus on civic – rather than ethnic/national – identity, which they define as loyalty to the state, respect for laws and national history, and a willingness to take personal responsibility for the country’s future. That said, the sample statements from the survey’s section on Russian identity position the group relative to other groups (“when someone criticizes Russians, I take it as a personal insult”). and identification with the group as a whole (“when I talk about citizens of Russia, I say ‘we’ rather than ‘they’”).
Among the respondents, residents of the Central Federal District most often expressed this sense of civic identity (nearly 30%), followed by those from the Volga Federal District (around 20%). Elsewhere, including the Northwestern, Southern and Siberian federal districts, the share of respondents identifying primarily as “Russians” (rossiyane) fluctuated around 10% or less.
The researchers found a sense of belonging helps individuals cope, while the lack of one aggravates symptoms of depression and maladjustment. The “challenging times” in question refer primarily to living under the economic and symbolic pressure of sanctions (which the authors also describe as a manifestation of “cancel culture”). Notably, the study does not address issues related to political repression or the direct risks of Russia’s fighting in the war, such as mobilization or drone attacks.
The researchers focus on civic – rather than ethnic/national – identity, which they define as loyalty to the state, respect for laws and national history, and a willingness to take personal responsibility for the country’s future. That said, the sample statements from the survey’s section on Russian identity position the group relative to other groups (“when someone criticizes Russians, I take it as a personal insult”). and identification with the group as a whole (“when I talk about citizens of Russia, I say ‘we’ rather than ‘they’”).
Among the respondents, residents of the Central Federal District most often expressed this sense of civic identity (nearly 30%), followed by those from the Volga Federal District (around 20%). Elsewhere, including the Northwestern, Southern and Siberian federal districts, the share of respondents identifying primarily as “Russians” (rossiyane) fluctuated around 10% or less.
Random Institute / Unsplash
The survey’s coping-mechanism section contained 30 statements that respondents rated on a five-point scale. These covered seeking support from social circles and family, spiritual practices (attending church services, studying religious texts, consulting spiritual mentors), “reframing” (viewing challenges from a new perspective and finding positives in them) and passive waiting (for example: “if you wait long enough, problems will resolve themselves”).
Respondents also completed a general health questionnaire, which measures short-term deviations from normal psychological well-being and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), which assesses depressive symptoms.
The findings suggest that a strong civic identity is positively correlated with coping strategies such as reframing and spiritual practices, and inversely correlated with passive waiting. Seeking support from family and community also proved to be a stabilizing factor.
Citing previous research, the authors note that a strong civic identity may enhance satisfaction with one’s personal and professional life and, by extension, improve one’s mental health. However, they found that belonging to the group of “citizens of Russia” in itself does not significantly reduce depressive symptoms; when combined with reframing, though, it helps mitigate them.
As an example of reframing, the authors cite the belief that economic sanctions have stimulated local business – through import substitution and the emergence of local firms to fill the void left by Western companies. This approach, they argue, allows Russians with a strong civic identity to reinterpret the challenging situation creatively and channel their energy constructively, seeking ways to adapt and overcome.
The authors conclude that Russians’ attitudes toward the changes of recent years are not reactive or defiant (“we will show them”), but rather proactive and optimistic. Most respondents (around 60%) believe Western sanctions are actually helping “rehabilitate” the Russian economy and driving growth.
Respondents also completed a general health questionnaire, which measures short-term deviations from normal psychological well-being and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), which assesses depressive symptoms.
The findings suggest that a strong civic identity is positively correlated with coping strategies such as reframing and spiritual practices, and inversely correlated with passive waiting. Seeking support from family and community also proved to be a stabilizing factor.
Citing previous research, the authors note that a strong civic identity may enhance satisfaction with one’s personal and professional life and, by extension, improve one’s mental health. However, they found that belonging to the group of “citizens of Russia” in itself does not significantly reduce depressive symptoms; when combined with reframing, though, it helps mitigate them.
As an example of reframing, the authors cite the belief that economic sanctions have stimulated local business – through import substitution and the emergence of local firms to fill the void left by Western companies. This approach, they argue, allows Russians with a strong civic identity to reinterpret the challenging situation creatively and channel their energy constructively, seeking ways to adapt and overcome.
The authors conclude that Russians’ attitudes toward the changes of recent years are not reactive or defiant (“we will show them”), but rather proactive and optimistic. Most respondents (around 60%) believe Western sanctions are actually helping “rehabilitate” the Russian economy and driving growth.
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