Maturing Men's Morale - Examining Mental Health of Young Adult Males
This digital exhibit explores the emotional and psychological landscapes of young Ukrainian men living through the Russian invasion, not as combatants, but as civilians starting adulthood. Their testimonies form a deeply personal narrative about how war fractures the expected trajectory of youth, imposing premature responsibilities, emotional burdens, and existential questions about home, identity, and survival. I chose this theme because it reflects the demographic I identify with, though I’m grateful to have never experienced such devastation myself. Through this project, I wanted to explore how I might respond when faced with immense pressure and fear. My aim is not to compare strength or resilience in the face of war, but to engage in a sincere and thoughtful examination of the lived realities of those enduring profound trauma.
At the heart of these narratives lies a profound tension between internal collapse and outward resilience. A recurring theme is emotional suppression, young men navigating fear, anxiety, and despair while trying to appear strong for those around them. This effort to shield others, especially family members, reveals a quiet but powerful form of masculinity shaped not by aggression or heroism, but by care, vigilance, and emotional containment. The stories reflect how one's role does not need to be fighting, but to remain, to stay present, grounded, and useful, often in domestic or emotionally supportive ways. However, there remains a display of toxic masculinity in the stigma surrounding men who are not actively participating in the military, perpetuating the idea of being unpatriotic and cowardly if you are not a combatant, which some of the testimonies acknowledge influencing their mental state.
This display presents four individual testimonies, each shaped by different occupations and displacement conditions, offering a multifaceted view of how young Ukrainian men navigate war from divergent vantage points. By examining their unique yet interconnected experiences, the exhibit highlights how trauma does not follow a single pattern; it shifts with one’s physical environment, social role, and psychological coping mechanisms. Whether under occupation, in displacement, or living in comparative safety, each narrative reveals distinct forms of adaptation and resilience. Through these stories, the display underscores that survival is not only about physical endurance but also about the emotional and psychological strategies that young adults employ to make sense of an upended world.
Ultimately, this exhibit explores how these young adults strive to reconstruct meaning and regain agency in a time of rupture. Woven through their stories are the interlinked themes of trauma, identity, disorientation, and hope. Rather than reducing young men to either fighters or victims, this project brings to light the complex emotional labor they perform during wartime. Their experiences offer a vital lens into how conflict not only reshapes physical landscapes and political realities but also redefines what it means to come of age, to protect, to belong, and to hope.
