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A Systematic Review Of Psychosocial Interventions For Improving Well-Being In Retired Adults, Sakir Yilmaz, Mustafa Filiz

Adultspan Journal

The transition to retirement is a critical biopsychosocial stage that often brings challenges such as shifting roles and reduced income, which may lead to psychological distress. In this study, we systematically synthesized quantitative evidence on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in enhancing well-being (increase in positive functioning) among retired adults. A comprehensive search across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane was completed in October 2025. This was supplemented by Google Scholar and reference list screening, identifying 5,945 database records and 123 additional sources. After screening and eligibility assessment, seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Across these studies, interventions produced …

The Religious Landscape Of Ukraine During The War: Consolidation Potential And Destructive Imitations, Vadym Dyiak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines the transformation of religion’s functional role in the context of the russian-Ukrainian war. The author analyzes how the extreme circumstances of armed conflict catalyze the polarization of Ukraine’s religious landscape, clearly distinguishing between authentic religiosity and its ideological imitations. The main focus is on conceptualizing the differences between churches that serve as a resource for spiritual consolidation and social therapy (the OCU, the UGCC) and religious institutions that are used as instruments of hybrid aggression. To describe the latter phenomenon, the author introduces and adapts Oswald Spengler’s concept of “historical pseudomorphosis.” It is argued that the activities …

Dynamics Of Changes Of Religiosity In Condition Of Crisis Events (Based On The Example Of The Russian-Ukrainian War), Yurii Boreiko, Fedotova Tetiana

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes changes in the religiosity of Ukrainians during the Russian-Ukrainian war as a large-scale event. It explores the nature of the connection between the traumatic experience of war and religiosity and determines the trajectory of changes in the religiosity of Ukrainians during the war. It has been established that the Russian-Ukrainian war caused social upheavals accompanied by crises in various spheres of public life. As a large-scale tragic event, the war became a catalyst for changes in self-assessment of faith in God and participation in religious practices. The level of religiosity of Ukrainians during the war was significantly …

The Reconfiguration Of Institutional Trust In The Church In Ukraine During The Full-Scale Russian–Ukrainian War, Nataliia Ishchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the transformation of institutional trust in the Church in Ukraine under the conditions of the full-scale Russian–Ukrainian war. The phenomenon of trust is interpreted as an interdisciplinary concept that makes it possible to combine theological, anthropological, and social approaches to its comprehension. Trust in God and trust in the Church belong to different levels of religious experience: the former has an existential character, while the latter functions as a form of institutional legitimacy. Based on sociological survey data from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) and the Razumkov Centre, it is demonstrated that throughout all the …

The Ukrainian Religious Diaspora In Countering Russian Aggression, Liudmyla Fylypovych, Georgii D. Fylypovych Mr.

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the activities of the Ukrainian religious diaspora during the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, its involvement in humanitarian support, and information-media opposition to Russia. It examines the initiatives of various churches, including the UGCC, the Orthodox Church in America, and Protestant congregations abroad, in providing concrete assistance to Ukraine, specifically to refugees, displaced persons, medical institutions, and units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The assistance provided is multi-vector in nature, ranging from financial support for individuals or institutions to psychological aid for those suffering from various traumas. The article highlights the necessity of creating inter-confessional coordination centers for …

Who Can We Trust When They Are Watching? Lessons From Communist Surveillance For Today's Hybrid And Authoritarian Realities: An Interview Series, Katharina Kunter

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article explores the intersection of trust, surveillance, and political instrumentalization in authoritarian and hybrid warfare contexts, drawing on interviews with four contemporary witnesses from the Cold War era: Paul Mojzes, Laurens Hogebrink, Renate Ellmenreich, and Markus Meckel. Their experiences—spanning communist surveillance in the GDR, ecumenical diplomacy, and Western peace activism—reveal enduring challenges for churches, activists, and scholars engaging with partners in authoritarian regimes.

Dnp Final Report: Reducing 30-Day Readmissions Through Follow-Up Appointments In An Acute Care Setting, Sukhnandan Kaur

DNP Final Reports

Thirty-day hospital readmissions remain a persistent quality and financial concern for acute care organizations. Poorly coordinated discharge processes, inconsistent follow-up appointment scheduling, and gaps in care transitions may increase the risk of avoidable readmissions among adult medical-surgical patients. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a standardized follow-up appointment scheduling workflow prior to hospital discharge and evaluate its effect on follow-up scheduling compliance and 30-day readmission trends in a 93-bed acute care hospital. The intervention was implemented over 12 weeks on an adult medical-surgical unit from September through December 2025. The standardized workflow included electronic health record …

The Phenomenon Of Professional Burnout Among Military Chaplains In Ukraine, Artem Makovskyi, Oleg Mateyuk, Oleksandr Bilovskyi, Anton Datskov, Dmytro Oleshko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article presents a comprehensive study of the phenomenon of professional burnout among military chaplains in Ukraine in the context of their personal experience of being in extreme (combat) conditions. The relevance of the problem is due to the prolonged impact of combat operations, high psycho-emotional stress, and the special role of military chaplains in the system of moral and psychological support for Ukraine's security and defense sector. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study was the concept of professional burnout by K. Maslach, the provisions of the person-centered approach, and the theory of personal experience. The empirical study …

A Ukrainian Refugee Helping Her Fellow Refugees; Interview With Anya Starzhevska, Mark Elliott

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Anya Starzhevska began helping her fellow Ukrainian refugees very soon after her own flight from Odesa to Warsaw in February-March 2022. Based at Warsaw Bible Church, she has taken on myriad administrative responsibilities including assistance for Ukrainian refugees in transit to farther west--Warsaw's main railway station is a 20-minute walk from the New Life Center at Warsaw Bible Church. Other roles she has been filling include facilitating the provision of shelter, food, and clothing for refugees; gatherings of Ukrainian refugee entrepreneurs; trauma care sessions with refugee mothers and children, and language and professional training events. On occasion she has also …

Two Fronts Of War: Physical And Spiritual: A Conversation With The Head Of The Chaplaincy Service Of The Land Forces Of The Armed Forces Of Ukraine– Larysa Polianska, Valentyna Kuryliak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

She is an officer – and a woman. Emphasizing that she is not a military chaplain herself, she describes her role as a manager of the spiritual front. She is responsible for organizing the fulfillment of soldiers’ spiritual and religious needs and coordinating military chaplaincy activities. This conversation with Colonel Larysa Polyanska explores what it means for a woman to lead the chaplaincy service of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the reality of two fronts – physical and spiritual – and the pain of loss, prayer, and the power of words.

Frontmatter (Volume 46, Issue 5), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Socio-Psychological Portrait Of Muslim Women Who Joined Radical Religious Organizations, Akerke Sakbayeva, Nagima Baitenova, Zhuldyz Zhorabek, Assel Alimkhanova, Raimbek Zeinullin

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the socio-psychological characteristics, motivations for radicalization, and the legal and social status of Muslim women who have joined radical religious organizations from gender and cultural studies perspectives. In recent years, the increasing involvement of women in violent extremist movements has intensified the need to investigate this phenomenon not only as a security issue, but also as a complex social, cultural, psychological, and gender-related phenomenon. The study analyzes both internal and external factors influencing the radicalization of women, including social marginalization, identity crises, emotional dependency, limited religious literacy, and perceptions of social injustice. Particular attention is given to …

Religious Education In Bulgaria: Historical Development, Values, And Public Role In Contemporary Society, Ioannis Kaminis

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper examines the historical development, contemporary legal framework, and public debates related to religious education in Bulgaria. The analysis traces the role of Christian (Orthodox) education from the Middle Ages to the present day, paying special attention to the dramatic changes during the communist period and the transformations after 1989. At the heart of the study is the question of the place of religious education in a context of democracy, pluralism, and constitutionally guaranteed freedom of conscience. The article examines the current regulatory framework, the religious landscape in the country, and the various models for teaching religion in Bulgarian …

Disenchantment Of The World In The Context Of The Russian-Ukrainian War,, Olga Dobrodum, Eduard Martyniuk, Olena Nykytchenko, Mykola Palinchak, Ruslana Tkachenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes Max Weber's concept of the "disenchantment of the world" («Entzauberung der Welt») in the context of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022 and continues to the present. The author examines disenchantment as a process of rationalization and desacralization of society, tracing its development from ancient origins (Epicurus) and monotheistic traditions to contemporary interpretations (Adorno and Horkheimer, Barthes, Baudrillard, Habermas, Taylor, Haraway, Latour). The paradoxical nature of the process is emphasized: secularization does not eliminate the sacred but transforms it into new forms—from commodity fetishism to digital eschatology and posthumanist animism.

The …

Ten Signatories, A Hundred Communities: Pluralization Without Consolidation In Slovenian Protestantism, Katja Brkič Golob

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines why contemporary Slovenian Protestantism exhibits a dual structure: a low‑variance Lutheran core (the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession - ECAC) and a high‑variance neo‑Protestant field (mainly Pentecostal, Charismatic, Evangelical, and some Baptist communities). Using the public Register of Churches and Other Religious Communities as an administrative tracer of organizational volatility (first registrations, renamings, deletions), and situating findings in census/survey context, the study shows that post‑1991 legal liberalization enabled rapid formalization without automatic consolidation. A four‑lens framework—historico‑legal, sociological (church–sect–mysticism; religious‑economy), ecclesiological (order vs. movement), and psychological (charisma and its routinization; risks of authoritarian patterns)—explains why tensions in …

Security Challenges For The Activities Of Religious Organizations During Russian-Ukrainian War, Iryna Kondratieva, Iryna Fenno

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In the article authors identify the greatest security challenges for religious organizations of Ukraine during Russian-Ukrainian war. In conditions of martial law, external threats and risks associated with the existential dimension become particularly acute. In the context of armed conflict and military operations, issues of survival assume paramount importance. Religious communities, like all other civilian populations, incur substantial losses and are perpetually vulnerable during the active phase of armed conflict. Security challenges are defined by authors as the most significant factor in changes in religious life in Ukraine during martial law.  Among them authors examine in detail war crimes in …

An Interdisciplinary Approach To Understanding The Social Ministry Of The Orthodox Church Of Ukraine In The Context Of Christian Theology And Socio-Humanitarian Sciences, Rostyslav Didukh

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article presents a comprehensive interdisciplinary scientific and theological analysis of the social ministry of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in the context of Christian theology and socio-humanitarian disciplines. Modern approaches of Orthodox theology to the social mission of Christianity ensure the integrity of the development of the human and society. The need to ensure the coherence of theological concepts of the Orthodox Church social teaching with the existing church and parish life, church educational mission, theological education, and social work is emphasized. Special attention is paid to the interdisciplinary connections of Orthodox theology, religious studies, psychology, pedagogy and …

Islamic Identity In Post-Soviet Kazakhstan: Between Nation-Building And Global Religious Transformations, Ainur Adaikhan, Ainur Shormanova, Nurlan Orynbekov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This study examines the formation and expression of Islamic identity in Kazakhstan within the broader post-Soviet transformation of religion, nationhood, and state governance. Following decades of Soviet-imposed atheism, Islam re-emerged as a significant cultural and social force after independence in 1991. The objective of this research is to analyze how Islamic identity is constructed, expressed, and regulated in contemporary Kazakhstan, and to assess the interaction between ethnocultural belonging, institutional governance, and global religious influences. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed analytical approach combining theoretical interpretation, quantitative analysis of census and survey data, and institutional analysis of religious policy frameworks. Empirical …

Volunteer Activities Of Religious Organizations In Ukraine During The Russian-Ukrainian War (2014-2025), Serhii Stelnykovych, Ivan Kovalchuk, Iryna Miakinchenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the volunteer activities of religious organizations in Ukraine during the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014–2025. Two stages are identified. In the first stage (2014–early 2022), volunteer initiatives of religious organizations adapted to the localized conflict in Donbas. In the second stage (early 2022–2025), under the conditions of the full- scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, volunteering by religious organizations took on the character of humanitarian mobilization. The role of interfaith structures–above all, the All- Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO)–in shaping and supporting volunteer initiatives is demonstrated. It is argued that humanitarian assistance to civilians and military …

Religious Television Of Ukraine In Shaping Spiritual Identity In The Context Of Contemporary Media Practices, Oleh Sokolovskyi, Vadym Slyusar, Maksym Melnychuk, Yuliia Kondratiuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article is devoted to analysing religious television in Ukraine as a key institution of contemporary sacred communication, which shapes a new configuration of spiritual presence within the digital media space. Religious TV channels are examined as mediatized spaces for producing and transmitting symbolic meanings, within which traditional theological narratives are adapted to the demands of audiovisual culture, and the sacred acquires new forms of visualisation, emotional accessibility, and communicative dynamism. It is demonstrated that television broadcasting provides a unique format of spiritual support, enabling faith communities to participate in prayer practices, catechetical programmes, and moral-ethical discourse beyond the boundaries …

Italian Missionary Activities In Georgia: Historical Legacy And Modern Inter-Religious Dialogue, Zaza Tsotniashvili

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the historical development, cultural contributions, and contemporary significance of Italian missionary activities in Georgia spanning seven centuries, from medieval Catholic presence through the traumatic Soviet period to the post-independence revival. Drawing upon Georgian, Italian, and Vatican archival sources, including the manuscripts of Arcangelo Lamberti, Cristoforo de Castelli, and Michel Tamarati, the study provides comprehensive analysis of Italian Catholic missionaries' multifaceted engagement with Georgian society. The research demonstrates that Italian missionaries, particularly members of the Theatine, Capuchin, and Augustinian orders, played roles extending far beyond religious evangelization, functioning as diplomatic intermediaries, medical practitioners, linguistic documentarians, ethnographic observers, and …

The Russian Orthodox Church In The Ukrainian Ssr, 1946–1951: Activity And State Relations In Vinnytsia Region, Natalka Zhmud, Anatoliy A. Voynarovskiy Skiy

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church (hereafter, ROC) and its relations with Soviet authorities in the Ukrainian SSR between 1946 and 1951. It draws on archival materials introduced into scholarly circulation for the first time–specifically, reports by commissioners of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Council for the Affairs of Religious Cults in the Ukrainian SSR, with particular reference to Vinnytsia region. Relations between the ROC and the Soviet authorities, in authors opinion, should be regarded in the context of a noticeable easing of anti-religious pressure under Stalin’s totalitarian regime …

Use Of Courts By The Totalitarian Regime Against Protestant Communities In Ukraine, Oksana Vysoven, Natalia Varadi, Yurii Fihurnyi, Ganna Kriukova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article analyzes the use of the courts by the totalitarian regime against Protestant communities in Ukraine. It has been established that the show trials held in the 1960s–1980s against the leaders and active members of the Council of Churches of Evangelical Christian Baptists, which opposed the totalitarian regime, and against ordinary believers in Protestant communities were conducted according to the plan of atheistic campaigns by officials of the communist regime and were organized by the repressive special services of the State Security Committee and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It has been established that the trials led to the …

Transformation Of Spirituality: Religious Practices Of Ukrainian Youth During The Full-Scale War, Tetiana Bevz, Olena Hazizova, Viktoriia Kapustina, Serhii Maiatskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the transformation of spirituality among Ukrainian youth during the full-scale war and the changes in religious practices, motivations, and individualized faith in the context of existential crises, social upheavals, and mass population mobility. The impact of war on the role of religious institutions, including the development of institutional adaptability, the shift to horizontal communication models, and the decolonization of religious narratives, is analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the formation of “social religiosity,” when faith serves not only as a tool for individual spiritual practice but also as a tool for civic participation and volunteer initiatives. The …

Hybrid Identity And Religious Radicalization: On The Effectiveness Of Kazakhstan's State Policy, Sholpan Zhandossova, Marhabbat Nurov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the relationship between hybrid identity and religious radicalization in Kazakhstan, arguing that state policy has been built on a systematically inverted risk hierarchy. Drawing on secondary analysis of longitudinal sociological surveys, expert assessments, and official statistics, the article demonstrates that the intensity of religious practice is a statistically non-significant predictor of radicalization (ρ=+0.18; p>0.05), whereas identity fragmentation– the internal incoherence between competing ethnic, Soviet-secular, Islamic, and civic- Kazakhstani identity layers–carries the strongest positive correlation (ρ=+0.61; p<0.001). The normative architecture constructed between 2011 and 2024 is evaluated against these empirical predictors across four analytical levels: longitudinal trend analysis, regional identity profiling, factor correlation analysis, and institutional trust trajectories. The article finds that successive policy instruments have concentrated institutional resources on the weakest risk factor while leaving the strongest predictors structurally unaddressed. The post-2016 decline in registered criminal cases is attributed primarily to the organizational collapse of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant as a recruitment structure rather than to domestic policy effectiveness. Trust in the state-affiliated religious authority declined by twenty percentage points over the period of maximum normative intensity–an outcome directly contrary to policy intent. The article concludes with three evidence-based corrective directions: reorienting the diagnostic framework toward monitoring identity fragmentation, recovering protective social factors as explicit policy targets, and restructuring formal religious authority to allow community-derived legitimacy to carry preventive functions.

The Theological Tradition Of The Orthodox Church In The Aspect Of The Formation Of Military Leadership In Ukraine, Olga Dobrodum, Andrii S. Zborchyi, Tetyana Kondratyuk-Antonova, Oleksandr L. Kolomiiets

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Analysis of the Orthodox theological tradition as a moral foundation for military leadership in the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the full-scale war. The study moves beyond pragmatic managerial models, exploring Orthodox categories such as service (diakonia), sacrifice, and spiritual warfare. Drawing on patristic heritage and modern theologians, the authors examine leadership motivation, the role of faith in professional resilience, and the integration of Orthodox anthropology into military training. Special emphasis is placed on the Orthodox Church of Ukraine's chaplaincy as a key mechanism for actualizing these values while addressing challenges like secularism and multiconfessionalism.

The Phenomenon Of Existential Ecumenism In Contemporary Ukraine, Iryna Kondratieva, Andrii Marchenko, Oleksii Marchenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

An analysis of existential ecumenism as a dimension of inter-church unity, which is being formed in modern Ukraine due to a common existential threat from the Russian aggressor, when Ukrainian churches unite in an ecumenical response to war crimes, focusing on practical cooperation in real life, on the tasks of social service, and not on existing doctrinal or institutional differences. Existential ecumenism combines the main ideas of existential philosophy, with its emphasis on the value of the human person, the significance of the themes of human freedom and human choice in the face of meaninglessness and death, and ecumenism as …

Religious Security In The Post-Soviet Space: The Evolution And Socio-Political And Legal Consequences Of Religious Extremism In Kazakhstan, Zharas Akhan Phd

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Examination of the processes of emergence, institutionalization, and development of religious extremism in post-Soviet Kazakhstan. Utilizing historical-comparative and institutional methodologies, the study analyzes the socio-political and economic factors that have contributed to the spread of radical religious ideologies from the 1990s to the present. The development of religious extremism in Kazakhstan is categorized into three chronological stages: the latent formative period (1991–1998), the stage of institutional adaptation and prevention (1999–2010), and the phase of transition to terrorist methods (2011–present). The research findings demonstrate that religious extremism in Kazakhstan has evolved from a perceived external threat into a complex internal security …

Religion And International Relations: The Concept Of Soft Power And Orthodoxy In Kazakhstan, Ali Ukenov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the role of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan (OCK), a constituent part of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), within the framework of religious soft power. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the relationship between the ROC, Russian foreign policy, and transnational religious influence has attracted increased scholarly attention. Drawing on the concept of soft power and constructivist approaches, the study combines qualitative field research with media content analysis. The empirical material includes twenty semi-structured interviews conducted with Orthodox clergy and active parishioners across Kazakhstan, as well as an examination of the case of former priest Yakov …

The Romanian Orthodox Church And Ukrainian Refugees: Humanitarian Response And Ecclesial Solidarity, Damian Buchiu

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Romanian Orthodox Church’s public response to Ukrainian displacement combined emergency assistance with forms of solidarity that became increasingly connected to ecclesial life. A purposive corpus of twenty-four English-language items published by the Basilica News Agency, the official news agency of the Romanian Patriarchate, between February 2022 and December 2025 forms the principal source base. These materials record humanitarian and pastoral activity while also showing how the Church publicly interpreted its response. The early response relied heavily on structures already present in dioceses and local communities, which could be redirected quickly toward …