Childhood Stress in 2025: How the Mental Health of Ukrainian Teenagers Is Changing
In autumn 2025, 37% of Ukrainian children have a high or elevated level of stress this is according to research by the Rating Group. This figure is 10% higher than it was in the autumn of 2024. It might seem that stress and war have already become a backdrop for everyone, but each year the psychological load on the young generation only increases.
What is especially concerning is the dynamic among girls aged 10–13: in just one year, the share of those whose stress level increased jumped by 40%. For teenagers, this almost always comes with negative feelings from anxiety to disappointment.
“For every tenth child or teenager whose stress increased, the main feeling recently has been disappointment,” the authors of the study state. In contrast, those whose stress level has decreased more often feel joy, calm, interest, and less often sadness or disappointment.
Every fifth child experiences similar emotions to their parents. Most often, this means anxiety. Children absorb the anxiety of adults, and this only strengthens their own stress.
Anxiety is the most common feeling among children with high and elevated levels of stress.
What Helps Overcome Stress: Evidence From the Study
1. Family Dialogue Is the Best Prevention
77% of children who often talk to their parents about their feelings have good stress resilience. Where family connection is weak, this number is only slightly more than half. The more often feelings are discussed, the less likely a teenager is to be left alone with a problem.
2. Support for Hobbies and Interests
Children who have hobbies or share activities with their parents adapt to stress much more easily.
68% of those who often engage in their favourite activities have a low or moderate level of stress.
57% of children who share a hobby with their parents are well adapted to stress, and for parents this effect is even stronger 64%.
3. Physical Activity Is a Natural Antistress
Almost 60% of children who regularly engage in sports are stress-resistant. Among those who are almost inactive, only 38% are.
4. Fewer Gadgets More Emotional Balance
Children who spend time on phones or computers have the lowest levels of resilience. Turning to gadgets is not a way to solve a problem, but a way to escape from it.
The study was conducted using the unique Family 360° methodology both children and their parents took the survey, and in some cases teachers, doctors, psychologists. This provides a holistic view of the family’s condition, because a child’s psyche and their environment are a single whole.
“Some children absorb anxiety from their parents, and the stress intensifies,” – the authors of the study emphasize.
Psychological Analysis: Practical Steps for Reducing Stress in Children
As a practising psychologist who sees every day how real stress moves from the news screens into daily life, I believe: the most effective tools are simple things that are easy to introduce into everyday life.
1. Discuss your child’s day and feelings, even when it’s difficult.
The question “How are you?” should not be a formality, but a reason to talk. Do not judge emotions, do not belittle their importance.
2. Look for shared activities cook together, draw, do sports.
Joint actions are the best therapy for both sides.
3. Do not ignore the influence of gadgets.
Set limits on phone and computer time together with your child. Introduce rules for all family members.
4. Pay attention to physical reactions.
Children’s stress often manifests as physical symptoms headaches, stomach aches, sleep disturbances. Don’t ignore these.
5. Teach your child simple self-regulation techniques.
One effective life hack is “blanket hugs”: the child sits in the bath, wraps up in a blanket, and an adult pours warm water over the blanket. This method soothes even autistic children, and for a teenager, it can become a ritual of recovery simple and safe.
Post List
Today, the crisis of childhood stress is no longer an exception, but a new reality. Stress will not magically disappear if you ignore it, but even small steps can gradually restore balance in the family.
If your child has become irritable, withdrawn, or is communicating less, this is a signal that it’s time to act.
Start with a conversation. Don’t impose, just be there. Suggest baking a cake together or going for a walk, watch a movie your child loves.
And most importantly don’t be afraid to ask for help if you feel the situation is getting out of control. Turning to a specialist is not a weakness, but a sign of maturity and responsibility for your child’s mental health.
Remember: for children, there is nothing more stable than the love and presence of an adult who is truly there and not indifferent. Stress will not break your children if you are by their side every day, in small things, in sincere conversation and simple support.
About the Author
Related posts:
Childbirth payments in Ukraine 2025: new rules, increased support, and what families need to know 
Coalition of the Willing: The New Ukraine Support Plan, Its Real Details and Challenges 
Ukraine recovery 2025: how European support is changing and what it means for Ukraine 
Ukraine’s Economy in August 2025: Survival Mode with Support That Won’t Last Forever
