Resilience and its determinants among forcibly displaced adults from Nagorno-Karabakh

Abstract Background Following a 9-month blockade and a full-scale military attack on Nagorno-Karabakh (NK), over 100,000 individuals - the entire population of NK- were forcibly displaced to Armenia in a very short period, facing trauma, uncertainty, and disruption of social networks. Resilience, the capacity to adapt positively despite adversity, plays a crucial role in coping with such stressors. We examined its associations with socio-demographic and psychosocial factors among forcibly displaced adults from NK. Methods In 2025, a household survey was conducted in urban and rural areas of the Masis community, Ararat province, Armenia. The questionnaire included interviewer and self-administered domains on socio-demographics, mental health, resilience, health related quality of life and social support. Resilience was measured using the CD-RISK-10 scale (score range 0-40). Multivariable linear regression identified associated factors. Results A total of 106 households participated in the survey, including 188 adults aged 18 and above. Participants had a mean age of 45 years; 71.0% were women, and 73.9% lived in rural areas. Most had less than a university education (67.0%) and were married/cohabiting (71.3%). The mean resilience score was 21.26 (SD 8.15). Depression and PTSD symptoms were reported by 57.5% and 63.5% of participants, respectively. Higher resilience was significantly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms (β = -3.75, p < 0.05), giving emotional (β = 0.09, p < 0.05) and tangible (β = 0.14, p < 0.05) social support, younger age (β = -0.14, p < 0.05), and residing in rural areas (β = 3.74, p < 0.05). Conclusions Findings highlight the potential role of social support in strengthening resilience. Depressive symptoms, age and rural residency also shape coping capacity, suggesting the need for tailored, context-sensitive psychosocial interventions. The study informs evidence-based strategies to promote the overall wellbeing of displaced populations. Key messages • Emotional and tangible social support play a vital role in boosting resilience among forcibly displaced adults. • Age, mental health, and living environment influence resilience, highlighting the need for tailored support strategies.