INDEX-BASED ASSESSMENT OF VETERANS’ WELL-BEING: INTERNATIONAL PRACTICES AND IMPLEMENTATION OPPORTUNITIES IN UKRAINE
Abstract
The article examines the international experience of index-based assessment of veterans’ well-being and substantiates the possibilities for adapting best practices for their reintegration into civilian life in the context of socio-economic transformation and post-war recovery in Ukraine. Veterans’ well-being is approached as a multidimensional system encompassing physical, psychological, social, and economic components. The research applies the Engine Model of Well-Being in combination with the Capability Approach to evaluate the transformation of governmental resources into real capabilities and socio-economic outcomes of reintegration. The study synthesizes quantitative monitoring tools, including the Veteran Well-Being Index, Armed Forces Covenant Outcomes Framework, Well-Being Inventory, Military-to-Civilian Transition Measure, and Veterans Metrics Initiative, which operationalize multidimensional well-being into measurable indicators for policy and program management. Key components of veterans’ well-being have been identified, including health status, financial security, social integration, professional activity, housing conditions, life skills, and societal recognition. The findings highlight significant variations in adaptation levels based on age, gender, and socio-economic status. The analysis demonstrates the absence of a comprehensive national monitoring system in Ukraine, limiting the efficiency of governmental support programs. Based on international practices, conceptual foundations are proposed for the development of an integrated digital monitoring and observation system for Ukrainian veterans’ well-being, embedded within the state social services infrastructure, aimed at enhancing effective reintegration into civilian life in the context of both wartime challenges and post-war reconstruction. Based on the analysis of international experience in veterans’ policy, it has been established that the development of a Ukrainian system for monitoring veterans’ well-being should be grounded in fundamental principles adapted to the conditions of martial law and the period of post-war recovery, namely: digital inclusiveness, service orientation and human-centeredness; methodological robustness and validity; and adaptability combined with responsiveness.
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