Pypenko I. S. 1,2, Stadnik A. V. 3,4, Melnyk Yu. B. 1,2, Mykhaylyshyn U. B. 4,5
| 1 Kharkiv Regional Public Organization “Culture of Health”, Ukraine |
| 2 Scientific Research Institute KRPOCH, Ukraine |
| 3 Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, Ukraine |
| 4 Uzhhorod National University, Ukraine |
| 5 Transcarpathian Research Expert Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ukraine |
Abstract
Background and Aim of Study: The war in Ukraine affects the psychological state and life activities of university students. Aim of the study: to identify the state of psychological well-being of students and the peculiarities of students’ use of coping strategies in overcoming life crises on their own.
Material and Methods: The study was conducted among 323 Ukrainian university students aged 20-35 in October 2023. According to the impact of the hostilities on them, the respondents were divided into 3 groups: Group 1 – 111 persons living in the area of active hostilities; Group 2 – 104 persons living in the areas where missiles and drones were fired; Group 3 – 108 persons living on the territory of Ukraine, where there were no hostilities and shelling, and in the EU countries. The Psychological General Well-Being Index, PGWBI, and the Coping Strategies Inventory, CSI, were included in an online survey. Both techniques were found to have adequate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha was 0.928 and 0.759, respectively).
Results: Respondents in all groups are moderately distressed. The highest level of distress (the lowest level of PGWBI) was found among students in Group 1 (55.1 points). Students in Groups 2 and 3 had lower scores (60.1 and 63.5 points, respectively), which corresponds to moderate distress. Students use a variety of coping strategies in stressful situations. However, the coping strategy of cognitive restructuring was used more often (9.8 points in Group 3, 9.5 points in Group 1). This was due to a general rethinking of the meaning of life, of attitudes toward oneself and others because of the war. Coping strategies of social support (8.9 points) and self-criticism (8.7 points) were also important for Group 1. This was due to the importance of social support, reassessment of one’s own behavior and thinking in the war.
Conclusions: The obtained data indicate that the war in Ukraine has a negative impact on the psychological state of students. The level of impact was higher the closer the students were to the active combat zone. This influence determined the students' choice of coping strategies in dealing with life crises on their own.
Keywords
students, psychological well-being, distress, coping strategy, war
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Pypenko Iryna Sergiivna (Corresponding Author) – https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5083-540X;
Stadnik Anatoliy Volodymyrovych – https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1472-4224; Doctor of Philosophy in Medicine, Affiliated Associate Professor, Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs; Uzhhorod National University, Ukraine.
Melnyk Yuriy Borysovych – https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8527-4638; Doctor of Philosophy in Pedagogy, Affiliated Associate Professor; Chairman of Board, Kharkiv Regional Public Organization “Culture of Health” (KRPOCH); Director, Scientific Research Institute KRPOCH, Ukraine.
Mykhaylyshyn Ulyana Bohdanivna – https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0225-8115; Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Full Professor; Head of the Department of Psychology, Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Transcarpathian Research Expert Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ukraine.
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APA
Pypenko, I. S., Stadnik, A. V., Melnyk, Yu. B., & Mykhaylyshyn, U. B. (2023). The impact of the war in Ukraine on the psychological well-being of students. International Journal of Science Annals, 6(2), 20–31. https://doi.org/10.26697/ijsa.2023.2.2
Harvard
Pypenko, I. S., Stadnik, A. V., Melnyk, Yu. B., & Mykhaylyshyn, U. B. 2023. "The impact of the war in Ukraine on the psychological well-being of students". International Journal of Science Annals, [online] 6(2), pp. 20–31. viewed 25 December 2023, https://culturehealth.org/ijsa_archive/ijsa.2023.2.2.pdfVancouver
Pypenko I. S., Stadnik A. V., Melnyk Yu. B., & Mykhaylyshyn U. B. The impact of the war in Ukraine on the psychological well-being of students. International Journal of Science Annals [Internet]. 2023 [cited 25 December 2023]; 6(2): 20–31. Available from: https://culturehealth.org/ijsa_archive/ijsa.2023.2.2.pdf https://doi.org/10.26697/ijsa.2023.2.2
