Psychological manifestations of stress resilience among adolescents in the context of the war in Ukraine

Abstract

This article examines the psychological characteristics of stress resilience among adolescents as a vulnerable demographic group in the context of the war in Ukraine.
For the empirical study, a sample of 50 individuals aged between 13 and 17 was selected, comprising 52% boys and 48% girls. To achieve the research objective, a set of diagnostic methods was selected: the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CDRISC-10) to assess an individual’s ability to cope with stressful situations and recover from them; The Spielberger-Hanin Anxiety Scale (STAI), adapted for use in Ukrainian psychodiagnostics; The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), developed by S. Cohen, T. Kamark and R. Mermeelstein, and S. Hobfoll’s Stress Coping Strategies Questionnaire (SACS), designed to diagnose the coping strategies a person uses in stressful situations.
It was found that the majority of adolescents (82%) demonstrate an average level of stress resilience, the mean value of which is lower than the peacetime norm.
Critically high levels of anxiety were identified: 86% of adolescents have a high level of situational anxiety and 88% have a high level of state anxiety; however, none of the respondents have a low level of anxiety, which significantly exceeds peacetime normative indicators.
Among the coping strategies of the respondents, antisocial behaviours predominate. This indicates a tendency among adolescents to employ manipulative and egocentric behavioural strategies in stressful situations. Correlation analysis confirmed a negative association between stress resilience and anxiety, and a positive association with seeking social support.
Furthermore, using correlation analysis between stress resilience indicators and SACS coping strategies, it was found that the strongest link is observed between stress resilience and antisocial behaviour, impulsive and assertive behaviours, suggesting that stress-resilient adolescents are generally more active in using various coping strategies, yet their approaches to managing stressful situations are not always constructive.