SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING OF STUDENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL CHALLENGES

Abstract

The aim of the article is to conduct a comprehensive empirical study of the characteristics of students’ subjective well-being under conditions of war-related and socio-economic instability, and to determine the role of internal resources in maintaining the quality of life of learners in higher education. Methodology. The theoretical framework integrates eudaimonic and hedonic approaches, which make it possible to interpret well-being as a multidimensional construct encompassing both the cognitive evaluation of life satisfaction and aspects of positive psychological functioning. The study employed theoretical methods (analysis and synthesis of scholarly literature) and empirical instruments: C. Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Well-Being (adapted by S. Karskanova) and E. Diener’s Satisfaction with Life Scale (Ukrainian adaptation by V. Olifer and V. Bosniuk). The study was conducted on a sample of 105 students; Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to identify associations between psychological wellbeing indicators and life satisfaction. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty lies in identifying an uneven development of students’ psychological wellbeing components during wartime: relatively higher levels of internally oriented components (self-acceptance, purpose in life, personal growth) were observed compared to operational components (environmental mastery). Under conditions of uncertainty, life satisfaction was most strongly associated with self-acceptance (r = 0.53; p ≤ 0.01) and purpose in life (r = 0.47, p ≤ 0.01), whereas its association with environmental mastery was statistically non-significant. Conclusions. In contemporary realities, students’ subjective well-being assumes a compensatory character and is supported primarily by internal personal resources, which partly mitigates the adverse effects of limited control over external life circumstances.