How do Psychosocial Problems affect Subjective Wellbeing and Mental Health of Ukrainian Youth? Alternative Ways of Coping

Abstract

Nowadays, there is an urgent need to identify common traumatic-psychosocial tendencies among youth, who is exposed to a wide range of stressful events, situations that negatively affecting their academic efficiency, psychological wellbeing and mental health. For the first time, a comprehensive study was conducted concerning anxiety, wellbeing, psychosomatic-sociocultural problems among Ukrainian youth compared to other population stratum (n=419, aged 16-65). Four standardized psychological questionnaires were used. Mathematical-statistical analysis (with uniformity criterion of Liven dispersions) showed that Bank employees, Scientists-physicists, Reikists, as well as athletes (as representatives of students) had less anxiety, better health, with a predominance in using Avoiding, Compromising behavior styles. Senior school pupils and other student groups evidenced much higher anxiety, lower wellbeing, mainly used the Avoiding, Competing, Compromising behaviors. In choosing the value orientations, all participants were based on four paramount universal-human values (Love, Health, Happy family life, Good and faithful friends). However, even such a positive personal projection did not guarantee complete protection against possible health deterioration due to the impact of negative psychosocial factors, as shown by the identified indicators of psychosomatics in non-wellbeing groups. Youth participants evidenced high anxiety in academic life, insecurity of their professional future, significant levels of stress, overload and difficulties related to social-financial issues. As a preventive measure, corrective work for students was started and is still ongoing (developmental programs and recreational techniques for body self-regeneratory).