Hardiness among Ukrainians: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

The article deals with the phenomenon of hardiness and its characteristics. The structural components of hardiness are identified as commitment, control, and challenge. It is analyzed that hardiness characterizes the ability of an individual to withstand a situation of acute or chronic stress, to maintain internal balance without reducing the success of activities. It is noted that hardiness can be considered as an analog of a person’s vitality, which reflects the degree to which he or she overcomes certain life circumstances. The purpose is to study the hardiness among Ukrainians as a holistic personal formation, which is due to the interaction of personal resources. The sample consisted of 110 people from Ukraine. The Maddi and Kobasa Hardiness Test was used to diagnose the hardiness. The results show that a high level of hardiness of Ukrainians is associated with an active attitude to life, self-acceptance, using circumstances to one’s advantage, evaluating life situations as consciously chosen, and interpreting stressful situations as an opportunity to gain new experience. It has been established that hardiness has little to do with a person’s age, i.e. the development of hardiness can occur throughout life, starting from childhood, with the help of flourishing personal resources. According to the level of hardiness, 43.6% of Ukrainians had a high level, 35.5% ‑ an average level, and 20.9% ‑ a low level. The peculiarities of developing hardiness and maintaining the optimal level of this resource for personal effectiveness are related to worldview, personal goals, self-acceptance, mental health and activity.