Ukrainian students’ Personal Resources and Resistance to War Stress: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

It is vital to protect young people’s mental and physical health from the negative impacts of war. In this study, we aimed to identify personal resources that might support resistance to war stress in a sample of Ukrainian students. We recruited 498 students (407 female, aged 17–28 years) of a university in the regional center of the central part of Ukraine to complete a cross-sectional online survey. Negative consequences of war stress were operationalized as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and current physical complaints. Resilience, self-efficacy, and the Big Five personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience) were assessed as markers of personal resources. Our analysis showed that emotional stability and resilience were the resources most strongly associated with lower PTSD symptoms and fewer physical complaints, while agreeableness and conscientiousness also played a role. Findings expand current understanding of how personal resources can be protective against war stress in the context of an ongoing conflict and suggest directions for interventions to promote Ukrainian students’ resistance to war stress.