INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGICAL PREREQUISITES FOR THE ADAPTABILITY OF UKRAINIANS IN THE CONDITIONS OF FORCED MIGRATION

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the influence of individual-psychological characteristics on the level of adaptation of Ukrainian refugees in the context of forced displacement caused by military events in Ukraine. The study is based on a comparative analysis of two groups of respondents, distinguished by low and high levels of adaptation, using two methodologies: the Scale of Socio-Psychological Adaptation Diagnosis (C. Rogers and R. Diamond) and the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (R. Cattell, Form C). The groups for comparative analysis were formed from a total sample of 200 forcibly displaced persons aged 25–50 years. The sample includes representatives from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and other regions, who, at the time of the study, were either outside Ukraine (in Romania) or in the western and central regions of the country. The results indicate that certain personality traits–such as emotional stability, courage, dominance, and extraversion – are essential for successful adaptation. High adaptability is associated with emotional balance, self-confidence, and active social interaction. In contrast, low adaptive capacity is linked to emotional imbalance, internal tension, and concern. An adaptive personality is characterized by emotional resilience, extraversion, communicativeness, rapid integration into social environments, autonomy, a drive for self-realization, empathy, strong verbal skills, analytical thinking, and a readiness for constructive interaction. A non-adaptive personality, on the other hand, is marked by emotional instability, impulsivity, introversion, low self-confidence, tendencies toward self-blame, caution, mistrust of others, and low frustration tolerance. At the same time, certain traits such as sociability, straightforwardness, moral normativity, conservatism, and conformity proved to be less relevant for adaptive processes. The study highlights the importance of considering individual-psychological characteristics when constructing the psychological profile of Ukrainian refugees and provides a solid foundation for developing intervention programs.