Relationships and predictive role of hardiness in socio-psychological adaptation and stress among students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/BPSY.2026.1(23).12Keywords:
socio-psychological adaptation, hardiness, stress, students, adaptive resources of the individualAbstract
Background. Studying in higher education institutions requires rapid socio-psychological adaptation to new conditions, roles, and academic demands, which inevitably increases emotional stress. The full-scale war in Ukraine has significantly intensified this psychological pressure on student youth. Under wartime circumstances, adaptive processes become considerably more complex, making the maintenance of psychological balance a critical issue.
Methods. The study involved 199 students from various Ukrainian higher education institutions and was conducted during 2022–2023. A combination of theoretical methods (analysis, comparison, generalization, and systematization) and empirical tools was applied. The empirical framework included the Socio-Psychological Adaptation Methodology by K. Rogers and R. Diamond, the Hardiness Test by S. Maddi, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression analysis to identify the structural relationships and predictive value of hardiness.
Results. High general adaptability was found in 87.44% of students, self-acceptance in 95.98%, and internality in 98.49%. Most students showed average hardiness (65.33%) and moderate perceived stress (85.42%). Correlation analysis revealed strong associations between adaptation and hardiness (p < .001), notably for emotional comfort (r = -.746), adaptability (r = -.713), and internality (r = -.713), while self-acceptance showed a moderate link (r = .565). Perceived stress correlated weakly only with self-acceptance (r = .168, p < .05). Regression analysis confirmed hardiness as a significant predictor of socio-psychological adaptation (p < .001), explaining 55.7% of the variance in emotional comfort (R² = .557) and 50.8% in both adaptability and internality (R² = .508$), proving it to be a key resource under prolonged stress.
Conclusions. The findings indicate that while the majority of students maintain sufficient adaptive potential, chronic military stress causes emotional tension and interpersonal challenges. A close relationship exists between adaptation and hardiness, confirming that hardiness serves as a core internal resource that mitigates maladaptive manifestations and supports effective functioning. Perceived stress appears to be more autonomous and driven by external situational factors.
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