THE IMPACT OF EXISTENTIAL UNCERTAINTY ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF LIFE PERSPECTIVE IN ADULTS UNDER MARTIAL LAW

Abstract

The problem of the impact of experiencing existential uncertainty, caused by the state of martial law in Ukraine, on the process of constructing life perspective by adults is examined in the article. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that the prolonged war has actualized for a significant part of the population the experience of losing stability, disruption of habitual life orientations, and the inability to predict their own future, which directly affects psychological well-being and the individual's capacity for self-determination. The main theoretical approaches to understanding existential uncertainty within existential-humanistic psychology are analyzed, as well as contemporary Ukrainian studies on the psychological consequences of war. The features of life perspective as a complex dynamic system that integrates value orientations, life goals and plans, as well as the mechanisms of its transformation under extreme stress are investigated. The empirical study was conducted on a sample of 76 respondents aged 18 to 60, divided into three groups: civilians without displacement experience, internally displaced persons, and veterans/military personnel with combat experience. A complex of psychodiagnostic tools was used, including the «Existential Scale» to determine the level of existential fulfillment, and the «Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory» to study individual time orientations. It was found that the lowest indicators of future orientation and the highest indicators of fatalistic attitude towards the present were recorded in the group of internally displaced persons, indicating a deep disintegration of life perspective as a result of forced displacement. In contrast, the group of veterans and military personnel demonstrates higher indicators of existential fulfillment and ability to plan for the future, which can be considered a manifestation of post-traumatic growth. Correlation analysis revealed a strong negative relationship between the indicator of existential freedom and fatalistic present in the IDP group, confirming the key role of the sense of inner freedom in maintaining the ability to project the future. The obtained results prove that existential uncertainty acts as a transformer of the individual's temporal sphere, which can both block future planning (in the case of IDPs) and stimulate existential growth (in the case of veterans).