FEATURES OF STUDENT YOUTH HEALTH IN WAR CONDITIONS

Abstract

Topicality. The study of university students’ health provides critical insights into the components of well-being–physical, mental, and social–and highlights potential issues that require targeted interventions and preventive strategies.Objective. The aim of this research is to empirically assess the indicators of physical, mental, and social health, as well as students’ self-perceived health status. Materials and Methods. The study was based on a combination of theoretical and empirical approaches, descriptivestatistics methods as well. Empirical methods included a set of validated psychodiagnostic tools and self-report measures (The Methodology (Voitenko V.),the Sstudent Health Questionnaire (Dushanina S.), the WAM (well-being, activity, mood) method, Self-assessment of Psychophysiological State (Kokun O.), the Somatic Symptoms Scale (Chaban O., Haustova O., et al.), the Giessen Subjective Complaints List (GBB-8), the Mental Health Continuum – Short Form (MHC-SF) by Keyes C. (adapted by Nosenko E. & Chetveryk-Burchak A.), the Individual Psychological Health Model (Kozlov A.), the Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scales (PWB), UCLA Loneliness and Social Isolation Scale (Russell, Peplau, & Ferguson), the Subjective Loneliness Scale (Dukhnovsky S.), the Patient Health Self-Assessment Questionnaire (Chaban O., Haustova O., et al.)). Results. The article considers the assessment of physical, mental, and social health indicators, describes the physicalhealth status of university students within the realities of contemporary educational settings. An empirical study isoutlined, focusing on main groups of indicators, including physical, mental, and social health, along with students’self-evaluation of their well-being. Both objective and subjective health indicators were analyzed, revealing concerningtendencies in the deterioration of physical well-being over the course of academic training, accompanied by an increasein chronic complaints and absenteeism. Empirical data indicate that the psychophysiological state of students is generally within a satisfactory or sufficient range. The average intensity of somatic symptoms is identified, with the exhaustion scaleprevailing. The mental health state is found to be noticeably suppressed, predominantly shaped by intellectual and self-identity dimensions. Students exhibit well-defined life goals and self-awareness, along with a somewhat expressed sense of loneliness, instances of social isolation, and anxiety. The paper underscores the significance of incorporating physicalactivity into the everyday lives of students. Conclusions. The findings of the study contribute to revising current approaches to physical education in highereducation institutions, enhancing the implementation of health-promotion programs, and strengthening support for students’ mental well-being.