Forgiveness as a predictor of mental health in citizens living in the military conflict zone (2019-2020)

Authors

  • Svetlana Kravchuk Institute of Social and Political Psychology of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6951-1912
  • Viacheslav Khalanskyi Ukrainian Institute of Arts and Sciences, Institutskaya street, 14, 08292 Bucha, Ukraine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2022.1.67.76

Keywords:

forgiveness, mental health, depression, anxiety, hope, life satisfaction

Abstract

Aim. Empirical research focused on the study of forgiveness as a predictor of mental health in citizens living in the east of Ukraine in a situation of military conflict.

Methods. The participants were 302 Ukrainian citizens (152 women; 150 men): 145 citizens living in eastern Ukraine (74 women; 71 men), aged 18 to 50 years and 157 citizens living in the centre of Ukraine (78 women; 79 men), aged 18 to 50 years. The main research methods were as follows: Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5); Mental Health Outcome (BSI-12); Trait Forgivingness (dispositional) Scale; A Short-Version of Forbearance Scale (FS-8); Forgiveness Measures Decision to Forgive Scale (DTFS); Emotional Forgiveness Scale (EFS); The Adult Hope Scale; Flourish and Secure Flourish Scales.

Results. The phenomenon of forgiveness is examined in the article. A more pronounced degree of depression and anxiety was found in citizens living in eastern Ukraine compared to citizens living in the centre of Ukraine. A more pronounced degree of mental health, happiness, and life satisfaction has been observed in citizens living in the centre of Ukraine compared to citizens living in eastern Ukraine.

Conclusion. Hope, happiness, life satisfaction, and a tendency to forgiveness are factors of mental health. Tendency to forgiveness is positively correlated with decisional forgiveness, hope, emotional forgiveness, tolerance, and acceptance of others, mental health, happiness, and life satisfaction, as well as tolerance for the mistakes of others.

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Author Biographies

  • Svetlana Kravchuk, Institute of Social and Political Psychology of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine
    Svetlana Kravchuk graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine, 01033, Kyiv, Volodymyrska st., 60). Svetlana Kravchuk works at the Institute of Social and Political Psychology of the NAPS of Ukraine in the Laboratory of Psychology of Masses and Communities (Ukraine,Kyiv, 04070, Kyiv, Andriivska st., 15). Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor. Svetlana Kravchuk is writing her doctoral dissertation in psychology.
    Svetlana Kravchuk has scientific interests: social psychology, political psychology, psychology of spirituality, psychology of communication, psychology of abilities.




  • Viacheslav Khalanskyi, Ukrainian Institute of Arts and Sciences, Institutskaya street, 14, 08292 Bucha, Ukraine
    Viacheslav Khalanskyi works in Ukrainian Institute of Arts and Sciences (Institutskaya street, 14, 08292 Bucha, Ukraine).
    Viacheslav Khalanskyi is researcher, psychotherapist, PhD student. Viacheslav Khalanskyi is the expert on psychological expertise in the definition of domestic violence (cooperation with courts in Ukraine, Italy and the United States).  

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Published

2022-06-30

How to Cite

Kravchuk, S. ., & Khalanskyi, V. (2022). Forgiveness as a predictor of mental health in citizens living in the military conflict zone (2019-2020). Journal of Education Culture and Society, 13(1), 67-76. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2022.1.67.76