Examining the Power of Life Purpose During Times of War: Exploring the Relationship Between Purpose Orientations and Career Adaptability in Ukrainian University Students

Abstract

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• Examining the Power of Life Purpose During Times of War:Exploring the Relationship Between Purpose Orientations and Career Adaptability in Ukrainian University Students
• Mariya Yukhymenko-Lescroart (bio), Gitima Sharma (bio), and Olena Voiedilova (bio)

Times of adversity often require an intentional focus on fostering people's inherent strengths to help them not give up on their life's most cherished aspirations. The outbreak of the Russian war in Ukraine has created unprecedented struggles and uncertainties among the entire Ukrainian population, including college students (Limone et al., 2022). The war has specifically impacted university students' mental health, leading to concerns such as post-traumatic stress disorder (Gupta & Shourie, 2022), anxiety (Limone et al., 2022), inability to achieve goals (Limone et al., 2022), reduced emotional well-being (Kurapov et al., 2022), and difficulty in persevering (Kurapov et al., 2022). During such challenging times, students' career adaptability can play an important role in supporting their well-being and persistence (Rossier, 2015).

Indeed, research has demonstrated significant associations between career adaptability and various factors of well-being, including cognitive ability, self-esteem, hope, career planning, decision-making self-efficacy, career identity, and satisfaction (Rudolph et al., 2017). Savickas (2005) conceptualized career adaptability as four key self-regulation strategies: concern, control, curiosity, and confidence. Here, concern reflects the extent to which students are aware of and prepared for their careers. Control suggests students' beliefs regarding their perceived personal control over their career outcomes. Curiosity refers to the inherent tendency and ability to explore various career opportunities. Lastly, confidence reflects students' self-efficacy and perceived ability to overcome challenges on their journey toward fulfilling their career goals.

Life purpose is a crucial developmental asset that helps people cope with career discontinuities and adapt (Tiedeman & Field, 1964). Frankl (1959) highlighted purpose as the strongest motivational force when people are facing existential anxiety and uncertainty. Research has demonstrated general sense of purpose as an important predictor of university students' resilience and persistence amid hardships (Sharma & Yukhymenko-Lescroart, 2022a) and has highlighted the specific nature of people's life purpose orientations in determining their academic success, mental health, and career growth (Hill et al., 2010; Sharma & Burnal-Arevalo 2021; Wang et al., 2020; Yukhymenko-Lescroart, 2022). Recently, Yukhymenko-Lescroart and Sharma (2022) demonstrated three specific purpose orientations: (a) others-growth encourages efforts to benefit others; (b) self-growth encompasses the desire to grow as a person and manifest one's [End Page 321] full potential; and (c) career-focused reflects people's resolve to excel in their profession. The aim of this study was to examine the role of each of these purpose orientations in career adaptability among Ukrainian university students during unprecedented, challenging, and traumatic times. Phase 1 took place during the COVID-19 pandemic before the onset of the Russian war, while Phase 2 occurred during the war following the Russian siege.

METHOD

The convenience samples in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 were derived from the same target population: students enrolled in the Physical Education Department at a public university in Ukraine. This university is located in an oblast (the primary administrative division within Ukraine) that shares a border with Russia and was significantly impacted during the initial 6 weeks of the war. Phase 1 took place from December 2021 to early February 2022 (before the war but within the COVID-19 context) and involved 154 university students (66.0% male), who were 19.4 years old on average (Mdn = 19.0, SD = 2.46). Phase 2 of the study was conducted from April to June 2022 (after a 6-week Russian siege that inflicted disproportionate harm on civilian infrastructure) and involved 104 students (62.5% male), who were 19.9 years old on average (Mdn = 20.0, SD = 1.16). The response rates were similar across the two phases: 53% and 54%. The college experience was consistent across both study phases, with online instruction in Phase 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and due to the war in Phase 2. The commencement of the war led to the suspension of classes on February 24, 2022, with a resumption occurring after the Russian siege in late April 2022, marking Phase 2 of the study. Throughout...