Subjective well-being of youth in the period of sociocultural instability (review of modern foreign works)

Context and relevance. In today's world, young people in many regions face social and economic instability, which affects their subjective well-being (SWB). An analytical review of contemporary foreign research on this issue allows us to identify general trends and determine which social, personal, and contextual factors increase the vulnerability of young people and which contribute to maintaining their psychological stability. Objective. To summarize data from contemporary foreign studies on the subjective well-being of young people in conditions of sociocultural instability and to identify factors that contribute to maintaining SWB in unstable situations. Results. It was found that the SW of young people is influenced by both traditional determinants (successful completion of age-related tasks, social support, economic stability) and specific risks of unstable situations (military conflicts, unemployment, sudden cultural changes). It is shown that maintaining the well-being of young people is associated with a combination of external resources (social support, educational and economic stability, institutional trust) and internal psychological mechanisms (hope, sense of control, resilience) that mitigate the impact of unstable circumstances. The example of young people in Transnistria shows that chronic uncertainty about the future reduces life satisfaction, but «local optimism» and reliance on close surroundings partially compensate for the negative effects. Conclusions. The conclusion is made about the importance of psychological resources and developmental factors that contribute to the resilience of young people in conditions of instability. The data obtained emphasize the need to take into account psychological adaptation mechanisms when developing youth support programs and interpreting their subjective well-being in unstable regions.