Vildgrube S.A. DPR residents' idea of their life prospects

The article addresses the characteristics of time perspective, the experience of a meaningful life crisis, and the level of hope and dispositional optimism among residents of the DPR, depending on the severity of traumatic exposure. The study provided a holistic understanding of the way the individual's life perspective is transformed in conditions of prolonged social instability and the psychological mechanisms underlying these changes. The research does not make a focus on a personality’s single characteristic feature. It reveals an integrated structure reflecting a person's ability to construct a vision of the future, to maintain life goals, and to perceive his or her own life path as a meaningful and coherent process. The results of the theoretical analysis and the empirical study confirmed that life perspective is not formed in isolation. It develops at the intersection of lived experience, the temporal organization of the life path, and personal resources that support a focus on the future. During crisis and traumatic events, this structure is particularly vulnerable, as trauma affects not only the emotional state but also the underlying mechanisms of sense and temporal regulation. Key words: life perspective, life path, extreme conditions, traumatic impact, personal resources.