Awareness of One's Own Identity in the Context of Wartime Reality as a Mental Resource for the Individual

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to highlight the key role that an adult’s awareness of their own identity plays as a mental resource for resilience in the stressful situation of wartime uncertainty and unpredictability. The psychological analysis conducted demonstrates the significance of this process in answering the question: which aspects of this awareness become a crucial component of an individual’s life competence.
Research methods. Identity is viewed as an essential component of the human personality. From the perspective of a psychological-hermeneutic approach, this study presents a critical review and theoretical analysis of a number of academic studies that address this concept, as well as relevant discourse in the media and on social media. The methods of comparison, systematization, and generalization were used.
Results and discussion. Awareness of one’s own identity is impossible without constructing a self-narrative that is convincing to oneself, based on (a) reflection, compelled by crisis and helplessness in times of crisis; (b) the realization of the need to rethink oneself, one’s experiences, and one’s values in new circumstances; (c) the semiotization, articulation, and narrativization of the results of this rethinking. In the crisis situation of wartime, the search for, perception of, and awareness of one’s own identity begin to play a more significant role – they acquire the qualities of an important life competency necessary for the individual to find the path and support in difficult times of crisis. The multiplicity of identities within an individual is analyzed (the main ones being personal, social, national, and religious); the concept of a “guiding” identity is introduced; and the relationship between communal and individual identities within a single person is examined. Semiotic and narrative aspects of the process play an important role in the process of identity awareness, in particular, the articulation and narrativization of the senses that constitute the essence of identity. It is widely acknowledged that Ukrainian identity serves as a psychological anchor during war and emigration, fostering cultural and historical resistance: the awareness of one’s culture, language, and history becomes an act of defiance against the aggressor. An analysis of all aspects of the concept of identity is accompanied by an outline of issues that require further exploration in future research on this complex and multifaceted concept.

Keywords: identity, self-awareness, self-narrative, reflection, narrativization, wartime, psychological support, psychological-hermeneutic approach, life skills, personal development

Accepted: 30.03.2026

Reviewed: 15.04.2026

Published: 20.05.2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31108/3.2026.10.1.6