We aimed to determine differences in mental health outcomes for the adult population depending on their personal experience during the first months of the war in Ukraine. The study involved 1,257 respondents (32.3% male and 67.7% female, aged 18–61+ years). We used the Brief Resilience Scale, the Professional Hardiness Questionnaire, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory—Expanded, the Short Screening Scale for DSM– IV post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the Giessen Subjective Complaints List. The obtained data showed high pressure of physical complaints and high levels of PTSD symptoms in adult Ukrainians. We found that positive mental health outcomes were significantly higher in adults with ‘Active’ personal experience during the first months of the war in Ukraine, which was shown by their significantly higher levels of four positive mental health indicators (resilience, general level of professional hardiness, self-efficacy and level of post-experience change). Negative mental health outcomes were significantly higher in adults with ‘Passive’ experience, which was shown by their significantly higher levels of two negative indicators (pressure of physical complaints and manifestations of PTSD symptoms). Our findings indicate a high need for psychological support and assistance for the Ukrainian population and show the direction of possible interventions.

Interpersonal interaction performance is significantly determined by group members’ personality traits. If a group lives in long-term isolation, the influence of personality traits on interpersonal interaction performance will be even stronger. The current study identified and examined the impact of the personality traits of the personnel living at the Ukrainian Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station (N = 35) on their interpersonal interactions during long-term Antarctic expeditions. The results show that expeditioners’ personality traits significantly determined their interpersonal interactions. However, the influence of personality traits on different areas of interactions can vary significantly among different groups of expeditioners, even sometimes in diametrically opposite directions. The main reason for this is a formed microclimate specific to each group and corresponding group norms for formal and informal relations due to significant differences in personality traits that are characteristic of different groups’ participants. We determined that eleven indicators, out of a total of 23 examined personality traits, significantly differed among expeditioners from different groups (different expeditions). The study results can be used to enable better psychological selection of Antarctic expedition participants and to provide psychological support for these individuals.