The dissertation is devoted to analyzing basic strategies and mechanisms of person’s psychological adaptation in the transition period for the Ukrainian society.

The results of the psychodiagnostic research of sample from 393 Ukrainians of both genders, different ages and occupations show the basic spectrum of the attitudes actualizing in a transition. The majority of the subjects’ attitudes are the negative. The increase of schizoid, psychopathic and depressive symptomatic is observed. Signs of irrational behavior, which are testified as pressure and exhaustion of adaptation system were found. Decrease person’s moral normativity does an adaptive function in a situation of legislative complexity of the transition. It is one of the adaptation mechanisms.

The defense mechanism "deterioration" is found out: a person’s self-evaluation, a social environment evaluation and an evaluation of situation are underestimated.

The author proves that internality is not adaptive in problem areas of a transition in a society because it results taking the responsibility of the problems, which were generated by global changes in the society. It is the intrapsychical adaptation mechanism.

The set of the adaptation strategies and personal adaptive complexes have been revealed by the factorial analysis.

Key words: psychological adaptation, adaptable strategies, mechanisms and complexes, transition period in a society, attitudes, moral normativity, defense mechanisms, internality, activity, reflection.