INTERRELATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFENSE MECHANISMS AND COPING STRATEGIES OF CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS PERSONNEL UNDER PROFESSIONAL STRESS

The article examines the functioning of the psychological defense system and stress-coping strategies among the personnel of correctional institutions. The relevance of the study is driven by the specific nature of the penitentiary system, which places high demands on the emotional stability of employees. The aim of the study is to substantiate the relationship between defense mechanisms, hardiness, and self-regulation of personnel to develop recommendations for their adaptation in a stressful professional environment. A set of diagnostic methods was used: R. Plutchik’s “Life Style Index”, R. Lazarus’s “Ways of Coping Questionnaire”, S. Maddi’s Hardiness Survey, and V. Morosanova’s “SSB-98” questionnaire. The results of the sample study (n=84) revealed the dominance of “denial” (62 %) and “rationalization” (53 %) mechanisms, indicating the psyche’s attempt to ignore traumatic factors and intellectually control threats. A high level of hardiness (78 %) and the presence of conscious self-regulation (59 %) were found in the majority of employees. It is proven that the choice of coping strategies by correctional personnel is determined by their level of hardiness and the ability to model and plan behavior. The revealed predominance of denial may be a sign of professional burnout/deformation, which should be considered during psychological support. Key words: coping strategies, psychological defense mechanisms, correctional personnel, professional stress, hardiness, self-regulation, denial, rationalization.