IMPORTANCE OF THE TYPES OF SIGNIFICANT ADULTS’ STRESS RESPONSES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONAL STRESS TOLERANCE

Abstract

The article explores the phenomena of stress and tolerance to stress, defines the main stages of stress reactions, and outlines the main components and features of stress tolerance development. The importance of the psychodynamic component for personal stress tolerance development is determined. The article presents the results of the studied adult respondents and stress reactions of their significant adults at their childhood and classifies the types of reactions depending on a stress phase. The vast majority of the respondents had signs of distress (78 %) and were at the phase of actualization of acute negative experiences related to stress factors. Only a small number of the respondents (22 %) were at the phase of stress overcoming or the phase of stress-related experience integration. There is a tendency showing links between an individual’s early experience concerning responses of his/her close social environment to stress and the subsequent development of stress tolerance, his/her responses to stress, specifics of used coping strategies in adulthood. The memories on early stressful situations and corresponding reactions of the nearest people were different at the respondents with distress symptoms compared to those at the respondents with the signs of coping. The memories of the distressed respondents were unpleasant and often accompanied by negative experiences; the respondents able to cope with stress effectively had mostly the pleasant memories associated with positive experiences. The article shows that the images of reliability, security and stability are the result of a child's integrated experience of relationships with significant adults from his/her birth. The authors argue that a significant adult with reliable behavioural patterns contributes to creation of a stable image of basic stability, security, confidence, effective responses to stress in childhood; these images remain important in the adulthood and form the basis of stress tolerance. At the same time, a significant adult with unreliable behaviour influences the formation of an unstable image of basic stability, security, confidence; this, in turn, supports development of destructive forms of personal reactions to stress. &nbsp