Individual and psychological characteristics of medical university students with different stress resistance

Abstract

The individual and psychological characteristics of 181 students with different levels of stress resistance were studied. Was revealed the dominance of the mechanisms of regression (8.77 ± 2.40 points), projection (7.03 ± 2.04 points) and rationalization (6.73 ± 1.89 points) with a lower intensity of compensation mechanisms (5.45 ± 1.68 points), denial (4.80 ± 1.71 points) and displacement (4.80 ± 2.02 points), and minimal expression of mechanisms of hypercompensation (4.42 ± 1.67 points) and substitution (4.38 ± 2.07 points). The mechanism of rationalization is more intense in students with high stress resistance, the mechanisms of regression, projection, compensation and hypercompensation — in students with moderate stress resistance, and displacement, substitution and denial — in students with weak stress resistance. The average level of resilience was found in the examinees: 25.25 ± 10.62 points, while in students with high stress resistance, the indicator corresponded to a higher than average level: 29.22 ± 6.70 points, in students with moderate stress resistance — to an average level: 24.31 ± 11.21 points, and in students with weak stress resistance — a lower than average level: 16.28 ± 12.43 points. The resilience index is inversely correlated with the stress resistance index (rS = –0.352, p = 0.001), which indicates that higher stress resistance is associated with greater resilience. The state of hardiness of medical students as a whole and of students with high and moderate stress resistance corresponds to a high level: respectively 20.10 ± 7.48 points, 23.59 ± 6.39 points and 19.37 ± 6.41 points, and in students with weak stress resistance — moderate level: 12.03 ± 6.00 points. All components of hardiness — commitment, control and challenge are most pronounced in students with high stress resistance, and least pronounced — in students with weak stress resistance. The stress resistance indicator is inversely correlated with hardiness (rS = –0.519, p = 0.000), commitment (rS = –0.464, p = 0.000), control (rS = –0.477, p = 0.000) and challenge (rS = –0.461, p = 0.000), which indicates that higher stress resistance is associated with greater hardiness. Key words: medical university students, stress resistance, psychological protection, hardiness, resilience