Extreme Professions Research Articles

Personal determinants of extreme phenomena mental positioning

Relevance.The relevance of the study is justified by the demand to identify personal determinants of individual perception of extreme manifestations in order to improve the efficiency of response.The objectiveis to establish the determining parameters based on a set of psychological characteristics, reflecting the subject’s mental positioning in the security setting of what they consider major extreme phenomena.Methods.The respondents included 112 students aged 19 to 21 years studying in Moscow and regional universities. Research methods included associative experiment, individual scaling, and HEXACO-PI-R-60 questionnaire testing. Empirical data was processed by calculation of mean values, percentage distribution, ranking, as well as methods of correlation, factor and regression analysis, and the Pearson’s chi-squared test.Results and analysis.From the individual perspective, extreme scenarios are associated with specific phenomena that differ in stereotyping and objectivity (danger, threat, risk/riskiness, complexity, fear, strangeness, extreme, catastrophe, extreme, horror/ awful, threshold, implausibility, maximalism / maximality, ingenuity, extraordinary, murder, excessive demand, fire, flood, cold, accident, snowfall, heat). Considering the differences in the assessments on danger/safety scale, the structure of extreme phenomena includes such components as “catastrophe”, “emergency”, “threat”, and “risk”. The respondents’ mind positions the structural components of extreme scenarios by the degree of danger/safety, thus producing the following sequence: disaster – threat – emergency – risk, ranging them from “highly dangerous and unsafe” to “safe”. Individual characteristics of high reliability level contribute differently to individual assessment of the structural components constituting extreme phenomena in terms of the degree of danger/safety. Regression models were used to analyze the students’ danger/safety assessment of the structural components based on particular personality traits. The result showed that emotions, awareness, and preparedness to acquire experience contributed most significantly to the assessment of extreme phenomena in terms of danger/safety.Conclusion.It is well known, that emotions play a key role in an individual’s ability to assess the level of danger/safety with regard to various extreme phenomena. This evidence makes it a critical imperative to develop individual emotional self-regulation abilities. In particular, nurturing the necessary ability in the promising representatives of extreme professions requires specific focus.

Особенности организационной субкультуры представителей экстремальных профессий

<p style="text-align: justify;">The article is devoted to a review of foreign publications in the field of phenomenology of organizational subculture of employees of high-risk professions. The problems of scientific research in this area are represented in foreign psychology by such vectors as: the study of various problems of the relationship between extreme activity and organizational subculture, assessment of the impact of extremity on the subculture, personal characteristics and behavior of employees. The publications assess the impact of extreme professional activity on the organizational subculture and its main elements, unambiguously linking the conditions of extreme work and the corresponding consequences both at the level of personal or behavioral changes and at the level of subculture. It is shown that the duration of employees' stay in extreme conditions of activity is of no fundamental importance for the organizational subculture in comparison with the severity of the corresponding stress factors, as well as with the nature and characteristics of work. Extremity potentiates the emergence of both positive aspects of the subculture (professional identity, corporate solidarity, etc.) and negative ones (personal distancing, consolidation of the service team on a negative basis, etc.). Foreign approaches to the study of organizational subculture in the field of extreme professions differ significantly from the national ones, based on traditional value-semantic relations both in interpersonal communication and in intra-organizational interaction. The material allows to improve psychopractics in an extreme field of activity.</p>

The impact of emotional competence on the coping strategies among specialists of extreme jobs

The authors discuss specifics of coping strategies which representatives of extreme jobs tend to demonstrate in stressful conditions; we examine coping strategies through various parameters, including channels of empathy, self-regulation, and emotional intelligence. A coping strategy aims at effective adaptation to the requirements of the complicated situation, allowing to soften, avoid or get used to them, and minimize the stressful influence on the decision-making. At the same time, coping strategies help the employees of extreme professions to maintain their physical and mental health and satisfy their need for social relationships. The extreme jobs also include penal system representatives, such as guards, execution controllers, inspectors of the security department, and operational department servicemen working in conditions of growing stress. In order to identify the features of choosing the strategies of coping behavior by this category of specialists, we tested representatives of the Office of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Stavropol Region (Stavropol), using a comprehensive methodology including the Emin Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (D.V.Lyusin), the questionnaire “Methods of coping behavior” (by R.Lazarus), the questionnaire “Differential type of reflection” (D.A.Leontiev, E.M.Lapteva, E.N.Osin, A.J.Salikhova), “Diagnosis of the level of empathy” (developed by V.V.Boiko), the questionnaire “Style of behavior-SSP-98” developed by V.I.Morosanova. As a result of the study, we found out that most respondents have a well-developed interpersonal emotional intelligence, systemic reflection, high level of self-regulation and, together with that, quite low level of empathy.

Факторы профессионального риска и последствия психической дезадаптации у медицинских специалистов и спасателей при чрезвычайных ситуациях: современное состояние проблемы

The purpose of the study is to analyze modern domestic and foreign publications, devoted to the study of factors of professional risk and consequences of mental disadaptation in rescuers and medical workers in emergency situations. Materials and research methods. The publications’ analysis was performed using the PubMed database, electronic scientific library eLIBRARY.RU, open access statistical reporting data, as well as official websites of relevant scientific journals. Combinations of specific terms related to emergency services, post-traumatic stress disorder, mental maladaptation and professional risk factors of extreme professions, including medical ones, were used. Results of the study and their analysis. While performing their service duties, rescuers and medical workers, acting in conditions of emergency with numerous human and material losses, being exposed to the threat to their own life, health or psycho-emotional condition, face a variety of critical incidents. As the number of lived traumatic situations and events increases, individuals involved in rescue operations are at higher risk of developing the pathology known as post-traumatic stress disorder. Throughout the relevant scientific literature, there is a consensus that health care workers in emergencies are at increased risk for high-level stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, addiction, and PTSD, which can have long-term psychological consequences. The specialists developed and implemented new methods and approaches to support medical specialists participating in the liquidation of medical and sanitary consequences of emergencies; substantiated the need for normative legal regulation of psychophysiological examination of personnel during periodic medical examinations, which will allow to maintain “health of the healthy”.

Characterization of genetic polymorphisms associated with neurophysiological processes and analysis of their allele frequency distribution in the Russian population

This paper presents an analysis of polymorphic gene loci, the products of which are directly involved in the molecular mechanisms of regulation of neurophysiological processes. The sample of subjects consisted of 128 unrelated males and females living in the European part of Russia. The study assessed the frequency of occurrence of 11 single-nucleotide substitutions located in genes encoding serotonin receptors, ciliary neurotrophic factor, uncoupling protein 2, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, methionine synthase, methionine synthase reductase, dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase 1, gamma-coactivator of the receptor activated by the proliferator peroxisome and neurotrophic factor of the brain. Genotyping of the samples was carried out by PCR with fluorescence detection and analysis of the polymorphism of the lengths of restriction fragments. The distribution of polymorphism genotypes corresponded to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium with the exception of rs1801133 MTHFR (χ2=5.3088, p=0.0212) in which a decrease in heterozygosity was observed. These studies of minor allele distribution have no statistically significant deviations from the European population, but there are deviations from the Asian, African, and Latin American populations. Statistically significant correlations of allele frequencies in the study group with populations from other regions and the studies conducted in them are the basis for the inclusion of selected single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the list of a limited set of molecular genetic markers, which makes it possible to supplement the system of mental health monitoring and improve the professional training of people in extreme professions.

Анализ уровня саморегуляции и компонентов эмоционального состояния у сотрудников полиции: результаты практической работы

<p>The work is directed towards studying self-regulation, components of the emotional state of police officers as professionally important qualities of specialists in extreme professions. The aim of the study was to develop and implement training to reduce anxiety, stress and improve mood in the professional activities of police officers. The seven-month period of work included 3 stages: input and output diagnostics, development and implementation of self-regulation training. Empirically investigated 64 police officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Kemerovo region (control and experimental groups of 32 people). The following methods were used: A.S. Karelin “Diagnostics of anxiety and depression”; “Situational anxiety” by C.D. Spielberger and Y.L. Khanin; “WAM (Well-being, activity, mood)” by V.A. Doskin, N.A. Lavrentieva; Stress Scale PSM-25 Lemur-Tessier-Fillion; “Fatigue—Monotony—Satiety—Stress” by A.B. Leonova; DS-30 V.P. Pryadein. The initially established low level of self-regulation (31.2%), mood and anxiety (6.2% each), high stress level (9.3%) were corrected by training with blocks of bodily, verbal and sensory-figurative effects for 6 months (35 hours, 1-2 times a week). As a result, in the implementation group, the median score increased in terms of self-regulation (by 39%), mood (by 62%), decreased in situational (by 31%), general anxiety (by 10%); stress (by 13-22%), there were no significant differences in the input and output diagnostic indicators in the control group, which indicates the effectiveness of the implementation of the training. The unstable situation in the country recommends the use of training among police battalions on a permanent basis.</p>

ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ ДЕТЕРМИНАНТЫ РАЗВИТИЯ НАДЕЖНОСТИ У СОТРУДНИКОВ МЧС РОССИИ

Introduction. During the period of modern socio-economic reform, the requirements for the professional qualities of employees in all spheres of life are increasing. In this context, the professional qualities of specialists in extreme professions attract the attention of researchers in order to fi nd answers to the indemand requests coming from both practitioners and society (M.Sh. MagomedEminov, V.D. Nebylitsyn, V.V. Rybnikov, Yu.S. Shoigu, etc.). Th e study of the development of reliability as a personal and professional quality of employees at the Russian Emergencies Ministry remains a little-studied and urgent issue for psychological science. Th e goal is to identify psychological determinants that contribute to/hinder the development of reliability of employees at the Russian Emergencies Ministry in the course of their professional activities. Methods and sample. Th e sample consisted of 156 people (men, aged 20 to 45 years, active employees of fi re and rescue units of the EMERCOM of Russia, in Moscow).Research methods included expert assessments, a Mini-cartoon test, a 16-factor personality questionnaire by R. Kettell, Leary’s Interpersonal Behavior Circle, a “Trust-distrust” technique (A.B. Kupreichenko), a “Subjective assessment of interpersonal relations” technique (S.V. Dukhnovsky). Results and conclusions. Psychological determinants that contribute to/ hinder the development of reliability of employees of the Emergencies Ministry of Russia, as well as personal characteristics of employees that negatively affect the content and mechanisms of reliability development were identifi ed. As a result of the conducted research, we can draw a general conclusion that the socio-psychological training resulted in forming personal self-regulation skills in extreme conditions, ensuring psychological stability, stimulating activity, developing communication skills, team building, updating the resource potential of the individual, expanding models of constructive interaction. Th e development of motivation, goals, values of professional activity succeeded, as evidenced by qualitative, quantitative and statistical results.

Психологическая технология повышения стрессоустойчивости у представителей экстремальных профессий

Employees of an extreme profile are influenced by various negative professional factors. Such factors deform the individual’s stress coping mechanisms, which causes psychological phenomena which are peculiar to specific extreme influences. Psychological technologies make it possible to increase stress resistance among representatives of extreme professions through developing the necessary skills, stabilizing the emotional state, and preventing the formation of undesirable stress-related consequences. This study is focused on developing psychological technologies aimed at increasing stress resistance having regard to the specifics of extreme work. The test subjects included the representatives of the highest-ranking military officers of the Armed Forces of Russia. The study included the ascertaining, forming and control stages of experiment. The ascertaining stage involved a psychological examination of participants who were either related or not related to the extreme profile. The following methods were used: PSM-25 Psychological Stress Measure by L. Lemur, R. Tessier and L. Fillion; Strategic Approach to Coping Scale (SACS) by S. E. Hobfoll; Questionnaire “Prognosis-2” by V. Yu. Rybnikov; Self-Assessment Scale by C. D. Spielberger, as adapted by Yu. L. Khanin; Diagnostics of Socio-Psychological Adaptation by K. R. Rogers and R. E. Diamond; The Culture Fair Intelligence Test (CFIT) by R. Cattell; and the questionnaires “Symptoms of Stress” and “Ways to Relieve Stress” by S. M. Shingaev. During the formative stage, a program of psychological assistance to specialists of extreme professions was created and implemented, including training elements and psychological counselling. The control stage involved a repeated psychological examination of all participants. The study involved 570 people. It was revealed and proven that intelligence, emotional stability, social adaptability and effective ways of coping with stress are potential resources that allow increasing stress resistance of extreme specialists. The psychological program based on these results has shown its effectiveness in terms of all parameters except intellectual characteristics.

Modern Aspects of Psychophysiological Selection of Employees for High-risk Work

In Ukraine, as in the rest of the world, the problem of the impact of occupational hazards and peculiarities of the labor process on higher nervous activity and general health of the working contingent remains relevant. The issue of fitness to work of employees, especially of dangerous, extreme professions is due to the extraordinary financial and economic, medical, social and psychological urgency of the problem. In the aspect of psychological and psychophysiological diagnosis, a large number of methodological approaches have been developed. Thorough psychophysiological diagnosis is the basis for predicting the effectiveness of employees and psychophysiological characteristics of the labor process. Thus, a wide variety of developed methodological approaches in modern conditions allows for effective psychophysiological examination of a particular field of activity of employees involved in high-risk work and opens further prospects for improving the psychophysiological support of professional activities of these persons. There is a need for theoretical substantiation and development of measures to improve the professional psychophysiological selection of industrial employees to perform high-risk work with further implementation and evaluation of medical, social and economic efficiency.

Efficiency of Hardware and Software Systems in the Assessment of Psychophysiological State of Persons in Extreme Conditions Professions

Aim. To determine the effectiveness of hardware and software complexes in assessing the psychophysiological state of persons in extreme conditions professions. Material and methods. The post-hoc comparative analysis of sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy of five hardware and software complexes was performed involving 459 patients of different medical and preventive care institutions that received the rehabilitation medical care. The simulation of altered reactivity in 6 athletes of cyclic kinds of sport was carried out within a daily experiment (5 men, mean age 21.1±0.7 years and one woman, 22 years; sport rank not lower than 1 senior degree). Psychophysiological testing was conducted at five time points using the following methods: hardware and software complex “Diamed-MBS”, ASD (Radix), Lusher colorchoice test (Radix), reaction to a moving object (Multipsychometer), static and dynamic tremorometry (Multipsychometer). Results and discussion. The diagnostic effectiveness of these psychophysiological examination data automated processing complexes were determined by their informative value, the ability to recognize signs of the disease with a so-called reference or benchmark diagnosis. The highest indicators of sensitivity (82.5%), specificity (79.3%) and overall accuracy (80.6%) were found in the Diamed-MBS hardware and software complex. A tendency to decrease in the main indicators, such as heart rate, stress index, activity, well-being, working capacity with a minimum at 3:00-5:00 hours, was revealed. During the day, the possibility of the athletes’ psycho-emotionalstate dynamic assessment during the day (somatic and psychological components) was evaluated according to the parameters of heart rate variability, electrosomatography and bioelectrography. The dynamics of psychological and psychophysiological diagnostics indicators was of the multidirectional nature, which does not allow us to assert unequivocally about the negative impact of daily rhythms on the condition of athletes. All athletes showed negative results in one way or another at different intermediate diagnostic points, but by the end of the study they managed to compensate and reach the results of the primary diagnosis. Conclusion. The diagnostic efficiency of complex screening diagnostics when using hardware and software complex “Diamed-MBS” is 80.6%, which is 25-35% higher than the same parameter for similar devices. No negative psychological and psychophysiological effects of stress stimulation on daily rhythms of athletes were defined.

ОРІЄНТИРИ ДІЯЛЬНІСНОГО ПІДХОДУ В КОНЦЕПТУАЛІЗАЦІЇ ЗМІННОЇ «САМОАКТИВНІСТЬ КУРСАНТА»

Стаття розкриває особливості концептуалізації змінної «самоактивність курсанта», що, дає змогу обґрунтувати необхідну діагностичну процедуру та отримати дані щодо внутрішніх резервів психіки курсанта. Представлені результати роботи дозволяють з’ясувати окремі взаємозалежності між змістом концетуальних та операціональних змінних у дослідженні самоактивності курсанта. Обгрунтовані концептуальні змінні у дослідження та розкрито специфіку компоненти «самоактивність курсанта». 
 Ключові слова: самоактивність курсанта; діяльнісний підхід; концептуальні змінні; діяльність;, навчання; виховання; екстремальні умови.

Stress resistance as a feature of personality of State Emergency Service professional

This article is devoted to the analysis of the concept of stress resistance as a personality trait of a SES professional. The article contains a description of theoretical approaches to the concept of stress resistance, interpretation by different authors of this concept, a description of the factors influencing the formation of stress resistance to professional activity. The relevance of the study of this topic is due to the fact that in modern psychological science is given a significant role in the study of stress resistance to professional activities, in particular, to professions associated with extreme events. These include the professional activities of rescuers of the SES of Ukraine, who perform their work almost every day in emotionally stressful situations and face various accidents, catastrophes, destruction and deaths. It is thanks to the formed professional quality of stress resistance that specialists of extreme professions will be able to perform their work effectively by minimizing the influence of various factors, first of all on the personal level. The article reveals the views of various authors who consider stress resistance as an integrative property of the individual who has its own complexity; describe age features of formation of stress resistance; note the importance of activating the internal potential and mechanisms of realization of the individual's ability to self-regulate stress, and as a result of constructive overcoming of difficult life situations; note that coping is a set of behavioral, cognitive and emotional strategies of the individual, which are aimed at achieving adaptability to situations that cause stress. Recently, the vast majority of research in psychology focuses on the study of psychological factors in the formation of stress resistance in professionals whose professional activities are directly related to extreme conditions. The importance and urgency of studying the issue of stress resilience of professionals whose activities are associated with special life-threatening conditions is emphasized.

The difference between the adaptive mechanisms of the human body when climbing to a height of 5000 m in the altitude chamber

Despite the fact that the behavior of the human body when exposed to hypoxia has been sufficiently studied, a number of issues need further study. Identification and classification of the body's typical reactions to specific changes in environmental conditions, primarily related to the performance of activities within the framework of extreme professions, remain the actual problem. The objective of the study was to identify changes in the state of the main indicators of the cardiovascular system – blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) – in individuals with different background values of these indicators when exposed to conditions of high-altitude hypoxia. After the study of 43 healthy male volunteers aged 30–35 (conducted according to the original method of raising the subjects in the pressure chamber to a height of 5000 m) it was found the subjects showed different "patterns" of changes in BP, RR and HR, depending on the background values. BP increased in proportion to its background values. The change in RR had a complex dynamics. And the HR increased to approximately the same values in individuals with different values of background indicators. The revealed patterns of changes in BP, RR and HR should be taken into account when selecting individuals for activities associated with being in conditions of high-altitude hypoxia. The patterns will also make it possible to optimize the work and rest time of persons already engaged in such activities, depending on the physiological characteristics of their body.

Психологічні особливості саморегуляції керівників установ виконання покарань Державної кримінально-виконавчої служби України

The article addresses the problem of a current trend in foreign and domestic psychological science which is self-regulation among professionals working under extreme conditions. Self regulation in risk situations plays a crucial role in making decisions and choosing strategies of behavior under conditions of uncertainty, which is not only a rational process implemented by cognitive mechanisms but also an emotional process including people’s attitudes toward a situation. A set of extreme professions includes service of managers in the penitentiary service, which is associated with emotionally intense social activity and involves a constant presence of pronounced negative stressors. Studying the problem of self-regulation related to the interaction of managers with the socium of extreme nature focuses on answering the key question: What psychological and situational factors contribute to a sufficient level of self-regulation for successful activities under stress conditions? To analyze the system of self-regulation among managers in the penitentiary service we conducted a research using 6 standardized psychodiagnostic technique: Behaviour Self-Regulation Style (V. I. Morosanova, E. M. Konoz); Burnout Assessment, adapted by A. A. Rukavishnikov; Personal Aggressiveness and Propensity to Conflicts (E. P. Ilyin and P. A. Kovalev); Rapid Evaluation of Management Potential (N. P. Fetiskin, V. V. Kozlov, G. M. Manuylov); Evaluation of Communicative and Organizational Aptitudes (V. V. Sinyavsky and B. A. Fedorishin); Orientation Styles of Professional Communication (N. P. Fetiskin, V. V. Kozlov, G. M. Manuylov). The principal assumption in this research was that the structure of individual features of self-regulation (a self-regulation style) and its levels was determined by one’s personal characteristics and professional-environmental factors. The study objectives were: to identify the relationship between the level of self-regulation, overall mental state, and management potential in managers involved in extreme activity (working in the penitentiary service); to reveal psychological factors for optimization of managerial competencies under extreme conditions of professional activity; and to identify main difficulties and competence deficiencies for subsequent corrective and psychotherapeutic interventions. The research conducted enabled us: to study in details the peculiarities of self-regulation, overall mental state, and management potential among managers in the penitentiary system; and to determine which system components require intentional development in order to mitigate deficiencies and to increase the effectiveness of managers. Key words: self-regulation; manager; professional competence; extreme profession; penitentiary service.

Evaluation of the development level of several professionally significant psychological qualities of future specialists in extreme professions

Purpose. Studying the level of development of certain professionally significant psychological qualities of future specialists in extreme professions, such as volitional self-regulation, propensity to take risks, motivation to achieve success or overcome failure.
 Methods. Carrying out an ascertaining experiment: psychological testing using the techniques: «Motivation of success and fear of failure» (questionnaire by A.A. Rean), «Research of the propensity to take risks» (questionnaire of A.G. Shmelev), «Level of volitional self-regulation» (questionnaire A.V. Zverkov and E.V. Eydman).
 Findings. The results of studying the level of development of volitional self-regulation, self-control and perseverance, motivational orientation and propensity to risk of the 1st and 3rd year students of the University of Civil Protection of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus are presented. The conditions of professional activity of specialists in extreme professions are briefly considered. Strong-willed efforts for workers in extreme activities are necessary to overcome such external obstacles as difficulties in professional activities, various hindrances, confronting with other people or life circumstances. It can be concluded that the majority of respondents are characterized by a high level of volitional self-regulation, perseverance and self-control. The overwhelming majority of the first and third year students were diagnosed with pronounced motivation to achieve success. It has been found that almost all respondents participating in the study had an average level of propensity to take risks.
 Application field of research. The presented results can be used to work out a program for the development of professionally important psychological qualities, skills and abilities of extreme profile specialists aimed at forecasting the main conditions and regularities of their formation.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ПСИХОЛОГІЧНОЇ ГОТОВНОСТІ ВІЙСЬКОВОСЛУЖБОВЦІВ ДЕСАНТНО-ШТУРМОВИХ ВІЙСЬК ЗБРОЙНИХ СИЛ УКРАЇНИ ДО ВИКОНАННЯ ЗАВДАНЬ ЗА ПРИЗНАЧЕННЯМ

Introduction. Modern war in the East of our country once again proves that the psychological readiness of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is an important condition for successful completion of assigned tasks. At this stage special attention to the formation and the development of psychological readiness is given to assault troops, which by the specificity of performance of combat missions considerably differ from other kinds of troops of Armed forces of Ukraine, belong to the elite units, whose motto is "NO ONE EXCEPT US" and are able to perform any task of protecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the state.Purpose. There is an actualization of the problem of servicemen psychological readiness of airborne assault troops. Coverage of the approaches of scientists and the peculiarities of the servicemen psychological readiness of airborne assault troops to conduct hostilities.Methods. Review and analytical study of the literature.Originality. With the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the problem of servicemen psychological readiness to conduct operations in combat conditions has an important place in modern psychological science.The following scientists paid attention to the study of servicemen psychological readiness for activity: V. Aleshchenko, O. Blinov, S. Budnyk, J. Bondarenko, O. Husak, O. Dobriansky, M. Diachenko, Y. Yosypiv, O. Karaiani, L. Kazmyrenko, L. Kandybovich, S. Kandybovych, V. Korolchuk, O. Makarevych, L. Matokhniuk, J. Matsehora, V. Molotai, S. Mul, V. Osiodlo, N. Penkova, I Prikhodko, O. Safin, O. Samoilenko, V. Sysoiev, V. Stasuk, O. Khmiliar, Y. Shyrobokov, V. Yahupov and others.Considering the combat activities of servicemen, which are associated with a high degree of danger to life and health, high psychological, spiritual and physical stress, researchers classify it as an extreme activity. From a psychological point of view, combat activity differs significantly from other activities of the individual and plays a leading role in the combat situation, where its important characteristic is success.Conclusion. Thus, psychological readiness is a type of mental phenomenon, which in psychology is called a state that can appear and disappear. In other words, readiness is the activity, confidence, attitude, motivation, focus of the serviceman psyche to overcome the difficulties of combat. It includes and closely combines general (early, long-term) readiness, which is a stable system of personality qualities necessary for successful completion of the task (positive attitude to activity, previously acquired experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, goal motives, etc.) and situational (temporary) - continuation of the general readiness modified for a specific task. The state of psychological readiness helps each serviceman to successfully perform their duties, use knowledge, experience, personal qualities, maintain self-control and restructure their activities in the event of unforeseen obstacles with the least psychological loss. She points out that each serviceman adapted to the conditions of the combat situation and accepted his own role as an active defender of the Motherland.From a psychological point of view, the profession of assault serviceman is one of the most dangerous professions and belongs to the extreme professions, which are associated with great complexity and danger to life. According to the characteristic tasks, the combat activity of airborne assault troops differs significantly in specificity, diversity and intensity from other types and branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and requires each paratrooper to be professionally, physically and psychologically prepared, able to perform any tasks in the enemy's rear. and to conduct hostilities during defense, counter-offensive, special, anti-terrorist and peacekeeping operations. This necessitates an increased level of development of psychological readiness of servicemen of this type of troops from others. The formation and development of the psychological readiness of paratroopers to operate in combat conditions is one of the most important conditions for ensuring the personal safety of every serviceman, military units and our country as a whole.

Morphofunctional features of the cardiovascular system in extreme specialists of the navy (depending on the polymorphism of the genes of the matrix metalloprotheinase 1 (MMP-1) and collagen 1 (COL1A1)

Background. Diving experience and the influence of factors of professional activity lead to the development of cardiovascular pathology and the study of the state of the cardiovascular system of divers is one of the urgent problems of modern medicine. Objective. The aim of the study was to determine hereditarily structural and functional features of the cardiovascular system representatives of extreme professions of the Navy and differentiate them from the influence of some factors. Design and methods. Surveyed 81 military personnel at the age of 21-44 years. The surveyed were represented by three groups, which did not differ significantly in age. In the first group (n = 31) included the deep-sea divers, the second group (n = 28) was introduced by the technical operators of deep-sea vehicles and third (n = 22) group consisted of officers of the Navy, which were not factors of diving work and the specific factors of deep-sea resources. Used regulated and special methods for the study of the cardiovascular system, which was estimated depending on the polymorphic gene variants of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) gene and collagen type 1 (COL1A1) gene. Results. Statistically significant differences in the distribution of polymorphic variants of the MMP-1 and COL1A1 genes from the specialists of the Navy of the surveyed groups, the distribution of genotypes and analysis in the future was conducted on the combined group. Fifteen groups of indicators (clusters) were identified that change unidirectionally depending on the polymorphic variants of the MMP-1 gene and the COL1A1 gene. Identified favorable and unfavorable combination of polymorphic gene variants of the gene MMP-1 and the gene COL1A1. Conclusion. The resistive characteristics of the cardiovascular system respond to the conditions of professional activity, including those of specialists in extreme specialties of the Navy. Basic resiliently-elastic properties of the cardiovascular system are associated with polymorphic variants of the MMP-1 and COL1A1 genes involved in the synthesis and degradation of collagen; however, to determine the specific role of each under the influence of extreme occupational factors, larger studies are required.

Impact of personal characteristics of extreme professions specialists on the growth to professional burnout

The article presents the results of a study of the prevalence of professional burnout among specialists in extreme professions on the example of employees of the Ministry of internal Affairs. It is established that at the present stage there is a trend that causes a significant spread of professional burnout among specialists of extreme professions. Professional burnout is a condition that determines the emotional, mental and physical exhaustion of a person that occurs because of professional stress. The inclusion of so-called specialists of extreme professions at risk of professional burnout due to the following reasons: increase in the factors of professional stress, the actual lack of available professional mental health care, low level of awareness among experts about situations of occupational stress, social and personal stereotypes about the need for professional psychological help, prevent the effective interaction of psychologists and professionals in need of assistance. At the same time, the relationship between professional burnout and such personal characteristics as stress tolerance, empathy and the coping strategy "emotions" was reveal. The authors determined the influence of such personal characteristics of specialists in extreme professions as the level of stress resistance, empathic tendencies and leading coping strategies on the development of professional burnout syndrome. Thus, it was found that factors of professional burnout syndrome development could be low level of stress resistance, high and normal levels of empathic tendencies, and the coping strategy "emotions". In addition, differences were found between police officers of different ranks in the severity of professional burnout, the level of stress resistance, the level of empathic tendencies, and leading coping strategies. The above causes the need to continue the study of professional burnout syndrome in specialists of extreme professions for the subsequent development of a system of preventive measures aimed at maintaining their psychological, social, physical and spiritual health.

TOLERANCE TO STRESS IN EXTREME WORK CONDITIONS

The article presents the theoretical and empirical study on tolerance to stress of people working in extreme working conditions (patrol officers). The main discussed question is: what characteristics should be develop, so that an individual can adequately respond without painful personality destruction in stressful situations, when known ways of social behavior do not work? The built theoretical-conceptual platform of the studied problem allowed us to put forward the study purpose: to determine and explore personality traits that can be useful in extreme working conditions. The article present the results of the following study tasks: to analyze theoretically the problem and  generalize the basic personal traits useful in extreme work situations; to investigate empirically with corresponding test indicators the emotional and cognitive characteristics of patrol officers’ stress tolerance; to analyze discovered correlations. The empirical study was carried out on the basis the author’s “Personality Stress Resistance Model” developed with the aim of using by psychologists at their practical work with stressed clients. The model includes the following components of tolerance to stress: psychophysiological, emotional, cognitive, and integrative. The author, on the basis of a systematic approach, revealed important aspects of tolerance to stress that must be taken into account during selection of patrol officers for the National Police. The performed empirical study showed importance of “job satisfaction” as an emotional component of stress tolerance. The relationships of emotional and cognitive components were also determined: as a combination of motivation for work, communicative competence, self-regulation and the chosen coping strategies for interactions with citizens. Communicative competence, which means knowledge of communicative norms and rules, corresponding techniques, is a component of socio-psychological competence. Communicative competence determines the quality of an individual’s communication and includes such components as the communicative person qualities, characterizing need for communication, attitudes to communicative methods and communicative abilities - to accept an initiative in communication, be active, respond emotionally to communicative partners’ states, formulate and implement individual communicative program. Therefore, the author concluded that it is important at the stage of selection officers, who will work at extreme conditions, to choose such specialists who can be emotionally satisfied from the labor process; the necessary conditions should also be created to improve work motivation; and only then, we can develop patrol officers’ tolerance to stress. Self-regulation is determined as an important personal quality that must be developed at people having extreme professions. As for patrol officers, self-regulation means changes taking place within the framework of existing rules, norms, stereotypes. &nbsp

ПСИХОЛОГІЧНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ АДАПТИВНОГО ПОТЕНЦІАЛУ ОСІБ, КОТРІ ПРАЦЮЮТЬ В ЕКСТРЕМАЛЬНИХ СИТУАЦІЯХ

The performance of professional activities in extreme situations has a distinctive nature due to a range of risk factors, which can adversely affect mental health, the state of emotional and mental stability, as well as dramatically increase the level of emotional or professional burnout. Work under such circumstances requires the employee to possess a certain degree of some psychological characteristics so that he/she would not get harmed personally while performing it. In the modern world, the psychology of professional activity and a number of other applied sciences face the situation that stress has virtually invaded the daily life of individuals becoming one of the most common causes of a range of diseases and diverse disorders. Today, it is virtually impossible to determine the criteria of a profession or an occupation which is safe for an individual’s mental health since all of them are closely associated with some natural or technological risks which fill our lives. The primary goal of this research is to attempt and analyse what degree of adaptive capacity persons whose professional activity is closely associated with extreme situations have. The main thesis is that persons with different degrees of adaptive capacity possess certain psychological characteristics and individual features which do not only help them to go easily through the phase of adaptation to new, extreme conditions in which the task is performed but also considerably influence the degree of their satisfaction with the job associated with risks.It is stated that, undoubtedly, the degree of adaptive capacity is closely related to such factors as age, work experience, emotional-and-volitional sphere, motivational aspect of performing professional activities, etc. It was discovered that persons working as rescuers in the contemporary conditions of society demonstrate a low degree of adaptive capacity, which can actually have negative consequences both for the individual’s mental health (bad mood, lack of attention, irritation, negative and occasionally suicidal thoughts, and so on) and for the effective performance of professional activities. It is stressed that in order to develop their adaptive capacity, it is absolutely necessary for the persons whose professional activity is closely associated with extreme situations to work on the development of such personal qualities as psychic flexibility, sense of humour, ability to think critically and access adequately the risks which representatives of extreme professions face. Such a perspective on the development of personal qualities is required in the first place to maintain personal mental stability and balance in the modern world, which is a powerful stress factor for our mental health.