Shevchenko R. Psychological conditions for the development of stress tolerance in women-civil servants

It is theoretically substantiated the essence, structural components, criteria, and indicators of stress tolerance in women-civil servants given the specifics of their activities. It is considered the following components: motivational (a criterion is a positive attitude to stress tolerance development); cognitive (a criterion is the knowledge of the essence, components, and conditions of stress tolerance development in civil servants` professional activities); affective (a criterion is the ability to adequately express emotions and feelings in stressful situations); conative (a criterion is readiness for self-regulation and stress tolerance development); psychophysiological (a criterion is stress tolerance energy foundation). The psychological conditions for the development of stress tolerance in women-civil servants are determined. They lie in the following: approach complexity – purposeful stress tolerance development involving a set of factors and methods of working with the individual; individual approach – purposeful stress tolerance development aiming to impact the individual`s unique inner world, their self-attitude, inner potential, stress management strategies, the experience of going through and dealing with stressful situations, working through traumatic experience as well as knowledge and ideas about possible solutions and ways out of stressful situations; reliance on social experience and social interaction (provision of information about the range of possible solutions in different types of stressful situations at work developed by experienced professionals and practitioner psychologists); creating a network of social contacts that will be a source of psychological support for the individual in case of stress; training of behavioral patterns: effectiveness analysis of behavioral strategies used in stressful situations; working out effective behavior patterns in stressful situations; development of emergency self-help skills in stress, the ability to self-regulate the emotional state; boosting personal growth (reevaluation of internal potential; working through traumatic experience; training of necessary professionally important qualities). The results of the empirical study have revealed an insufficient level of components, as well as an inadequate general level of stress tolerance development in women-civil servants. The specifics of such development are characterized in comparison with male civil service professionals in general, as well as according to civil servants` age, socio-demographic, and organizational-professional characteristics. The correction program for the development of stress tolerance in civil servants has been developed and tested taking into account the identified psychological features and conditions. It is proved to be effective.