Otenko S. The psychological features of the development of an individual’s salutogenic orientation

The thesis generalizes theoretically and presents a new solution for the problem of an individual’s salutogenic orientation that is interpreted basing on the methodological principles of positive functioning, salutogenic paradigm of A. Antonovsky as a factor of an individual’s psychological well-being and mental health. The thesis proposes the procedure for salutogenic orientation examination, substantiates and approbates the training program promoting an individual’s salutogenic orientation in the context of the development of his/her ability to preserve mental health, to disclose and develop personal potential. The scientific novelty of the obtained results includes: - a model of personal health that included four levels of personal activity was developed for the first time in the context of A. Antonovsky’s concept of salutogenesis; - personal factors and predictors of salutogenic orientation were determined; - it has been proved that salutogenic orientation can be achieved by actualizing an individual’s internal resources, which contribute to his/her health preservation and strengthening, to tolerance to stress and psychological well-being improvement; - the scientific ideas about the psychological resources preserving and strengthening an individual’s health were supplemented; - the theoretical and methodological approaches to psychological studies and to development of programs promoting an individual’s salutogenic orientation were further developed. The research results are theoretically significant due to their scientific novelty that includes the development of a theoretical model of an individual’s health in the context of A. Antonovsky’s concept on salutogenesis and scientific and methodological tools for its examining and development. he practical significance of the study results includes: the structure and psychological factors of an individual’s salutogenic orientation were determined, the tools for their examining were proposed that could become the basis for further scientific and practical developments promoting responsible health as a value, the ability to use health resources and belief in one’s own abilities, promoting the salutogenic way of thinking that allows people to positively influence their individual lives and society at all. The thesis provisions can be used in the development of training courses on psychological counselling, basics of psychotherapy, socio-psychological trainings, which will improve the quality of training in socionomic professions. The study results can be used in practical psychological services, in programs for individual psychological assistance to personal growth; in trainings, correctional and therapeutic work to overcome the problems of personal uncertainty, subjective feeling of a declined value of life, to form self-determined behaviour. The author’s training program promoting an individual’s salutogenic orientation has independent practical significance.