SELF-ACTUALIZATION OF PERSONALITY FOR PRACTICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND PSYCHOTHERAPISTS AS A CRITERION OF THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL WELFARE AND PROFESSIONAL HEALTH IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WAR IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article is devoted to a theoretical and empirical investigation of the question about self-actualization as one of the key criteria and personality resources for psychological welfare and professional health of practical psychologists and psychotherapists. The question is topical in the current realities of the war in Ukraine. The authors based on a theoretical analysis of the literature and traced the interconnection between the phenomena of self-actualization, psychological welfare, and professional health. It is pointed out that self-actualization is important to maintain and keep the psychological welfare and professional health of practical psychologists and psychotherapists. The matter is that it involves self-awareness, understanding and acceptance of oneself and others, successful realization of own potential, and the achievement of inner harmony – everything is critically important to provide qualitative psychological assistance, as well as monitoring of own issues by the specialists and identifying effective means of self-help and self-recovery strategies under the challenging circumstances of the war. The results of the empirical study demonstrated that the majority of practical psychologists and psychotherapists have a high level of selfactualization, marked by autonomy, a drive for self-development, the realization of their abilities, spontaneity, acceptance of others and themselves, the ability to maintain harmonious relationships, and a creative approach to life. At the same time, most respondents displayed medium or low levels of such mental states as anxiety, frustration, aggressiveness, and rigidity. However, few specialists showed high levels of these negative mental states combined with low self-actualization. And this indicates that they have serious internal conflicts and a sense of unfulfillment in both life and professional activity. Correlational analysis showed that practical psychologists and psychotherapists with higher indicators of self-actualization were simultaneously less anxious and rigid, more emotionally balanced and stress-resistant, and had greater frustration tolerance. In other words, self-actualization helps specialists effectively cope with excessive stress and other negative psycho-emotional states, which, in turn, reduces the likelihood of emotional exhaustion – a sign of professional burnout – and supports the preservation of their psychological welfare and professional health under circumstances of the war in Ukraine.