INTERRELATION BETWEEN HARDINESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFENCE IN NEUROTIC DISORDERS AND MENTAL HEALTH

Abstract

The paper presents the results of correlation and multiple regression analysis of hardiness and psychological defences of neurotic disorder patients and mentally healthy people. Hardiness is understood as a personality structure which takes part in self-regulation and self-determination. Psychological defence and hardiness are considered structures which ensure opposite and complementary processes of people’s confrontation with the anxiety inherent in dimensions of human existence. High level of hardiness is coupled with low tension of most psychological defences. Personality hardiness is reinforced by such defence mechanisms as “denial” in mentally healthy people and “denial” with “rationalization” in neurotic people. The total effect of “rationalization” and “denial” mechanisms for personal hardiness in the group with neurotic disorders equals to the effect of “denial” in the reference group. With neurotic disorders, a personality cannot quickly assess a problem as subjectively less dangerous and thus reduce anxiety associated with it. Additional anxiety is reduced by enhanced reasoning of a problem as an easily controlled one. Personal hardiness of neurotic patients is reduced with the help of an intensive complex including immature psychological defence mechanisms. Hardiness is weakened owing to disorders of dynamics of a child’s relations with the phenomena of the outside world.