Occupational risk factors affecting mental health of professionals with dangerous jobs (a review of foreign studies)

Relevance. The need to improve prevention of mental disorders in professionals with dangerous jobs, the growth of profes sional requirements for a specialist’s personality, the guarantee of professional reliability and the high need to ensure sustain able adaptation to traumatic influences at the initial stage of work in extreme conditions determine the relevance of this study. Intention. Analysis of prerequisites for increasing the effectiveness and reliability of professionals under extreme conditions. Methods. The analysis of foreign theoretical and empirical studies over the past ten years and systematization of occupational factors affecting mental health, adaptation and professional reliability of those engaged in dangerous occupations. Results and Discussion. It is noted that the main factors of professional reliability of professionals with dangerous jobs are: characteristics of combat stress reactions; emotional stability; effective coping strategies; lack of hierarchical social barriers; emotional regulation strategies, decision-making skills. The main professional stress factors include: lack of control over the performance of official tasks, role conflicts, increased workload, professional pressure, social stress, beliefs about the low quality of the command staff performing their duties. It was noted that expressed mental distress due to a high professional stress is associated with the number of suicides, aggressive behavior, depression symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder, neuropsychological and physiological disorders. Conclusion. The analysis of foreign research data allows us to conclude about the principles and strategies for preventing adverse effects of work under extreme conditions on the mental health.

disaster medicine, military medicine, dangerous occupation, reliability, stress, disadaptation, mental health

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