GENDER AND AGE DIFFERENCES IN RESILIENCE AMONG INDIVIDUALS IN SOCIONOMIC PROFESSIONS

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of gender and age characteristics of psychological resilience among representatives of helping socionomic professions under conditions of prolonged social stress caused by wartime and societal challenges. The relevance of the study is determined by the increasing psychological burden on professionals whose work involves constant interaction with people in crisis situations. Resilience is considered an integrative psychological property that ensures an individual’s ability to effectively adapt to stressors, maintain emotional balance, restore mental resources, and preserve professional effectiveness under demanding conditions. A theoretical analysis of contemporary research indicates that professionals in the socionomic sphere are exposed to an elevated risk of professional exhaustion, which necessitates the development of stable mechanisms of psychological self-regulation and adaptation. The purpose of the article is to identify the effects of age and gender on the level of psychological resilience among helping professionals. The empirical study was conducted using the Ukrainian adaptation of the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). The sample included specialists in socionomic professions performing their professional duties under heightened stress conditions. Covariance analysis was applied for statistical data processing to evaluate the influence of age and gender factors on resilience indicators. The results revealed a statistically significant impact of age on the level of psychological resilience, indicating its processual nature and its association with the accumulation of life and professional experience. At the same time, gender differences were not statistically significant after controlling for age, which allows resilience to be interpreted primarily as a professionally and socially conditioned characteristic. The findings confirm the importance of considering age-related factors in the psychological support of helping professionals. The practical significance of the study lies in the potential use of the results for developing psychological support programs aimed at preventing professional burnout, strengthening mental health, and enhancing adaptive resources among professionals working in crisis conditions. The study expands the understanding of resilience formation mechanisms in the socionomic sphere and emphasizes its role as an important factor of professional stability.