MENTAL REPRESENTATION OF DIFFICULT LIFE SITUATIONS AS A RESOURCE OF PROTECTIVE AND COPING ACTIVITY OF ADULTS
The article presents the results of a study of the mental representation of a difficult life situation, its contribution to protective and coping activity (coping behavior, mechanisms of psychological protection). Various factors of subjective assessment of the situation are described. It is said that in the works of different authors there are similar characteristics of difficult life situations. The article presents the results of an empirical study (n = 169, M = 25,4), which showed that respondents prefer to use coping strategies: problem solving planning, selfcontrol, search for social support, and psychological defense mechanisms: Compensation, Denial, Repression, and Reactive formations. Difficult life situations are associated with work, study, relationships with others, close people. Based on the correlation analysis, it is concluded that mental representation affects protective and coping activity in difficult life situations.