Peculiarities of psychohygiene in the system of medical and preventive measures of professional maladjustment of paramedical personnel who work with patients suffering from socially significant and hazardous diseases

The qualified paramedical personnel have the highest risk of the professional burnout syndrome. The objective of the work is to develop a system of special measures in order to prevent professional maladjustment of the paramedical personnel working with patients suffering from socially significant and hazardous diseases. For this purpose it is necessary to analyze the factors and peculiarities of the abovementioned system. Materials and Methods. The authors conducted a complex psychodiagnostic (questionnaire “Level of professional disadaptation”) and sociological (handout questionnaires) survey of 110 nurses working with patients suffering from socially significant and hazardous diseases (human immunodeficiency virus, pulmonary tuberculosis, viral hepatitis type B and C). The paramedical personnel had various signs of professional burnout. Results. High level of maladjustment was fond in 46.6 % of nurses; profound level was observed in 43.3 %; moderate level of professional burnout was registered in 13.3 %. Among the common symptoms of professional maladjustment are the following ones: emotional emptiness, chronic fatigue, asthenic uncompromising, reduced compassion and empathy, weakened partner interactions, self-isolation, noncooperativity, chemical and non-chemical addictions. Specific symptoms characterizing professional maladjustment are: changing patterns of emotional behavior; autoaggressive intropunitive and extrapunitive reactions, shame and shyness, decline in professional competence and crisis of professional zeal, eating habit disorders (e.g. fluctuations in appetite and taste preferences), and sexual dysfunctions. Conclusion. A system of therapeutic and preventive measures was suggested for paramedical personnel working with patients suffering from socially significant and hazardous diseases. This system was based on the biopsychosocial health model, social and biological labour essentials, and peculiarities of paramedical workers. The authors defined the main principles of this system, such as multidisciplinary approach, integration, differentiation, consistence, and involvement. The system of medical and preventive measures included three blocks: organization and methodology, hygiene of labour-management relations and psychohygiene. The implementation of psychohygienic measures is carried out in two mutually complementary areas: social and individual.