EMOTIONAL BURNOUT AS A BARRIER TO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE PSYCHOLOGISTS

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive study of the phenomenon of emotional burnout as a destructive factor and a significant psychological barrier hindering the harmonious professional development of psychology students in the initial stages of their education. Theoretical approaches to understanding «emotional burnout syndrome» are analyzed within the context of training specialists for helping professions. Key academic and personal stressors are identified, including: high levels of empathic involvement, information overload, a crisis of professional expectations, and «digital fatigue». The structural components of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment) and their negative impact on the formation of the future specialist’s professional identity are characterized. Barriers that provoke burnout at the beginning of a career are indicated, namely cognitive-psychological barriers (crisis of professional expectations, empathy trap (unformed psychological defense mechanisms), imposter syndrome (fear of future practice), academic and organizational barriers (information overload, lack of supervision) and socio-situational barriers (war context (chronic stress caused by security threats and uncertainty of the future), social isolation barrier (feeling of loneliness in the profession when the student does not feel supported by the professional community). Special attention is paid to the practical aspect of overcoming burnout: the necessity of developing individual resilience and implementing a system of psychohygiene is substantiated. Specific self-regulation psychotechniques are detailed, such as the «grounding» method, Edmund Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation, the «box breathing» technique, and cognitive restructuring, which contribute to the preservation of mental health and the professional longevity of future psychologists.