Psychological Characteristics of Internal Conflict and Defence Mechanisms in University Students

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive theoretical and empirical analysis of internal conflicts and psychological defence mechanisms observed among students of higher educational institutions. Within the framework of the study, the nature of intrapsychic contradictions arising during the stages of students' personal and professional development, the mechanisms of their emergence, and the characteristics of their manifestation in the context of individual differences are examined. Drawing upon an integrated methodological approach that synthesises psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural, and existential psychology paradigms, a structural model of internal conflicts is proposed. The findings demonstrate that repression, projection, rationalisation, and intellectualisation are the predominant defence mechanisms among students, and that these mechanisms are statistically significantly correlated with indicators of academic achievement and psychological well-being. The practical implications of the study may serve as a basis for enhancing psychological support services in institutions of higher education.