Phenomenon of self-destructive behavior in female sex workers: discriptors, predictors, typology, psychological...

Introduction: Engaging in sex, which is obligatory associated with the extraordinary risks of harm to their own safety and physical health, can be considered as one of the variants of self-destruction. The aim is to analyze the leading descriptors and predictors of self-destructive behavior among female sex workers, on the basis of which to propose measures for their psycho-correction.

Materials and methods: The main group of the study was 135 women - female sex workers, a comparative group of 50 women who had no relation to such activities. The research methods were clinical-psychological, socio-demographic, psycho diagnostic, mathematical-statistical.

Results: Suicidal mood was investigated as a descriptor of self-destructive behavior in female sex workers. Features of suicidal ideas and the basis of committing suicide are revealed. The motivating emotions of a suicidal act are shame, anger and resentment. Psychological protection as a mechanism for maintaining risky sexual behavior has been studied. Identified destructive forms of primitive level mechanisms of psychological defense. It was revealed that in women engaged in prostitution the overall viability is not sufficiently formed, mainly due to the low level of inclusion. The presence of sacrifice in the form of increased propensity to active victim behavior has been established. An increased tendency toward an active type of victim behavior has been established. Leading individual psychological and behavioral patterns in the genesis of self-destructive behavior in female sex workers have been identified and its clinical and psychological options have been singled out. Based on the data obtained, a program of measures for differentiated psycho-correction of self-destructive behavior among female sex workers was developed.

Conclusions: As a result of work, the conceptualization of occupation of prostitution as a self-destructive behavior is grounded. The isolation of its specific pathognomonic psycho-emotional, individual psychological and behavioral features, made it possible to propose effective measures of its psycho-correction and of psycho-processing.