Professional liberation and personal well-being: differentiation of adaptation trajectories based on individual characteristics

This article examines the process of professional dismissal as a critical life event that significantly impacts an individual's psychological well-being. The aim of the study was to differentiate trajectories of psychological adaptation to dismissal based on individual psychological characteristics. The relevance of this topic lies in the fact that the process of professional dismissal is a significant life event, followed by significant and global changes, stress, and loss of identity—all of which lead to a decline in employee well-being within the organization. The issue of psychological support for professional well-being within organizations has been understudied, and the lack of effective preventative measures to support employee well-being is a recognized problem. Despite a significant volume of international research, this topic remains underdeveloped in Russian psychology. An analysis of the publications allows us to determine the focus of Russian researchers when studying the professional well-being of employees. The study involved 174 respondents. The methodological framework included a set of psychodiagnostic techniques aimed at assessing coping strategies, resilience, emotional intelligence, motivation, and value orientations, as well as the use of correlation and cluster analysis. The analysis of empirical data revealed key predictors of successful professional release: general abilities, resilience, and value orientations. Cluster analysis identified five types of employees with characteristic behavioral profiles in a release situation: "harmonious intellectual," "workaholic," "unrecognized genius," "servant," and "victim of circumstances." Dominant coping strategies and psychological characteristics are described for each type. Based on the resulting typology, differentiated adaptation trajectories were developed and described, offering organizations targeted areas of psychological support tailored to the individual employee profile. The process of employee adaptation in a situation of professional release consists of a unified algorithm, which includes the following main areas of work: diagnostic and analytical; consultative; developmental; and educational. It is concluded that taking into account personal characteristics in the process of dismissal contributes not only to the successful adaptation of the employee, but also to the preservation of his psychological well-being, which ultimately is important for social responsibility and the reputation of the organization.