Stress Management as a Systemic Process of Psychological Regulation

The aim of this study was to develop an integrated theoretical model of stress management based on a multi-level analysis of the mechanisms of psychological regulation under stress conditions. The research employed a systemic approach and utilised methods of scientific literature analysis, structural-functional analysis, modelling, conceptual analysis, and synthesis. Based on the systematisation of contemporary scientific approaches, the evolution of conceptual models of stress management was identified, progressing from a fragmented understanding to a systemic interpretation, and four basic conceptual models were distinguished: biomedical, cognitive-behavioural, systemic-ecological, and integrative. A theoretical model of the principal structural components of the stress management system was developed, comprising neurophysiological, cognitive, emotional, behavioural, and socio-contextual components, between which complex recursive relationships exist. It was demonstrated that the effectiveness of stress management depends on the coherence of functioning among all system components and their adaptive reorganisation in accordance with the nature of the stressor. An integrative concept of stress management was formulated as a dynamic process implemented through preventive, reactive, and restorative phases, taking into account individual psychological characteristics and contextual factors. It was established that individual differences in the functioning of the stress management system are associated with neuroticism, extraversion, locus of control, self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, coping styles, and psychological resilience. The influence of socio-cultural, organisational, technological, ecological, and temporal contexts on stress management processes was determined. The proposed concept overcomes the limitations of traditional models that view stress management in a fragmented way, integrating preventive, reactive, and restorative strategies into a unified system of psychological regulation aimed at fostering psychological resilience as a key factor in adapting to the stress challenges of the modern world. The practical value of the study lies in the potential application of the developed concept by practising psychologists for designing personalised stress management programmes, by education professionals for developing training programmes to enhance stress resistance, by managers for implementing organisational measures to support employees’ psychological well-being, as well as by researchers for further empirical exploration of stress regulation mechanisms.