Comprehensive Assessment of Functional States in High-Risk Occupation Workers Under Stress Conditions: Psychophysiological Correlates and Classification of Response Types Using Biofeedback Technologies

The article is devoted to a comprehensive psychophysiological study of functional states in high-risk occupation workers under stressful exposures, using firefighters of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations as an example. A diagnostic protocol for functional state assessment was developed utilizing biofeedback technology based on psychophysiological indicators (heart rate and galvanic skin response) reflecting cardiovascular and autonomic nervous systems activity under modelled stress conditions. Based on the analysis of physiological parameters of emotional reactivity, as well as psychological diagnostic data (anxiety levels, tolerance to uncertainty, coping strategies, and self-regulation styles), a classification of participants’ functional states was proposed. It was shown that the intensity of emotional responding to the presented stress factors impeded participants’ psycho-emotional recovery and increased the stress burden on the body, which should be taken into account when predicting the professional reliability of extreme-profile specialists.