Olena Kosyanova, Stella Lysenko SELF-DECEPTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFENSES UNDER POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS

(2026) Science and education, 3, 45-53. Odessa.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.24195/2414-4665-2026-3-5

Olena Kosyanova,
Candidate of Psychological Sciences,
Associate Professor at the Department of Theory and Methods of Practical Psychology,
The State Institution «South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K. D. Ushynsky»,
26, Staroportofrankivska Str., Odesa, Ukraine,
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9532-9981

Stella Lysenko,
Master’s Degree Applicant in Psychology,
The State Institution «South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K. D. Ushynsky»,
26, Staroportofrankivska Str., Odesa, Ukraine,
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6435-224X

 

SELF-DECEPTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFENSES UNDER POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS

SUMMARY:

The relevance of the study is determined by the high prevalence of post-traumatic symptoms under conditions of prolonged war-related traumatization and by the insufficiently defined role of self-deception in psychological adaptation. Self-deception may help maintain a positive self-image, a subjective sense of control, and emotional stability; however, under certain conditions, it may become closely associated with avoidance and interfere with the processing of traumatic experience. The aim of the study was to determine the characteristics of the relationship between the tendency toward self-deception, the severity of post-traumatic symptoms, and psychological defense mechanisms. The study involved 53 respondents exposed to war-related traumatic experiences, including military personnel undergoing psychological rehabilitation, internally displaced persons, and family members of military personnel. The psychodiagnostic assessment included the Self-Deception Questionnaire (SDQ), the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5), and the Life Style Index (LSI). Descriptive statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk test, Spearman’s rank correlation, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and the Mann–Whitney U test were applied. In 92.5% of respondents, PCL-5 scores exceeded the screening cut-off of 33 points. No direct relationship was found between the overall self-deception index and the severity of post-traumatic symptoms (ρ = 0.092; p = 0.515). At the same time, self-deception was negatively associated with denial (ρ = –0.279; p = 0.043), while the severity of post-traumatic symptoms was negatively associated with the overall intensity of defense styles (ρ = –0.275; p = 0.047). Groups with different levels of self-deception differed significantly in denial, intellectualization, and compensation. The findings indicate that the role of self-deception under traumatic stress should not be assessed as unequivocally adaptive or maladaptive; rather, it should be considered in relation to the configuration of specific psychological defenses. The practical implication is the need for differentiated psychological support aimed at reducing categorical denial and developing more conscious forms of cognitive processing of traumatic experience.

KEYWORDS:

self-deception, post-traumatic symptoms, psychological defense, denial, intellectualization, compensation, positive illusions

FULL TEXT:

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