Psychological safety as a characteristic feature of common education environment of higher educational institutions in times of globalization

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the results of monitoring carried out in higher educational institutions of the Republic of Tatarstan (more than 30 universities, institutes and their regional subdivisions). 47433 students were surveyed for the present analysis. The goal of the research was to study the parameters of educational environment that might potentially influence on individual’s psychological need for security. During the monitoring the students’ depression and aggression levels were measured. Questionnaire touched upon psychological security problems, such as relationships with teaching staff, relationships with peers, situations of psychological abuse (bullying and mobbing), emotional attitude towards studying. According to correlation analysis that was carried out, it was possible to single out multiple cases of correlation between aggression and depression with various security components of educational environment. The article reflects the fact that depression and aggression represent not only generalized, obscuredly specific patterns of psychological ill-being of a certain person, but they are known to be adjustment mechanisms that help to cope with adverse circumstances. Being closely related to different factors of schooling, depression and aggression can serve as secure and valid subjective markers of psychological security of a certain person in the educational environment.