GENDER ASPECTS OF COPING WITH DIFFICULT LIFE SITUATIONS IN LEGAL PRACTICE

Abstract

The study examines gender aspects of coping with difficult life situations in the professional activity of legal practitioners. It is substantiated that the legal profession belongs to highly stressful types of activity due to the combination of intensive cognitive workload, high responsibility, conflict-driven interactions, and exposure to traumatic case materials. It is established that a significant proportion of legal professionals demonstrate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and risks of addictive behavior, indicating the systemic nature of psychological strain in this occupational group. Gender differences in stress perception and coping behavior are analyzed. It is shown that female lawyers exhibit higher levels of psychological distress, are more likely to perceive stressful situations as uncontrollable and threatening, and more frequently employ emotion-focused and social support coping strategies. In contrast, male lawyers tend to rely more on problem-focused coping, avoidance, and emotional suppression. It is also found that women are more likely to use combined coping strategies, whereas men tend to adopt mono-strategic coping patterns. The study identifies the specificity of coping in the legal profession, including the tendency of women to internalize stress and of men to externalize or avoid it. It is demonstrated that women more frequently use social support but are also more vulnerable to emotional burnout, while men are more prone to risk-related compensatory behaviors. Special attention is paid to the role of social and organizational context, including hierarchy, competition, gender inequality, and workplace bullying, which intensify gender differences in coping. It is argued that the effectiveness of coping strategies depends on the interaction between gender characteristics and the type of stress situation, while the most adaptive approach is a flexible, multi-component coping model.