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Polehonkyi V., Leha M. Psychological determinants of the interrelationship between guilt, security, and social roles in psychotherapeutic groups

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Volodymyr Polehonkyi - Senior Lecturer, Department of Practical Psychology of Mental Health, Lviv Polytechnic National University. Lviv (Ukraine)

ORCID 0000-0003-1540-5476

 

Mariia Leha - 4th year student, majoring in Psychology 053 Educational and Scientific Institute of Law, Psychology and Innovative Education, Lviv Polytechnic National University. Lviv (Ukraine)

 

DOI - https://doi.org/10.52363/dcpp-2026.1.15

 

Keywords: guilt, psychological safety, social roles, group psychotherapy, psychoanalysis.

 

The article examines the psychological determinants of the interrelationship between feelings of guilt, experiences of psychological safety, and social roles within the context of analytic psychotherapeutic groups. A psychoanalytic approach is proposed to understand how configurations of guilt, safety, and interpersonal styles shape group dynamics and individual role-taking strategies.

The study involved a sample of 37 individuals aged 19-21 years – participants in training psychotherapeutic groups psychodiagnostics were employed: social well-being (acceptance, actualization, empathy, contribution, integration); affective indicators of guilt, shame, externality, fear (TOSCA); interpersonal styles (dictatorial, authoritarian, leader, congenial, dependent, submissive, aggressive, independent per T. Leary); empathy-somatic measures (engagement, compassion, bodily sensations via NPSS). Shapiro–Wilk normality testing revealed deviations, justifying cluster analysis.

Hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward’s method, Euclidean distance) identified three profiles: «Socially integrated with moderate guilt» (43.2%) – high well-being (≈72 points), moderate guilt (≈2.9), shame (≈3.0); leader/congenial traits, average empathy – integrating guilt function (Bion’s work group). «Emotionally vulnerable with anxious guilt» (5.4%) – low safety, high anxiety; chaotic styles – disorganization, rigid roles. Emotionally detached with reactive guilt" (51.4%) – moderate well-being (≈66), elevated guilt (≈3.6); avoidance, limited empathy – isolation.

Guilt exhibits duality: integrating under sufficient safety (empathy, reparation) and disorganizing in deficit (self-blame, isolation). Findings are interpreted through Bion’s group dynamics and psychoanalysis (Super-Ego, projective identification), offering facilitation guidelines: safe field transforms guilt into growth resource. The article integrates empirical data, theory, and practice.

 

References

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Date of first submission of the article to the journal: 17.02.2026

Date of acceptance for publication after peer review: 18.05.2026

Date of publication of the article: 31.05.2026

 

Publisher National University of Civil Protection of Ukraine, 2026

This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode.en

 

How to cite: Polehonkyi V., Leha M. Psychological determinants of the interrelationship between guilt, security, and social roles in psychotherapeutic groups. Disaster and Crisis Psychology Problems. 1(11). 2026. P. 185-196. https://doi.org/10.52363/dcpp-2026.1.15

 

Issue 1(11)-2026

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