Psychological Characteristics of the Attitude to Life among Terminally Ill Convicts
Kuchkarev Yu.Yu., Gornostaev S.V. Psychological characteristics of the attitude to life among terminally ill convicts. Penitentiary Science, 2025, vol. 19, no. 2 (70), pp. 180–188. doi 10.46741/2686-9764.2025.70.2.008.
The article considers psychological features of terminally ill convicts’ attitude to life in correctional institutions. The presence of an incurable disease and prospects of an early death can push a convicted person to violate socially beneficial relationships and internal regulations of the institution. A theoretical analysis of the specifics of attitudes to life is carried out. A number of the most frequent reactions to the manifestation of an incurable disease and specific psychological problems in this category of convicts are given. An attitude to life is considered as one of the important components of the issue to prevent suicidal behavior among convicts with incurable socially significant diseases. Purpose: to study psychological features of the attitude to life among terminally ill convicts and to provide recommendations on psychological support for this category. Methods: comparative analysis, Purpose-in-Life Test, and Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: the results of the study show that convicts with incurable diseases have the lowest level of acceptance of their lives. They do not worry about their lives and do not believe in themselves and others. When interacting with others, they feel pity. They make contact indirectly and do not care about their appearance and behavior. Terminally ill convicts often report chronic fatigue, which is the effect of constant negative thoughts. They experience feelings of social isolation and loneliness. Conclusion: when providing psychological support to convicts in this category, a realistic attitude to life can serve as the basis for longer productive life and, on the other hand, the basis for adequate communication with others, including in terms of compliance with behavioral norms.
Keywords: attitude to life, terminally ill convicts, penitentiary system, correctional facilities, psychological aspects, psychological support, incurable diseases.
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