Existential Fulfillment and Mental Health Drivers of IT Specialists

Background. The modern IT industry is characterised by a paradox of high economic growth against the backdrop of growing professional burnout and meaning deficit among specialists. The theoretical relevance is determined by insufficient study of the role of existential factors in the professional well-being of IT specialists and the absence of integrative models explaining the specifics of existential needs realisation in digital environments. The practical relevance is defined by the need to develop differentiated psychological support programmes for IT specialists, considering the transformation of basic existential categories in virtualised professional activities. Objective. The goal is to identify relationships between existential fulfillment and mental health drivers among IT specialists, as well as to determine the specifics of their manifestation in various demographic groups Study Participants. The study involved 86 IT specialists aged 19 to 51 years (M = 32.5, SD = 6.9; 60.5% male) with IT experience from 0.5 to 15 years (M = 4.7). The sample included representatives of various work formats and job levels. Methods. An adapted version of the Test of Existential Motivations (α = 0.87) and the “Mental Health Drivers” questionnaire (α = 0.91) were used. Statistical processing was performed in Jamovi 2.3 using correlation analysis, Student’s t-test, and one-way ANOVA. Results. Statistically significant correlational associations between existential components and mental health drivers were revealed. The hypothesis of a negative association between the existential components “space” (r = –0.29, p < 0.01) and “closeness” (r = –0.34, p < 0.001) with mental health drivers was confirmed, consistent with theoretical assumptions about the transformation of existential categories in the digital environment. Hybrid work format demonstrated significant advantages in maintaining psychological well-being, outperforming office and remote formats. Statistically significant age (η² = 0.07–0.14), gender (d = 0.51–0.64), and professional-hierarchical differences in existential resources were revealed. Conclusions. Existential resources demonstrate significant associations with psychological well-being among IT specialists. The results substantiate the need for a differentiated approach to supporting the psychological well-being of IT specialists, taking into account their demographic and professional characteristics.