To diagnose an emotional marker of experiencing a critical life situation, such as cynicism, the Cook-Medley hostility scale was used; rigidity - a technique for diagnosing self-assessment of mental states (according to G. Aizenk)).
The total sample size of the subjects was 130 people aged 25 to 65 years:
1) experimental group - 72 people (women and men who survived a divorce);
2) control group - 58 people (subjects without conditions of a dissolved marriage).
A conceptual model of psychological mechanisms of a critical life situation of a person in conditions of a dissolved marriage is highlighted. It is revealed that against the background of general dissatisfaction in the emotional sphere of the individual in the situation of divorce, unproductive emotional markers of experiencing a critical life situation, such as rigidity and cynicism, dominate.
The results obtained allowed to determine the directions and content of the program of psychological support of the individual in the conditions of a dissolved marriage, taking into account the emotional markers of experiencing a critical life situation.
Keywords: critical life situation, divorce, experience, emotional markers, rigidity, cynicism.