ARTICLES ARCHIVE

Military conflicts produce a negative impact on the mental health, quality of life and psychological well−being. Investigation of the problems associated with a wide range of post−stress mental disorders, particularly post−traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the most common and unfavorable disorder of the mental sphere due to extraordinary events, is important. To determine the features of post−stress response in civilians displaced from the ATO area, 22 women from rehabilitation centers were examined. Conversation techniques, clinical, psychopathological, psychodiagnostic and statistical methods were used. The women who arrived from the ATO zone had the signs of post−traumatic stress disorders within the range of adaptation disorders. Separate symptoms of hyperactivity and avoidance combined with anxious−phobic, asthenic−depressive feelings, emotional coldness and detachment were observed. The patients were characterized with manifestations of suspicion, wariness, and impulsivity, exacerbation of premorbid personality traits, disorders of communication. A trend to reduction in the subjective assessment of their psychological well−being and perception of the world as an unjust, malevolent and uncontrollable was present. The degree of post−stress disorders was higher in persons who lost their relatives and who suffered great material losses, as well as in older persons. The obtained results can be used in development of treatment and rehabilitation for persons with post−stress disorders.

Personality traits of each of the spouses and their combination in a married couple play a role in preserving the family function. Therefore, the problem of ensuring the family function, family adaptation can be solved only if the pairing nature of sexual function, personal characteristics of each of the spouses, as well as the relationships established between all family members, including children are considered. To clarify the causes of family function disorders, family maladjustment, married couples with emotionally unstable personality type disorder in women were examined. The study was conducted from the standpoint of systemic approach to reflect the multidimensionality of provision and couples nature of the sexual function. In accordance with this comprehensive survey of the spouses (special sexology, psychology, clinical and sociological) was performed. The disorders in the family, its adaptation were investigated using systemic−structural analysis of the state of sexual health, developed by V. V. Kristal. The systemic−structural analysis of the family health, sexual health in its integral criteria determined the disorders of psychological and socio−psychological components due to presence of women traits that resulted in negative assessment of the husband, mismatch of family role positions of spouses, divergence they value orientations and the prevailing motivation, absence of the feeling of mutual love. Disorders of the family function, reduction of family adaptation due to the presence of pathocharacterological characteristics of women with emotionally unstable personality disorders, negative attitudes of children, first of all to mother, father, both parents contribute to the preservation and development of family maladjustment.

The first psychotic episode is a serious biological, psychological, social stress, which can be overcome in the conditions of a favorable prognosis of the underlying disease and depend on the characteristics of mental adaptation. To identify the main maladjustment characteristics in women undergoing first psychotic episode at all levels of operation, 219 patients with acute polymorphic psychotic disorder without symptoms of schizophrenia (ICD−10 F23.0) were examined. HADS/HARS, Bass − Daria test, questionnaire of Leonhard − Shmishec, TAS, J. Mezzsch et al. method were used The results showed that the women with a primary psychotic episode had maladjustment signs of three levels of operation − psycho−emotional, personality, psychosocial. Disorders of psycho−emotional level included elevated levels of aggressiveness, high or medium level of depression and high level of anxiety. The study of personality characteristics of women revealed that the following types of accentuation were frequently present: hyperthymic, anxiety, demonstrative, sticking. Reduced psychosocial level manifested by deterioration of quality of life and disorders in attitude to the family roles.

In the recent years Ukraine suffers from a hybrid war, the key feature of which is psychological and information influence on people by using techniques and methods of information and psychological war (IPW). To explore the features of interpersonal and communicative sphere as one of the most vulnerable due to IPW, primary care patients were investigated, depending on the use of funds to the involvement IPW, namely, watching television (TV), news search on the Internet or reading periodicals. The study was carried out by means of psychological and clinical psychodiagnostic methods. It was found that the patients with the symptoms of psychological maladjustment vary considerably in their interpersonal and communication skills, depending on their involvement to the use of means of information and psychological war. The individuals who had a busy addictive status regarding watching TV and using the Internet, and as a results were vulnerable to the destructive information and psychological influence, demonstrated expressed deformity of interpersonal communicative sphere, which was reflected in the high propensity to aggressive communication, both in general and in its individual parameters, dominance of aggression as a major psychological defense strategy in communication, a high level of cynicism, aggressiveness and hostility and intolerance and rejection of people with a different point of view. Interpersonal and communication sphere of primary care patients with low levels of involvement to watching TV and using the Internet, almost in all parameters was similar to that of healthy individuals except autoaggression that indicated of increased demands on themselves and their own emotional expressions. According to all other signs, they were characterized by medium−low values of communicative aggressiveness, dominance of protective psychological mechanisms in communication with the types of peacefulness or avoidance, low cynicism, aggressiveness and hostility, and a high level of acceptance and tolerance toward others. The results confirm the presence of negative influence of the IPW on the condition of mental health of the civilian population, which requires development of activities of psychocorrection and psychoprophylaxis of maladjustment conditions due to the influence of IPW factors.

Disorders of glucocorticoid metabolism are one of the most common types of endocrine dysfunctions. Besides a wide spectrum of somatic disorders, psychopathological disorders, occurring in the structure of such conditions, are of great importance. Clinical and psychopathological analysis and systematization of psychopathological disorders in the structure of psychoendocrine syndrome with corticosteroids metabolism disorders were done. Retrospective and prospective investigation, clinical anamnestic, psychodiagnostic (simultaneous, psychodiagnostic interview), clinical and psychopathological (SCL−90−R), statistical methods were used. Comparison of clinical and psychopathological characteristics of the patients was conducted in two vectors: between different types of endocrine function; between compensation and decompensation states in the structure of one type of dysfunction. The results of the study showed that the obtained data point to the character of the structural components of the syndrome in psychoendocrine hypercorticoidism at clinically expressed endocrine disorders. the consistent clinical and pathological analysis of the semiotic structure of psychoendocrine syndrome in the states of compensation and decompensation of the endocrine dysfunction revealed significant clinical reduction of severity of severe somatization, mild obsessive−compulsive disorders, moderately severe and mild forms of depressive disorders, severe and moderately severe forms anxiety, pronounced forms of hostility, medium and moderate levels of semiotics, the corresponding to subscale of psychotism.

The need for psychological support for patients with pain is caused by a significant influence of pain on the psyche of the patient. The aim of the research was to investigate medical psychological manifestations associated with the presence of pain in cancer patients at different stages of the treatment process (initial, repeated, palliative). As a diagnostic tool structured clinical psychological interview was used. The findings showed that in cancer patients, pain was a frequent manifestation of the disease, its incidence and severity increased in the course of the disease. The pain provided multi−faceted impact on the functioning of the patient and had significant medical, psychological and psychosocial consequences. Treatment of pain included medical psychological factors of the effectiveness of anti−pain therapy associated with psychological reactions and compliance. Successful treatment of pain is associated with the use of multimodal strategy that contains anti−pain therapy and psychological help.

In case of family businesses, the process of family life is added with new, previously not inherent features of functioning. The family structure shows a number of indisputable advantages in organizational and economic sphere of business. Nevertheless, family business, based on emotional ties that are a potential source of conflict, becomes hostage to adequacy of family interaction and cohesion. The critical state of the family leads to crisis and collapse of family−based business. Among the most important reasons that may cause such crisis is a problem of generation change and transfer of business from parents to children. To study psycho−emotional disorders as manifestation of family psychological health disorders in families engaged in joint business 85 members of the families were examined. Two generations (parents −− founders of the business, and their adult children who were involved in the case) were included in the study. The survey included the use of socio−demographic, clinical and psychological and psychodiagnostic methods, the results of which were subjected to the processing using mathematical statistics. The results of the study show that in families in which adult children were involved in the family business by their own conscious desire, the indicators of psycho−emotional sphere were synchronous and almost did not go beyond the normative values in both generations. If the adult children were engaged in business for passive parental consent, the second generation had disorders of psycho−emotional sphere of depressive and anxiety circle. The mental state of parents was preserved better, but they had depressive and anxiety symptoms. The worst psycho−emotional state was typical of those families in which the second generation took part in the father's business under constraint, obeying the father's will. In this case, all children were diagnosed with psychotic symptoms, depression mosaic signs, small depressive episode; symptoms of pathological anxiety. One third of the parents had psychopathological manifestations of depression, almost half anxiety. Disorders of psycho−emotional sphere of children with non−adaptive motivation to participate in the family business were presented as feeling of depression and little value, anxious expectation of trouble, irritability, a sense of tension and so on. In Their parents, anxious and depressive phenomena were realized according to the mechanism of somatization, the manifestations of which were significantly lower than in children. The obtained data were taken into account when developing the measures of psychological support and correction of the family members who are engaged in joint business.

Volunteer activities include additional elements of risk connected with the peculiarities contact with human suffering and losses. This risk increases significantly in times of crisis, when the number of people needing assistance significantly increases. In this regard, the problem of definition, support and development of the personality traits which provide a stress−overcoming (coping) behavior, maintain mental and physical health of volunteers and their effectiveness in daily life and activities becomes acute. In order to study the characteristics of coping behavior of volunteers with varying levels of maladjustment and stress and set targets for their medical and psychological support, two groups of volunteers with minor adaptation disorders, which did not reach clinical levels, and those which showed the signs of maladjustment were examined. The questionnaire «Evaluation of occupational maladjustment» by O. N. Rodina, coping behavior in stressful situations (Norman S. et al.), the scale of occupational stress by D. Fontana were used in the study. Investigation of overcoming stress behavior of volunteers revealed the structure and features of their coping strategies depending on the levels of stress and maladjustment. The dominant behavioral strategy in volunteers is problem−focused coping. Gender peculiarities of using coping strategies and basic features of coping strategies based on marital status were established, which allows substantiation of psychoprophylaxis and psychological training strategy in volunteer activities, support of productive coping strategies to minimize the impact of stress on the psyche of the volunteers. These data were taken into account in development of psychopreventive and psychocorrective treatment of the volunteer, whose activities are related to the provision of the military in the ATO area.

Preclinical disorders in the form of psychological post−stress maladjustment affect a large number of people, especially employees of MIA of Ukraine, who took part in the ATO. The degree of maladjustment due to the effect of stress depends on the system of psychological defense, which includes coping strategies and adaptive behavior. These factors are important for prediction and prevention of psychological maladjustment, its correction after the influence of stress factors. To investigate formation and state of the mechanisms of coping strategies and adaptive behavior in employees of MIA of Ukraine with manifestations of psychological maladjustment after participating in the ATO, clinical and psychological and psychodiagnostic investigation of the psychological state of 205 persons was performed. The following methods were used: IMPACT OF EVENT SCALE−R−1ES−R, Diagnosis of coping strategies by Heim, Test of resilience, Questionnaire of proactive coping, Questionnaire of post−traumatic growth. The results of the study revealed reduced productivity of cognitive, emotional and behavioral coping strategies. Increased propensity for deviant behavior was revealed in the participants of the ATO. The group of psychopathic version considers it possible to use some options of addictive behavior in some circumstances of their lives. Despite significant changes in individual indicators of coping strategies of ATO participants with emotional and affective changes, the resulting symptoms indicate a less pronounced maladjustment and the presence of a significant spectrum of resources for successful integration of the acquired experience in the structure of personality. At psychopathic version, maladjustment itself was much more pronounced against a background of a significant reduction in resources for successful rehabilitation. Further research is needed to identify the mechanisms of integration of the changes acquired in the ATO.

The patients seeking for cosmetic treatment are characterized by increased anxiety, depressed mood, activity, worsening of health, changes in self−esteem, self−attitude, interpersonal problems. Increased attention to the appearance can be a sign of difficulties in the psychosocial sphere, desire to influence the social status with attractiveness. Revealing the correlation of the appearance and psychosocial functioning of cosmetology patients can give important information about their mental state and methods of its correction. 286 women with cosmetic problems were involved in the study with the purpose to investigate the peculiarities of psychofunctional function of cosmetology patients with disharmonious self−attitude. Questionnaire of socio−psychological adaptation by K. Rogers and R. Diamond was used. Psychosocial functioning of women with disharmonious low self−esteem was influenced by low assessment of the own physical and personal features, dissatisfaction, indecision, and negative feelings associated with interpersonal interaction, difficulties in social interactions, passivity, dependence, externalization of control locus. In women with disharmonious high self−esteem psychosocial functioning was characterized by social activity directed to achieving a high status in the competition, contrasting their qualities and skills to other persons, concentration on themselves, confidence in their own visibility, attractiveness, tendency to criticism, arrogance and often hostility relation towards to other people. The leading psychopathogenic factor of psychosocial maladjustment in women with low disharmonious self−esteem was negative self−perception, while with high self−esteem changes in interpersonal interaction. Psychocorrection of psychosocial functioning disorders is an important part of psychological help for patients with cosmetological problems.

Investigation of physiological and psychological tendencies of gestation process with the purpose to improve the reproductive system of women is more relevant than ever. The biological processes in the body of a pregnant woman have been studied intensively, but the mental sphere of pregnancy still requires in−depth investigation. The mental status of pregnant women in many respects depends on the socio−psychological and individual psychological characteristics. Personality traits of women with abnormal pregnancy were investigated together with the subjective estimation of the health condition (internal picture of the disease). Clinical and psychological, experimental and psychological research methods were used: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), L?scher color test, Spielberger−Khanin State−Trait Anxiety Inventory, methods of differential diagnosis of depressive states according to W. Zung, color test of relationships by A. M. Etkind. It was revealed that women regardless of the course of pregnancy do not consider themselves completely healthy; women with abnormal pregnancy point to the poor state of their health. Hypochondriac tendencies, rigidity, diversity of attitude, anxiety and depressive tendencies, difficulties in social adaptation; decrease in the emotional background and hypochondriac tendencies were revealed. The women with physiological gestation had reduced emotional background, hypochondriac tendencies and demonstrative behavior as a personality trait. Declaring by the pregnant women of deterioration of their health condition can indicate aggravation of their mental state.

At present the problem of stress influence and its role in the origin of adaptation disorders is urgent for both the society and psychological practice. The article analyzes the consequences of stress impact as one of the factors of adaptation disorders development. Stress response of the organism in adjustment disorders is considered as the process based on the principle of feedback. The model of the stress response of the organism in adaptation disorders is as following: stress −− emotions −− behavior −− body −− brain. Stress response, covering the entire human organism, affects the work of the brain, as well as emotions and behavior, which manifests in somatic and bodily symptoms. Whatever stress is, «good» (eustress) or «bad» (distress), emotional or physical (or both simultaneously), its impact on the body has common non−specific features of adaptation syndrome, passing in three stages: starting as primary anxiety, succeeded by a period of resistance and ended by nervous exhaustion. Within the bounds of response to stress, several forms of mental maladjustment with corresponding clinical variants of borderline mental states (from adaptive reactions to posttraumatic personality disorders) were outlined. Probability of unfavorable prognosis of adjustment disorders depends on many factors affecting individual's capability to adapt to life changes or traumatic events. An important role is played by timely and adequate diagnosis and well−built strategy of complex treatment.

Paranoid schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that produces a pronounced destructive effect on all spheres of social functioning of an individual. The presence of severe disease symptoms in women radically distorts their marital and maternal functions. To analyze the clinical psychopathology features of paranoid schizophrenia in women in the context of their impact on the parent−child interactions, 100 women with paranoid schizophrenia and their children were examined. It was established that the presence of active delusional symptoms is a powerful disintegrating factor contributing to disorders of social adaptation. A powerful pathological effect on the psychological state of children is produced by negative schizophrenic symptoms. Emotional−volitional and cognitive−mnemonic deficiency (an integral part of schizophrenic process) largely disturbs interpersonal communication and promotes dysfunctional pathological deviant behavioral patterns in children. In general, the children of women with paranoid schizophrenia with prevailing productive psychotic symptoms were characterized by emotional lability, irritability, increased anxiety, shyness, tearfulness. Predominance of negative symptoms in children manifests by difficulties in developing informal contacts, emotional coldness, low mood, apathy and inadequate emotional reactions. The results of the study indicate that disorders of parent−child interaction in families where the mother has paranoid schizophrenia, reveal a close relationship with clinical and psychopathological features of the disease. Severity and structure of psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia in the mother determines the characteristics of the child and the psychological distortion of perception of family situations and parent−child relationships.

To identify, describe and classify progredient vectors of schizophrenia simplex, the structural−dynamic features of its pathomorphosis were analyzed. Clinical anamnestic, clinical psychopathological, clinical statistical methods were used. The study systematized additional progredient vectors of schizophrenia simplex, as well as distinguished paranoiac, pathoassociative, pseudoneurotic, dissocial, and alienative vectors. Extrapolating the findings to the general population of patients with schizophrenia simplex allowed to distinguish the following levels of atypism of pairing of initial symptoms and progression of additional vectors of progression: 0 −− classical nosospecific for simple form of schizophrenia combination of initial symptoms and dynamics of symptoms development; 1 −− conventionally identified variants of combinations of initial symptoms and dynamics of symptoms development; 2 −− rare variants of combinations of initial symptoms and dynamics of symptoms development, which are derivative of therapeutic pathomorphosis; 3 −− atypical variants of combinations of initial symptoms and dynamics of development of symptoms. They are derivatives of pathomorphosis of both types −− true and therapeutic ones and of pseudopathomorphosis. The distinguished levels of atypia of schizophrenia simplex allow considering the dynamic complex of psychopathological disorders in the structure of the disease within the frame of a uniform form, which clinically determines the therapeutic process consolidation and antithetic diagnosis change.

At present the question of bullying in adolescents in spite of its urgency and active investigation in Europe remains poorly investigated in Ukraine. To investigate bullying as manifestation of aggressive tendencies in upper−form pupils, 589 teenagers of 10 secondary schools of Odesa were involved in the study. The study was conducted in secondary schools of different types: public schools, gymnasium, lyceum, college and boarding school. The study was performed as a part of Swedish−Ukrainian project to study the mental health of adolescents in collaboration with Swedish National Research Centre supported by the Swedish Institute. The mean age of the respondents was 14.866 years (SD = 1.107 years). Comprehensive questioner of the state of mental health and lifestyle developed for SEYLE (Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe) was used. Frequency of manifestations of disrespect attitude to the peers during the recent 12 months in adolescents was studied. The first three places were given to such items as «other children often teased me», «gave me nicknames», «spread rumors about me». The last three places in the ranking of the prevalence of aggressive behavior were taken by such items as «others often beat me», «often forced to work for others» and «often took my money, property or food». The effect of parental involvement on aggressive behavior and some issues related to aggressive behavior of teenagers was studied. Psychological and physical bullying was analyzed. The study revealed that psychological bullying was a more common problem than physical one. The results of this study can be used in educational and psychological practice for promotion of healthy behavior among adolescents.

Sexual relations in men with affective and social anxiety disorders are largely due to deviation of emotional and psychosexual development and sexual behavior, which are usually the consequences of dysontogenesis of the nervous system and psyche. To study the features of sexual development and sexual behavior of men with personality disorders and clarify the role of existing disorders in the origin of sexual maladjustment, 28 couples were examined. The study was performed using systemic and structural analysis of sexual health. It was shown that the main cause of sexual maladjustment at affective and social anxiety personality disorders in men is disorder of the rate of psychosexual development and pathology characteristic personality traits determining sexual behavior of patients. Sex−role behavior stereotype development was characterized by structural complexity and retardation. Sexual activity in the marriage was characterized by poor manifestations, monotony that was often accompanied by sense of dissatisfaction, which caused frustrating expectation of failure. Sexual disharmony arose from the very beginning or during the first three years of marriage. Negative complementary and antagonistic variants of maladjustment type of marital relations were established in all couples. It was shown that affective and social anxiety disorders in the patients were very similar in their manifestations and structure, but visible difference in some patients belong to the area of affection, while in others −− in the social sphere in general. Treatment of these disorders consisted of psychotherapy, psychotherapy combined with pharmacotherapy, and purely pharmacotherapy. The most effective were selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, as well as benzodiazepines or ?−blockers for people with these disorders. It was emphasized that delayed diagnosis of anxiety disorder leads to delay or absence of adequate treatment, which adversely affects the marriage.

Chronic prostatitis is an inflammatory disease of the prostate gland which is found in 30 % of men. The disease is accompanied by mental disorders, mental and sexual problems leading to reduction of the quality of life of the patients. To determine the influence of mental disorders, sexual disorders of the patients with chronic prostatitis on the quality of life, were examined. Clinical examination, determining somatic, neurological, mental state, sexology and psychodynamic examination of men and women were performed. The quality of life was investigated using J. E. Mezzich et al. technique. Satisfaction was the sexual relations was assessed using W. E. Snell, D. R. Papini scale. The prevailing type of sexual dysfunction in men with chronic prostatitis is erectile dysfunction and lack of sexual satisfaction. It was found that non−functional types of marriage dominated. A comprehensive study allows determining the quality of life, psycho−emotional state, level of married adaptation, typology of marital relations, and motivational aspects of sexual behavior in men with chronic prostatitis.

The study involved 102 couples seeking for medical assistance in which the examination revealed marital maladjustment. The majority of the couples aged 22−34. Mostly they belonged to one age group, except for 14 couples in which the women were 7−11 years younger than their husbands (the majority of these men were in the 2nd or 3rd marriage). Clinical−psychological investigation was aimed at studying the dispositions of the personality of the spouses; mental and psychological − comparison of the personal character traits of spouses in marriage and causes of marital conflict; sexological −− on the study of interpersonal relations of the couples contributing to sexual maladjustment. The study identified several causes of development of disorders of adaptation in infertile marriages. The combination of differences in such factors as the reasons for marriage, self−esteem, types of sexual constitution, sexual motivation and psychosexual types produced a significant effect on the compensatory mechanisms of maintenance of the marriage and led to development of spouse maladjustment, and further family disruption.