ANXIETY DISORDERS AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS

Background: Concerns about the psychological health of students are determined by their lifestyle, specific working conditions, and the role that this social group plays in society. Compensatory mechanisms of students do not always cope with new living conditions and the requirements of higher education, which leads to stress, psychological and social conflicts, as well as to the use of psychoactive substances. Aim. The paper aims to identify the prevalence of anxiety disorders among medical students to develop recommendations for primary and secondary psychological prevention. Materials and methods: the study was conducted throughout the year. The first- and fourth-year students (52.6 % and 47. 4 % respectively) of the medical faculty of the South Ural State Medical University participated in the study (n = 612). The study involved both females (66.8 %) and males (33.2 %). To identify various anxiety disorders, the Yale-Brown Scale, ICD-10 criteria (F41.0 and F41.1), and anonymous survey were used. To assess the reliability of the values obtained, the Student’s t-test was used. Relative values and their representative errors were calculated. Results: anxiety disorders were detected in 65.8 % of first-year students and more than half of fourth-year students. Moreover, anxiety disorders are 1.5 times more common in females than in males. Depressive conditions were found in every fifth student, regardless of the year of study. More than half of first-year students and every third fourth-year student suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder of varying severity. Severe and extremely severe obsessive-compulsive disorder in first-year students occurs 2 times more often than in fourth-year students. Conclusion: anxiety disorders are widespread among medical students, which requires their primary and secondary prevention. First-year students are particularly affected by adaptation to new living conditions and the requirements of higher education.

OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE AND CAREER/JOB SATISFACTION AMONG YOUNG SPECIALISTS

Background: Professional activity is an important component of self-realization. Career and job satisfaction contribute to greater productivity and a sense of success. The initial stage of professional self-determination is occupational choice. Therefore, it is important to understand how to choose a profession and experience a higher level of career and job satisfaction. Aim: the paper aims to study the parameters of occupational choice among young specialists associated with career and job satisfaction in the future. Materials and methods. The sample consisted of 48 respondents, both females and males, young specialists from various professional fields with work experience from 1 year to 3 years. The study was conducted by means of a structured interview followed by content analysis of the data obtained. Career and job satisfaction were studied through self-reporting of subjects. Statistical processing of the data was carried out using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient and the Mann–Whitney U-test in the SPSS Statistics program. Results. The parameters of occupational choice among young specialists were studied such as information saturation, emotional attractiveness, motives of choice, as well as their components. It was found that the “information saturation” parameter includes such elements as “information about the profession”, “knowledge of oneself”, “personal experience of acquaintance with the profession”. The “emotional attractiveness” parameter includes “professional interest” and “emotional attitude”. It was found that personal experience and emotional attractiveness are most closely associated with career and job satisfaction among young specialists. Reliance on motives from the “activity content” category is associated with greater career and job satisfaction, and reliance on motives from the “personal security” category is associated with less pronounced satisfaction in the future. Conclusion. Thus, it was possible to prove the relationship between occupational choice and the subsequent career and job satisfaction among young specialists.

PREDICTING ADAPTABILITY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS USING STRESS MODELING

Background. The relevance of the study is associated with the need to increase the effectiveness of measures to prevent the development of mental disorders in law enforcement officers and to form a stable psychological adaptation to high-intensity stressors when working in extreme conditions. Aim. The paper aims to evaluate the adaptability of people of extreme jobs with different indicators of regulatory systems during stress modeling. Materials and methods. 158 male officers of law enforcement agencies aged from 18 to 49 years with various types of professional activity were examined: 1) security profile – 24 employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia; 2) sensory-motor/sensory-gnostic profile – 92 males of military contract service of the Armed forces of Russia; 3) team profile – 42 officers of the Armed forces of Russia. The use of biofeedback data allowed to evaluate the indicators of regulatory systems in the initial functional state and during stress modeling. The study of individual psychological features was conducted using a battery of psychological tests. Results. Individual psychological features of professional reliability in law enforcement officers with high, medium and low indicators of regulatory systems during stress modeling were determined. It was revealed that individuals with exhausted regulatory systems were characterized by a low autonomy of regulatory processes, difficulties in goals setting, an expanded sphere of saving emotions, and low activation of behavior aimed at pleasure seeking. Conclusion. Empirical data confirmed the feasibility of creating a method for comprehensive psychological, neurobiological and psychovegetative diagnostics of self-control and self-regulation, which allows expanding the existing arsenal of predictive tools for evaluating behavioral responses in people of extreme jobs that require high mental reserves and neuropsychological stability. Taking into account the individual psychological features of law enforcement officers with different activity of regulatory systems is considered as essential for the creation of individualized preventive and rehabilitation programs.

PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF AIRСRAFT PILOTS DURING VISUAL SEARCH AND DETECTION OF SMALL-SIZE GROUND OBJECTS IN DIFFICULT WEATHER CONDITIONS

Background. Visual search and detection of small-size ground objects in difficult weather conditions is a task that provokes psychophysiological stress. The influence of professional pilot activity on the psychophysiological cost of air reconnaissance remains unclear. Materials and methods. The study on the detection and identification of a ground object during landing approach was carried out in winter, during daylight hours: 42 aircraft pilots (average age 30.0 ± 2.8 years, experience from 7 to 14 years) performed 192 research flights. Studies of the subjective assessment of the range to small-size ground objects (SSGO) depending on different visibility conditions and flight altitude were carried out with the participation of 11 aircraft pilots (average age 31.2 ± 1.4 years, experience from 10 to 14 years). The aircraft pilots performed 33 research flights, during which the indicators of neuro-emotional stress were recorded using on-board recording equipment. Results. The search for SSGO in difficult weather conditions (DWC) is accompanied by the increased neuro-emotional stress of the pilot. The pilot's eye estimate of the range to SSGO in conditions of a limited maximum visibility (2.5–4.0 km) for altitudes of 300–400 m is characterized by overestimating the range by an average of 12 %, while good visibility results in underestimating the range. A flight under the clouds with maintaining the distance between the lower edge of the cloud and a flight height of about 50 meters is more favorable for the search for SSGO. With a decrease in this distance to 25 m or less, there is an increase in the physiological cost of such activity (increase in heart rate by 11.6 %; respiration rate by 13.7 %). Conclusion. The psychophysiological features of a pilot that affect the detection and identification of SSGO in DWC mostly depend on the maximum visibility. The coefficients obtained make it possible to adequately estimate the detection and identification range during air reconnaissance in DWC. Pilot’s workload, as well as the level of his/her neuro-emotional stress are determined by the maximum visibility and the distance between the lower edge of the cloud and the specified flight altitude.

ASSESSMENT OF THE FUNCTIONAL STATE OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM IN ADOLESCENTS LIVING IN THE NORTH

Background. The function of the central nervous system in adolescents reflects the complex influence of climatic and social conditions, as well as morphofunctional lability characteristic of puberty. Studying the functional state of the central nervous system in adolescents living at high latitudes is important for forming a region-dependent norm of the functional state of the body. Aim. The paper aims to reveal the features of sensorimotor integration as an indicator of the functional state of the central nervous system in 11–14-year-old students living in the North. Materials and methods. 88 schoolchildren from Surgut (46 males and 42 females) aged 11–12 years (1 group, n = 33) and 13–14 years (2 group, n = 55) were examined. Psychophysiological testing was carried out with the help of the NS-Psychotest hardware and software (Neurosoft, Ivanovo). The following methods were used: simple visual and motor reaction, complex visual and motor reaction – choice reaction. Mathematical and statistical processing was carried out in Microsoft Excel and Statistica 10.0. Results. Sex-related differences in neurodynamic data were revealed: average parameters of boys of both groups in comparison with girls are characteristic of a more active and mobile central nervous system. The functional state of the central nervous system in males is higher than that of females in both age groups, though, sensorimotor responses of females are more stable. Age-related improvements in sensorimotor integration were noted due to improved cerebral processing of sensory information by reducing latency time of sensorimotor responses. In males, depending on age, there was a tendency to negative changes in the functional state of the central nervous system. Conclusions. The results obtained describe the average level of activation and a high level of functional mobility of nervous processes in all adolescents. The average level of the functional state of the central nervous system reflects the optimal functional capabilities of the participants, which is the basis for effective psychophysiological adaptation to living conditions and educational activities.

FEATURES OF VALUE AND SENSE ATTITUDES TO EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN FUTURE TEACHERS

Background: At the moment, in educational psychology, questions of training future teachers remain relevant. The same is for the formation of not only professional competencies but also the system of value and sense attitudes of a teacher to his/her educational activities. Aim: The paper aims to study the structure of value and sense attitudes of future teachers (on the example of university students). Materials and methods: the study involved first-year students of the South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University and the Bashkir State Pedagogical University named after M. Akmullahs aged from 17 to 18 years (n = 140, 118 females and 22 males). The following psychodiagnostic methods were used: meaning-life orientations test by D.A. Leontiev; value orientations method by M. Rokich; system of vital meanings by V.Yu. Kotlyakova modified by D.S. Ermakov. Mathematical and statistical processing: descriptive statistics and factor analysis were carried out using the IBM SPSS Statistics v. 23 statistical software package. Results: the indicators of meaning-life orientations, the ranking position of terminal and instrumental values, as well as the prevailing categories of life meanings were revealed. In the structure of value and sense attitudes of future teachers, 4 factors are identified that describe the students' ability to formulate their personal meanings, correlate them with the interests of society and their future profession. Conclusion: the data obtained allow to analyze the structure of value and sense attitudes of future teachers. The peculiarity of their educational activity is closely connected with a teacher’s perception of his/her importance and value in society.

DETERMINING STRATEGIES FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT IN REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH ESOPHAGEAL VARICES IN THE EARLY POSTOPERATIVE PERIOD

Background. Despite numerous data on the impossibility of effective rehabilitation of somatic patients without taking into account their psychological status, the psychological profile of patients with esophageal varices remains unexplored and not taken into account in the early postoperative period. Aim. The paper aims to identify the psychological features of patients with esophageal varices to determine promising strategies for increasing the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process in the early postoperative period. Materials and methods. The sample included 22 patients with a verified diagnosis of I 85.9 (ICD-10) and a disease duration of 1 year, who underwent in-hospital treatment in connection with the forthcoming endoscopic sclerosis. Structured clinical interviews and a detailed self-assessment test of disease significance, anxiety level, depression, awareness skills and a system of fundamental cognitive beliefs were conducted. Statistical processing was performed using the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results. Both subclinical and clinical anxiety was diagnosed in 7 patients (31.81 %) each. No correlation was found between age, disease duration, the number of hospitalizations and the expression of anxiety and depressive symptoms. A high or very high effect of esophageal varices was revealed on the following spheres of social status – a limited feeling of strength and energy (90.9 %), career restrictions (81.8 %), material damage (77.2 %), limited pleasure (68.1 %). The relationship between self-assessment of disease significance (experiencing the impact of the disease on various spheres of life), awareness skills and the system of cognitive beliefs was reliably confirmed. Conclusion. Effective rehabilitation of patients with esophageal varices using the strategies of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy during the early postoperative period has been proven.

COGNITIVE SELF-REGULATION STRATEGIES AND RESILIENCE IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS

Background: Medical, economic, socio-demographic, psychological consequences of T2DM justify the need for the development of an interdisciplinary program of clinical and psychological support of patients with T2DM. Aim. This paper aims to study cognitive self-regulation strategies and resilience in patients with T2DM taking into account the duration of the disease, its perception as a severe threat, as well as analysis of the correlation between cognitive self-regulation strategies and resilience components, to clarify the targets of psychotherapeutic interventions in T2DM patients. Materials and methods: An experimental study has been conducted. The study involved 30 patients with a clinical diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (ICD-10 code E11). The clinical psychological method has been used in the study namely psychodiagnostic (controlled, partially standardized) interview and the analysis of medical documentation. The experimental psychological method involves the use of psychodiagnostic techniques: the Adult’s Resilience test, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, the Cognitive Representations of Illness Questionnaire, the Types of Attitude toward Disease technique. For statistical analysis, the following methods have been used: descriptive statistics, comparative statistics (Mann–Whitney criteria, Spearman's rank correlation method). All calculations were performed using the StatSoft STATISTICA 10.0 software package for Windows. Results. It has been revealed that the cognitive representation transforms according to the disease duration and its perception as a severe threat. In T2DM patients, the structural organization of resilience alters with increasing duration of disease. Components of resilience (persistence, self-efficacy, internal locus of control, family and social relationships, spirituality) contribute to cognitive reappraisal of the aversive nature of T2DM. The targets of psychotherapeutic interventions in patients with T2DM are reduction of helplessness-hopelessness construct and an increase of acceptance cognition; transformations of the structure of cognitive representations and cognitive reappraisal strategies occur through increasing links with the components of resilience. Conclusion: cognitive representations about T2DM and components of resilience transform in patients as the disease develops. With an increase in the duration of T2DM, the cognitive helplessness construct remains stable. It has been found that groups of patients with a perception of T2DM as a severe and moderate threat significantly differ both in the components of cognitive perceptions and in the valence of cognitive reevaluation. The targets of psychotherapeutic interventions in patients with type 2 diabetes are formulated.

ADAPTIVE RESOURCES OF SUBJECTS WITH DIFFERENT STRATEGIES FOR CHOOSING A WAY OF LIFE IN A STRESS SITUATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES

Background. The modern world is characterized by instability, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Therefore, a successful development of an organization requires organizational changes, which provoke the necessity of adaptation for people working in this organization. The study of specific adaptive resources revealed the benefits of a differentiated approach to personnel undergoing organizational changes. The differentiation of the sample depending on the strategies for choosing a way of life is justified. Aim. The paper aims to study the specifics of adaptive resources in the context of organizational changes and the features of experiencing stress, tolerance to uncertainty and resilience. Materials and methods. The study involved 208 employees of a large industrial enterprise in Chelyabinsk (of which 135 females and 73 males). The following methods were used during the study: typology for a personal choice of a way of life by V. Gryazeva-Dobshinskaya, A.S. Maltseva; the Psychological Stress Measure (PSM) by L. Lemyrr, R. Tessier, L. Fillion (adapted by N.E. Vodopyanova); the Hardiness test by S. Maddi (adapted by D. A. Leontiev, E. V. Rasskazova); the tolerance to uncertainty scale adapted by E.G. Lukovitskaya. For statistical processing, discriminant and factor analysis were used. Results. General (nonspecific) adaptive resources were revealed: in all subjects regardless of their strategies for choosing a way of life, an inverse correlation was found between stress exposure and resilience as stress resistance resources. Specific adaptive resources were identified: subjects of a hedonistic type had a positive attitude towards new, diverse situations in life and were characterized by a preference for uncertainty; subjects of a value-oriented type were characterized by an arbitrary level of attitude to uncertain and complex situations; creative subjects demonstrated a set of properties, including “challenge” and all the components of “uncertainty tolerance”.

RISKY BEHAVIOR AS A FORM OF AUTOAGGRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS. THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS

Risky behavior is considered in constructive and destructive aspects. The constructive aspect consists of adaptation to the dynamics of modern life. The destructive aspect is about the desire for danger, adventure, that leads to a threat to health and mental health. The problem of risky behavior as a manifestation of autoaggression is particularly relevant in the period of adolescence from 10 to 16 years. About 70 % of adolescent deaths are caused by risk-taking. Aim. The purpose of this work is to study the concepts of risky behavior, its types and prevention. Results. Risky behavior is a form of deviant behavior if it does not meet the standards adopted in a particular society at a certain time and involves an objective danger to the individual. In this regard, this behavior is considered as one of the manifestations of autoaggression. Adolescent risky behavior is caused by a number of biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors. From an existential perspective, risky behavior is a choice made without reference to the value of one's own life. A teenager's perception of risk is associated with overcoming the fear of death, trying to take control of the situation. The types of autoaggressive risky behavior include ignoring traffic rules, offenses, casual sexual relations and unprotected sex, as well as the use of psychoactive substances. Conclusion. Adolescent risky behavior is a normative phenomenon of age, which under the influence of a number of adverse factors is modified into autoaggressive forms. Autoaggressive risky behavior is a way to regulate the fear of death and existential anxiety. This destructive behavior allows the adolescent to experience a surrogate sense of self-actualization: “I was able”, “I coped”, “I am successful”, which later forms a special way of responding to difficult life situations – addressing the topic of death as a way out of the crisis. An integral part of prevention of self-injurious, risk-taking behaviors of adolescents needs to be existential and personalized approach.