Academic literature on the topic 'Psychodiagnostics Case studies'

It is necessary for a clinical psychologist to determine adequately whether a person is structurally normal or abnormal. Such a diagnosis prejudges work with the person either in the penal system or in the health care one. Several hundred professional tests are successfully used in professional psychology and clinical medicine. It should be noted that most of them have been developed in clinical medicine and foreign psychiatric clinics. The article analyzes in detail the projective tests as a clinical method of psychodiagnostics. Rorschach test, Shondi test, M. Luscher color test, TAT method, and others are the most popular among the specialists. Their distinctive feature from questionnaires is that the obtained result processing is not quantitative, but qualitative. Patient diagnosis depends on the experience and value orientations of a clinical psychologist and psychiatrist. Scientific schools and the culture of various countries play a significant role in this. Although there are certain international criteria for the diagnosis of personality. They are based on DSM–IV diagnostic table. Its indicators are more intended for a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. The authors raise a very unequivocal problem of using personal questionnaires from a legal point of view. Foreign studies reveal the impact of clinicians on the criminal law system, as well as the impact of legislation on the psychiatric clinics system. In the late XX century, a complex forensic psychological and psychiatric examination (CSTI) appeared at the junction of the expert application of psychiatry and psychology. It is important to note that the objects of its research are persons with borderline neuropsychiatric disorders and character anomalies. A key aspect in the activities of professional psychologists and psychiatrists is studying the validity in diagnosis using a case of the «Picture of a Man»(RFC) test. The results of foreign studies have shown that the decisions that clinical psychologists make about their patients are nothing more than a projection of their preconceived opinions. Thus, when making a fateful decision for each individual person, in no case should one make mistakes.

Profesional stress affects, among physicians, those who practise some medical specialities as oncology, neurosurgery, emergency medicine etc. and especially physicians of anesthesy intensive care units (AIC). Literature data concerning activity of AIC professionals evidentiate the high frequency of burnout syndrome, which may be considered as a first stage of a lot of troubles like behavioral, psychosomatic and psychiatrical ones. Daily distress encountered in AIC physicians and nurses is provoked mainly by the occupational pressure which cumulates the effects of many stressors, they are specific for this profession: overload (intensive and prolonged work – physically and psychically demanding, limited rest and sleep), high emotional tension (working with patients who are at the limit of life, time pressure, danger of severe drugs intolerance etc.), and some strong relational difficulties. These psycho-social stressors are not enough compensated during the recuperation period and act also in an aggravating manner on the frail personality wich is predisposed to anxiety, depression and psychosomatic pathology. After one presentation of general occupational distress, authors have synthesized the causes of burnout syndrome – specific for the AIC unities – and suggested the opportunity for a professional selection in the candidates for AIC speciality, based on psychodiagnostic evaluation.

The article presents the results of a theoretical analysis of the literature, which showed the presence of a significant number of gender biases in scientific research of the last century. Modern research, on the contrary, shows a tendency to rethink established gender stereotypes and move away from neurosexism. The desire of modern scientists to create science beyond gender stereotypes is growing. It is emphasized that in Ukraine, there is a tradition of research on gender issues. It is noted that today there is an insufficient number of psychodiagnostic tools in the Ukrainian language, which can be used to study the gender beliefs of an individual. The article aims to present the adaptation of the English-language questionnaire “Gender Bias Quiz” into Ukrainian. Research methods are: system-structural analysis, generalization of scientific literature data to the requirements of adapting the psychodiagnostic tool and evaluating its reliability, methods of mathematical statistics (Cronbach’s Alpha criterion and Pearson correlation coefficient). The reliability assessment of the “Gender Bias Quiz” questionnaire included an assessment of internal consistency and retest reliability. The procedure for adapting the psychodiagnostic tool met the necessary criteria: sufficient sample size for this type of questionnaire (n=52), representativeness of the sample (adolescence students), the required time interval between the first testing and the second one (1 month). The sample consisted of 52 students aged 17 to 24 years (M=21, SD=1.71). The results of checking the questionnaire`s reliability based on the internal consistency indicator using Cronbach's α showed its sufficient level (α=0.87).Retest reliability was checked by calculating the correlation coefficient between the results of the first test (M=39.83; SD=10.2) and the repeated test (M=39.29; SD=11.9). The correlation analysis performed showed a significant level of correlation (r=0.89 at p≤0.001), which indicates fairly high retest reliability of the psychodiagnostic tool. For the correct use of this questionnaire, some limitations were outlined: 1) the adaptation of the methodology took place on students, so it can be used in the study of gender attitudes of youth personality; application on representatives of other age categories requires an additional adaptation procedure; 2) this questionnaire does not belong to standardized psychological methods but is actually a questionnaire that studies the respondent's opinion on the gender issue; therefore, the definition of statistical norms based on the results obtained from this questionnaire is not correct in this case. It should be noted that the application of this questionnaire has significant potential in cross-cultural comparisons of gender biases of representatives of different countries and regions. The results of the questionnaire adaptation procedure showed a sufficient level of reliability of the questionnaire and confirmed the possibility of using it as a psychodiagnostic tool for studying the gender attitudes of a young person. We see the prospect of further research in expanding the boundaries of using the questionnaire: adaptation to other age categories of respondents.

OBJECTIVES: Playing-related pain (PRP) is a common problem among music students. We retrospectively assessed epidemiological factors that contributed to the manifestation of PRP and evaluated the efficacy of treatment methods used by affected music students. The long-term course of PRP symptoms was also examined, along with current (today) levels of trait anxieties. METHODS: Demographic and epidemiological data of 186 music students who visited the musicians' outpatient clinic over a 5-year period were retrieved. Of these students, 122 had been diagnosed with PRP and were invited to participate (response rate 61.5%) in a follow-up online survey to: a) estimate the long-term course of their PRP symptoms, b) assess the efficacy of treatment methods they used, and c) assess their current trait anxiety (general and performance-related) using two standardized psychodiagnostic questionnaires. RESULTS: Two-thirds of music students who sought medical care were affected by PRP, with most being affected during their first year of studies, and with 69% having acute rather than chronic pain. The sudden increase in practice time was the main triggering factor for PRP (but not for non-PRP-related problems). Concerning the course of PRP, almost all students recovered or improved significantly. Students reported that "active" treatment methods (e.g., physical activities) were more effective than "passive" methods (e.g., oral medications). Psychodiagnostic questionnaires indicated that about 40% of PRP-affected students currently had increased levels of trait anxieties (music and non-music related), possibly warranting further medical assistance. CONCLUSIONS: PRP in music students occurs mainly at the beginning of their studies and has a good prognosis, although recovery may be lengthy. It is necessary to provide students with early information about PRP and about the multidimensional treatment framework that allows for individualized care of PRP in affected music students.

Aim. This article continues the series of studies aimed at improving the aptitude screening of commercial aviation personnel. The socionic characteristics of a human operator define his/her work with information flows, and their significance is the higher, the greater is the time shortage they have to deal with as part of their professional activities, therefore, in this paper, those characteristics were examined as professionally important qualities of both a pilot, and an air traffic controller. The task consisted in evaluating the socionic characteristics of male and female control room specialists, who have successfully completed aptitude screening in commercial aviation, identifying the presence or absence of differences between the obtained results. Additionally, for the sake of comparison, the research covered the socionic characteristics of males and females, whose professional activities have nothing to do with technology. In total, the study includes data of over 3116 tested persons. Methods. The 5-th modification of the MM-1 socionic test developed by the Saint Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation was used as the psychodiagnostic method for estimating constituent socionic characteristics. The obtained samples were primarily compared using Pearson’s chi-squared test. The results were also processed using correlation analysis. Results. The paper presents socionic portraits,i.e. the distribution of the dominating components of the human socionic model among various samples, socionic models of various professional groups (human socionic model for a typical member of a sample), as well as graphical data per individual psychological dichotomies: “extraversion – introversion”, “logic – ethics”, “sensorics – intuition”, “rationality – irrationality”. Conclusions. The identified differences between the studied samples are primarily professional in their nature, i.e. comparing samples of individuals from the same professional group and approximately the same age, but different gender, in no case reliable differences were identified. Thus, no fundamental gender-specific differences were identified by the socionic psychodiagnostic method used as part of this work. However, the analysis of a number of Russian and foreign sources dedicated to gender differences suggests that improving the reliability of aptitude screening of aviation specialists requires further research involving the evaluation of the differences in the expression of the necessary professionally significant qualities of control room specialists, not by criterion of biological sex, but rather in accordance with the identified gender-related personality type.

Background. The use of alcohol is one of the most urgent medical and social problems of our time. Mental and behavioral disorders, severe somatic effects, especially significant in young and old age, require early diagnosis and therapeutic measures. An important part is the organization of timely and effective assistance to patients who drink alcohol and have mental and physical disorders in outpatient general-somatic health care institutions. Objective – to investigate the clinical and psychological peculiarities of patients with somatic pathology who use alcohol with harmful effects by psychodiagnostic and clinical and psychopathological research. Materials and methods. The research was conducted among patients who had a somatic complaints and have been consulted by family doctor in institutions of outpatient assistance in the general area of the Solomyansky district of Kyiv. The total number of investigated persons was 300 persons, of which 240 thematic patients were selected. Patients, subject to informed consent, were inspected using the standardized card developed by us, which includes the following psychodiagnostic techniques: AUDIT-tests; Patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS); Type of accentuation of personality character; methodology “State of health, activity, mood”; method of coping with stress on the COPE questionnaire (Cultivating Optimal Personal Experiences). In this contingent, the clinical-psychological peculiarities that were compared with the somatic complaints with which patients turned to a family doctor with a general diagnosis, which was previously documented in a patient's medical card, was studied. Results. Analyzing the patient's mental state by the method of PHQ-9, it was revealed that the greater number of the surveyed patients had mild depression – 47,5%; moderate depression had 22,5%; moderate severity – 11%. Severe depression in patients had not detected. In 19%, the depressive component was absent, the nature of the complaints had a somatogenic background. According to the results obtained by the HADS method, the level of anxiety was 41,6% and corresponded to the boundary status category; pathological conditions not detected; and patients of the category standard are 58,4%. The level of depression revealed patients with boundary conditions – 47,5%; pathological conditions - were not observed. In turn, the patients who did not find signs of depression were 52,5%. When investigating the nature of the state of health, the activity and mood of respondents using the method «State of health, activity, mood», we can conclude that all the average indicators for the three types of survey were «disadvantaged» category. That is, the somatic complaints of patients took place on a pathogenic background of various aspects of life: state of health, activity, mood fluctuations were much lower than normal. The obtained results of the study of the accentuation of the personality of the surveyed were as follows: the number of accrued persons among the general group of respondents was 28,5%. An alarming type of accentuation was detected in 7,5% of the people, demonstrative – 6%, exalted – 5%, hypertensive – 3%, cyclothymic – 2,5%, and others. The majority of respondents had three types of accentuations – anxiety, demonstrative type, exaltation, somewhat less – hypertensive type, cyclothymic type and other kinds. The ratio of their illness to respondents coincided, respectively, with the features of accentuation. Using the method of coping with stress on the COPE questionnaire (Cultivating Optimal Personal Experiences), the most characteristic variants of the coping behavior of these patients were highlighted. The most significant aspect was the use of soothing agents. Properly for the surveyed there was a «denial». Regarding the use of alcohol, the researchers generally did not recognize this as a painful passion, arguing that using these substances, they behave like most others. Conclusions. Based on the results obtained, it was determined that the presence in patients with somatic pathology who use alcohol with harmful effects, both anxiety and depressive disorders in the mental sphere, accentuations of nature, the peculiarity of behavioral responses to a stressful situation explains the exacerbation of their somatic state.

Using clinical-psychopathological and psychodiagnostic methods, we studied the severity and variability of psychopathological symptoms in the structure of mental health disorders in seafarers, depending on the level of psychosocial stress they experienced, to determine the targets of personalized mental health care measures for this contingent. During 2016–2019, 110 officers of the command staff of the Maritime Merchant Navy (CMN), 90 sailors of the Maritime Merchant Navy (SMN), 70 representatives of the command staff of the Maritime Passenger Fleet (CPF) and 30 privates of the Maritime Passenger Fleet (SPF) were surveyed. All were examined by men, citizens of Ukraine. The study included the use of clinical-psychopathological and psychodiagnostic methods. In the inter-voyage period, the vast majority of long-distance sailors are either mentally healthy (30.9 % CMN, 41.1 % SMN, 42.9 % CPF, 33.3 % SPF), or have some signs of mental maladaptation (52.7 % CMN, 37.7 % SMN, 44.3 % CPF, 40.0 % SPF). Clinically delineated disorders of the neurotic register of the F43 cluster (adaptation disorders) are characterized by 26.7 % SPF, 21.1 % SMN, 16.4 % CMN and 12.8 % CPF. The severity and variability of psychopathological manifestations, in general in the sample, correspond to the neurotic level of response, however, have differences among the examined different groups. The greatest severity of symptoms of depression on the background of high levels of anxiety, hostility and psychosis is inherent in SPF, and the greatest severity of anxiety, phobic anxiety, hostility and somatization is inherent in CMN. The lowest severity of psychopathological symptoms is characteristic of CPF. The severity and variability of psychopathological manifestations is directly associated with the level of stress experienced by the subjects: with increasing stress burden, the severity of the psychopathological response increases. The identified patterns should be taken into account in the development of specific measures of psychotherapy and psychoprophylaxis for this contingent, which is the prospect of this study.

The author describes particular theoretical aspects of psychophysiological research with the help of a lie detector, and their role in the investigation of crimes. The research object is the current condition of the theory and practice of using a polygraph. The research subject is the problems of using the results of lie detector testing, their interpretation and role in criminal investigation. The purpose of the research is to study the principles of using, and the options of a lie detector and polygraph examiners, and to define the importance of such a type of research for the investigation of crimes. The research methodology is based on general scientific research methods including analysis and generalization, and specific methods: observation and analysis of psychodiagnostic research. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the comprehensive analysis of the theory and practice of using a polygraph based on the case studies of particular investigations. The author arrives at the conclusion about a further analysis of legal, technical and practical problems of using a polygraph in criminal proceedings, for the purpose of the consideration of the idea about the legislative consolidation of such a research as a proof, which determines the importance of the topic of the research. The practical importance consists in the possibility to use the research results during the evaluation of the polygraph testing and the consideration of the examiner’s report as a proof in the criminal investigation.    

The features of interpersonal interaction in patients with chronic prostatitis and their wives, to determine, in the future, the targets of medical and psychological care for this contingent were studied. 109 men with chronic prostatitis and their wives were examined. According to the criterion of presence / absence of marital satisfaction, the surveyed couples were divided into two groups. The first group included 73 (67.0 %) couples with low or reduced levels of marital satisfaction. The second included 36 (33.0 %) married couples who were satisfied with their own relationship. The comprehensive examination included, in addition to standard clinical methods, a clinical-psychological and psychodiagnostic study. By common disharmonious interpersonal patterns, which contributed to the development of marital dissatisfaction, which led to secondary trauma to spouses due to the formation of inadequate psychological response to chronic prostatitis in men and related sexual dysfunction, identified such deformations of family communication as reduction of trust, mutual understanding, ease and psychotherapy; prevalence of signs of distrustful-skeptical, straightforward-aggressive, dependent or submissive patterns of interpersonal behavior; dominance of aggression (32.9 %) or avoidance (67.1 %) as the leading strategies of psychological protection in communication. The obtained data should be taken into account when developing measures of medical and psychological assistance to married couples in which the husband has chronic prostatitis.

The article presents the results of a study of the features of cognitive function and bioelectric activity cerebral cortex in children with borderline mental disorders of residually organic genesis. 80 children participated with the following diagnoses: organic emotionally labile [asthenic] disorder [F 06.06]; inorganic enuresis [F 98.0], encopresis [F 98.1], stereotypical motor disorders [F 98.4], other specified emotional and behavioral disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood [F 98.8]. The features of bioelectric activity of the cerebral cortex, the ability to spatial analysis and synthesis, arithmetic counting, assimilation of logical and grammatical structures, the presence of viscosity, detail and diversity intellectual activity were studied in children. Data of electroencephalographic examinations were compared with the results of psychodiagnostic methods using the methods of mathematical statistics. Differences of bioelectric activity and features of thinking in children were investigated depending on features of boundary disorder. It is shown that on the background of asthenization more pronounced cognitive impairment is observed. Children with asthenic disorders [06.06] have the largest scatter of data than patients with enuresis [F98.0], encopresis [F 98.1], stereotypical movement disorders [F 98.4], disorders of behavior [F 98.8]. At the same time, on average, they have the most significant violations of thinking, what happens against the background of increasing spectral power of low-frequency activity of delta and theta rhythms in general, as well as of delta rhythm in the frontal part of the brain. Increase of low-frequency activity in the frontal lobes of both hemispheres leads to more pronounced disorders of thinking, than similar changes in the temporal, parietal, occipital regions of the right hemisphere and speech zones of the left hemisphere. In the first case, they are manifested in violations of spatial analysis and synthesis, viscosity, detail and diversity of thinking, as well as in difficulties in the semantic and symbolic activity, in the assimilation of logical and grammatical structures and arithmetic. In the second case — only in violations of spatial analysis and synthesis, viscosity, detail and diversity of thinking.

The article emphasizes that Ukrainian society is suffering from the effects of the war in the east of the country. These consequences are manifested both in the direct participants in the hostilities and in their family members, who have been in a state of stress for a long time, waiting for the disappointing news from the east about their relatives and friends. It is noted that while participating in hostilities, many combatants receive combat mental injuries. These injuries further lead to post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychosomatic disorders that cause his psychoso-cial self-isolation, disruption of relationships with family and self-destructive behav-ior that leads to premature death. An urgent and urgent problem of today's Ukrainian state is the organization of effective social and psychological rehabilitation of combatants and their families. But at the moment, Ukraine has not created a single comprehensive program of social and psychological rehabilitation of combatants and their families. Therefore, the aim of the article is to analyze the initial diagnostic indicators of psychological trauma of combatants who took part in our proposed program of psy-chological support of combatants and their families, at the initial, first stage of this program. The methodological bases of the work were such general scientific and special methods as: method of analysis and generalization of psychodiagnostic indicators, formal-logical method, psychological and clinical methods and tests. This paper briefly considers the purpose, main tasks and structural components of the proposed program of psychological support of combatants and their families. The main focus of the work is focused on the first (diagnostic) phase of the program. The purpose of this stage was to carry out a psychological diagnosis of the long-term effects of stressors in combatants. The implementation of the diagnostic stage was carried out during 2018, on the basis of military units, recreational facilities, social, volunteer and rehabilitation centers, etc. The total number of combatants covered by the study was 356 people. It is emphasized that for the experimental study of long-term effects of stress-ors in combatants, a proven set of clinical-psychopathological and psychodiagnostic techniques was proposed to study 5 factors that have become key in building a sys-tem of psychological rehabilitation of combatants. These factors included: the pres-ence of signs of post-traumatic stress disorder; the presence of signs of stress; the presence of signs of anxiety; the presence of signs of depression; and combat experi-ence of the combatant. Analysis of the results of the first stage of the program of psychological sup-port combatants noted the presence of a large number of subjects, such phenomena as post-traumatic stress disorder (more than 60% of combatants), stress (more than 45% of combatants), anxiety (more than 35% of combatants), depression (more than 30% of combatants). Also drawn attention to the fact that the findings confirm the results of previ-ous studies of domestic and foreign researchers and practitioners that some of the combatants who participated in the fighting eventually begin to suffer from long-term effects of stress effects. Therefore, further implementation of the program of psychological support of combatants, with long-term effects of stress, and their families, on the basis of genetic-psychological-axiological approach, namely the second stage, which provides psychological and social assistance or support to combatants and their families, is a promising and effective means of their psychological rehabilitation.