The concept of disorders of the emotional-volitional sphere. Violations of the emotional-volitional sphere of the child. Characteristics of the emotional-volitional sphere of personality

Quite often, parental care is mainly focused on the physical health of their child, while the emotional component remains practically unattended. This is due to the fact that most parents consider early symptoms of emotional disorders to be temporary and therefore harmless.

The place of emotional disturbances in the mental development of a child seems to be one of the key aspects of his life, due to the fact that these disturbances affect his attitude towards his parents and the environment in general. Today, there is a tendency towards an increase in emotional disorders in children, in the form of reduced social adaptation and a tendency to aggressive behavior.

· 1 Causes

· 2

· 3 Diagnosis of disorders

· 4

There are many reasons for the occurrence of emotional disorders in a child, so parents should be especially careful when various pathological signs appear. As a rule, specialists make a final diagnosis when registering 3 signs of emotional instability.

The most common causes of emotional disturbances are:

· Physical features, taking into account past diseases in infancy;

· Inhibition of mental and mental development;

· Improper upbringing of a child in the preschool period;

· Not proper nutrition, namely, insufficient supply of necessary substances, which significantly affects the development of the baby;

Also, these above reasons are divided into two large groups:

1. Biological.

This causal group includes a characteristic type of nervous system. For example, in the presence of attention deficit disorder, a child may subsequently develop a pathological process in the brain, formed as a result of the severe course of pregnancy and childbirth of his mother.

2. Social

This group determines the process of interaction of the child with other people and the environment. For example, if a child already has experience communicating with an age group of people, his peers and the primary group for him - the family, then in some cases such socialization can also harm him.

If a child is constantly subjected to denial by adults, then he unconsciously begins to repress the received information that comes from the environment.

The emergence of new experiences that do not coincide with his conceptual structure begins to be perceived negatively by him, which ultimately creates a certain stress for him.

In the absence of understanding from peers, the child develops emotional experiences (rage, resentment, disappointment), which are characterized by severity and duration. Also, constant conflicts in the family, demands on the child, lack of understanding of his interests, also cause emotional disturbances in the mental development of the child.

Classifications of emotional disorders and their symptoms

The difficulty in identifying emotional-volitional disorders has resulted in the fact that a number of psychologists have formed different views on these types of disorders. For example, the scientist-psychologist G. Sukhareva noted that emotional disturbances at primary school age are often observed in children suffering from neurasthenia, which was characterized by excessive excitability.

Psychologist J. Milanich had a different idea about these disorders. He found that emotional-volitional disorders include 3 groups of emotional disorders;

Acute emotional reactions, which are characterized by the coloring of certain conflict situations, which manifested themselves in aggression, hysteria, reactions of fear or resentment;

A state of increased tension – anxiety, fearfulness, decreased mood.

Dysfunction of the emotional state, which manifested itself in a sharp transition from positive emotional phenomena to negative ones and also in the reverse order.

However, the most detailed clinical picture of emotional disorders was compiled by N.I. Kosterina. She subdivides emotional disorders into 2 large groups, which are characterized by an increase in the level of emotionality and, accordingly, its decrease.

The first group includes such conditions as:

· Euphoria, which is characterized by an inadequate increase in mood. A child in this condition, as a rule, has increased impulsiveness, impatience and a desire for dominance.

· Dysphoria is the opposite form of euphoria, characterized by the manifestation of such emotions as: anger, irritability, aggressiveness. It is a type of depressive syndrome.

· Depression is a pathological condition characterized by the manifestation of negative emotions and behavioral passivity. A child in this state feels depressed and sad.

· Anxiety syndrome is a condition in which a child feels causeless anxiety and severe nervous tension. Expressed in permanent shift mood, tearfulness, lack of appetite, increased sensitivity. Often this syndrome develops into a phobia.

· Apathy is a serious condition in which the child feels indifferent to everything that happens around him, and is also characterized by a sharp decrease in initiative functions. Most psychologists argue that the loss of emotional reactions is combined with a decrease or complete loss of volitional impulses.

· Paratamia is a characteristic disorder of the emotional background, in which the experience of one specific emotion is accompanied by external manifestations of completely opposite emotions. Often observed in children suffering from schizophrenia.

The second group includes:

· Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, characterized by symptoms such as motor disorientation and impulsivity. It follows that the key signs of this syndrome are distractibility and excessive motor activity.

· Aggression. This emotional manifestation is formed as part of a character trait or as a reaction to environmental influences. In any case, the above violations need correction. However, before adjusting pathological manifestations, first of all, the main causes of diseases are identified.

Diagnosis of disorders

For subsequent therapy of disorders and its effectiveness, timely diagnosis of the child’s emotional development and its disorders is very important. There are many special methods and tests that assess the development and psychological state of a child, taking into account his age characteristics.

Diagnosis of preschool children includes:

· Diagnosis of anxiety level and its assessment;

· Study of psycho-emotional state;

· Luscher color test;

· Study of self-esteem and personal characteristics of the child;

· Study of the development of volitional qualities.

Appeal for psychological help necessary if the child experiences certain difficulties in learning, communicating with peers, behavior, or has certain phobias.

Parents should also pay attention if the child experiences any emotional experiences, feelings, and also if his condition is characterized as depressed.

Methods for correcting emotional disorders

A number of domestic and foreign scientists in the field of psychology identify a number of techniques that make it possible to correct emotional-volitional disorders in children. These methods are usually divided into 2 main groups: individual and group, but this division does not reflect main goal corrections mental disorders.

Mental correction affective disorders in children is an organized system psychological effects. This correction is mainly aimed at:

Alleviation of emotional discomfort

· Increased activity and independence

· Suppression of secondary personal reactions (aggression, excessive excitability, anxiety, etc.).

· Correction of self-esteem;

· Formation of emotional stability.

World psychology includes 2 main approaches to the psychological correction of a child, namely:

· Psychodynamic approach. Advocates for the creation of conditions that make it possible to suppress external social barriers, using methods such as psychoanalysis, play therapy and art therapy.

· Behavioral approach. This approach allows you to stimulate the child to assimilate new reactions aimed at the formation of adaptive behavioral forms and, conversely, suppresses non-adaptive forms of behavior, if any. Includes such methods of influence as behavioral and psychoregulatory training, which allow the child to consolidate learned reactions.

When choosing a method of psychological correction of emotional disorders, one should proceed from the specifics of the disorder, which determines the deterioration of the emotional state. If a child has intrapersonal disorders, then an excellent way would be to use play therapy (not computer therapy), and the method of family psychocorrection has also proven itself well.

If there is a predominance of interpersonal conflicts, group psychocorrection is used, which allows optimizing interpersonal relationships. When choosing any method, the severity of the child’s emotional instability must be taken into account.

Methods of psychological correction such as game therapy, fairytale therapy, etc. work effectively if they correspond to the mental characteristics of the child and the therapist.

The age of a child up to 6 years (preschool period) is the most important period of his development, since it is during this period that the child’s personal foundations, volitional qualities are formed, and the emotional sphere also rapidly develops.

Volitional qualities develop mainly due to conscious control over behavior, while maintaining certain behavioral rules in memory.

The development of these qualities is characterized as the general development of personality, that is, mainly by shaping the will, emotions and feelings.

Consequently, for the successful emotional-volitional upbringing of a child, parents and teachers need to especially pay attention to creating a positive atmosphere of mutual understanding. Therefore, many experts recommend that parents formulate the following criteria for their child:

· When communicating with a child, it is necessary to maintain absolute calm and show your goodwill in every possible way;

· You should try to communicate with your child more often, ask him about anything, empathize, and be interested in his hobbies;

· Joint physical labor, games, drawing, etc. will have a positive effect on the child’s condition, so try to pay him as much attention as possible.

· It is necessary to ensure that the child does not watch films or play games with elements of violence, as this will only aggravate his emotional state;

· Support your child in every possible way and help him build confidence in himself and his abilities.

Part I. Disturbances in the development of the emotional-volitional sphere in children and teenagers

Study questions.

1. Typology of disorders in the development of the emotional-volitional sphere.

2. Psychological and pedagogical characteristics of children and adolescents with disorders of the emotional-volitional sphere.

3. Psychopathy in children and adolescents.

4. Accentuations of character as a factor contributing to the emergence of emotional-volitional disorders.

5. Children with early-onset autism (EDA).

1. The concept of violation of the emotional-volitional sphere in defectology defines neuropsychic disorders (mostly mild and moderate severity). *

The main types of disorders in the development of the emotional-volitional sphere in children and adolescents include reactive states (hyperactivity syndrome), conflict experiences, psychasthenia and psychopathy (psychopathic forms of behavior), early childhood autism.

As is known, a child’s personality is formed under the influence of hereditarily determined (conditioned) qualities and factors of the external (primarily social) environment. Since the development process largely depends on environmental factors, it is obvious that unfavorable environmental influences can cause temporary behavioral disorders, which, once established, can lead to abnormal (distorted) personality development.

Just as normal somatic development requires an appropriate amount of calories, proteins, minerals and vitamins, normal mental development requires the presence of certain emotional and psychological factors. These include, first of all, the love of neighbors, a sense of security (provided by the care of parents), the cultivation of correct self-esteem, and also, along with the development of independence in actions and behavior), the guidance of adults, which includes, in addition to love and care, a certain set of prohibitions. Only with the correct balance of attention and prohibitions are appropriate connections formed between the child’s “I” and the outside world, and the little person, while maintaining his individuality, develops into a personality who will definitely find his place in society.

The versatility of the emotional needs that ensure the development of a child already in itself indicates the possibility of a significant number of unfavorable factors in the external (social) environment, which can cause disturbances in the development of the emotional-volitional sphere and deviations in the behavior of children.

2. Reactive states are defined in special psychology as neuropsychic disorders caused by unfavorable situations (developmental conditions) and not associated with organic damage CNS. The most striking manifestation of reactive states (RS) is hyperactivity syndrome, which appears against the background of a “prolonged” state of general mental excitability and psychomotor disinhibition. The causes of MS can be varied. Thus, circumstances traumatic for a child’s psyche include such a psychophysiological disorder as enuresis (bedwetting, which persists or often recurs after the 3rd year of life), often observed in somatically weakened and nervous children. Enuresis can occur after a severe nervous shock, fright, or after a somatic illness that debilitates the body. The occurrence of enuresis also includes such reasons as conflict situations in the family, excessive strictness of parents, too deep sleep, etc. Reactive states with enuresis are aggravated by ridicule, punishment, and the unkind attitude of others towards the child.

A reactive state can be caused by the presence of certain physical and psychophysiological defects in a child (strabismus, deformities of the limbs, lameness, severe scoliosis, etc.), especially if the attitude of others is incorrect.

A common cause of psychogenic reactions in young children is a sudden strong irritation of a frightening nature (fire, attack by an angry dog, etc.). Increased susceptibility to mental trauma is observed in children with residual effects after suffering infections and injuries, in children who are excitable, weakened, and emotionally unstable. The most susceptible to mental trauma are children belonging to a weak type of higher nervous activity, and children who are easily excitable.

The main distinguishing feature of MS is inadequate (excessively pronounced) personal reactions to influences from the environment (primarily social) environment. Reactive states are characterized by the state psychological stress And discomfort. MS can manifest itself in the form of depression (sad, depressed state). In other cases, the main symptoms of MS are: psychomotor agitation, disinhibition, and inappropriate behavior and actions.

In severe cases, there may be a disorder of consciousness (confusion, loss of orientation in the environment), unreasonable fear, temporary “loss” of certain functions (deafness, mutism).

Despite the differences in manifestations, a common symptom that connects all cases of reactive states is a severe, depressing psycho-emotional state that causes overstrain of nervous processes and disruption of their mobility. This largely determines the increased tendency to affective reactions.

Mental development disorders may be associated with severe internal conflict experiences when in the child’s mind there are opposing attitudes towards close people or to a particular social situation that has great personal significance for the child. Conflict experiences (as a psychopathological disorder) are long-term, socially conditioned; they acquire dominant significance in the child’s mental life and have a sharply negative impact on his characterological characteristics and behavioral reactions. The causes of conflict experiences are most often: the unfavorable position of the child in the family (conflicts in the family, family breakdown, the appearance of a stepmother or stepfather, parental alcoholism, etc.). Conflict experiences can arise in children abandoned by their parents, adopted, and in other cases. Another reason for persistent conflict experiences may be the above-mentioned shortcomings. psychophysical development, in particular, stuttering.

Manifestations of severe conflict experiences most often include isolation, irritability, negativism (in many forms of its manifestation, including speech negativism), depressive states; in some cases, the consequence of conflict experiences is a delay in the child’s cognitive development.

Persistent conflict experiences are often accompanied by disturbances ( deviations) behavior. Quite often, the cause of behavioral disorders in this category of children is improper upbringing of the child (excessive care, excessive freedom or, on the contrary, lack of love, excessive severity and unreasonable demands, without taking into account his personal - intellectual and psychophysical capabilities, determined by the stage age development). A particularly serious mistake in raising a child is the constant derogatory comparison of him with children who have better abilities and the desire to achieve great achievements from a child who does not have pronounced intellectual inclinations. A child whose dignity is humiliated and who is often punished may develop feelings of inferiority, reactions of fear, timidity, bitterness and hatred. Those who are in constant voltage children, often experience enuresis, headaches, fatigue, etc. At an older age, such children may rebel against the dominant authority of adults, which is one of the reasons for antisocial behavior.

Conflict experiences can also be caused by traumatic situations in the school community. Of course, the occurrence and severity of conflict situations is influenced by the individual personal and psychological characteristics of children (state of the nervous system, personal aspirations, range of interests, impressionability, etc.), as well as the conditions of upbringing and development.

Also quite a complex neuropsychic disorder is psychasthenia– disturbance of mental and intellectual activity, caused by weakness and disruption of the dynamics of processes of higher nervous activity, a general weakening of neuropsychic and cognitive processes. The causes of psychasthenia can be severe violations of somatic health, violations of general constitutional development (due to dystrophy, metabolic disorders in the body, hormonal disorders, etc.). At the same time, factors of hereditary conditioning, dysfunction of the central nervous system of various origins, the presence of minimal brain dysfunction, etc. play a large role in the occurrence of psychasthenia.

The main manifestations of psychasthenia are: a decrease in general mental activity, slowness and rapid exhaustion of mental and intellectual activity, decreased performance, phenomena of mental retardation and inertia, increased fatigue under psychological stress. Psychoasthenic children are extremely slow to engage in academic work and get tired very quickly when performing tasks related to mental and mnemonic actions.

Children in this category are distinguished by such specific character traits as indecision, increased impressionability, a tendency to constant doubts, timidity, suspiciousness, and anxiety. Often, symptoms of psychasthenia also include depression and autistic manifestations. Psychopathic development according to psychasthenic type in childhood manifests itself in increased suspiciousness, obsessive fears, and anxiety. At an older age, obsessive doubts, fears, hypochondria, and increased suspiciousness are observed.

3.Psychopathy(from Greek - psyche- soul, pathos– disease) is defined in special psychology as pathological character, manifested in unbalanced behavior, poor adaptability to changing environmental conditions, inability to obey external demands, and increased reactivity. Psychopathy is a distorted version of personality formation; it is a disharmonious development of personality with (as a rule) sufficient preservation of intelligence. Research by domestic scientists (V.A. Gilyarovsky, V.R. Myasishchev, G.E. Sukhareva, V.V. Kovalev, etc.) showed the dialectical interaction of social and biological factors in the origin of psychopathy. Most psychopathy is caused by external pathological factors that acted in utero or in early childhood. The most common causes of psychopathy are: infections - general and brain, traumatic brain injuries - intrauterine, birth and acquired in the first years of life; toxic factors (for example, chronic gastrointestinal diseases), intrauterine development disorders due to alcohol intoxication, exposure to radiation, etc. Pathological heredity also plays a certain role in the formation of psychopathy.

However, for the development of psychopathy, along with the main ( predisposing) the cause that causes congenital or early acquired insufficiency of the nervous system, it is necessary to have another factor - the unfavorable social environment and the lack of corrective influences when raising a child.

Purposeful positive influence of the environment can, to a greater or lesser extent, correct the child’s existing deviations, while under unfavorable conditions of upbringing and development, even mild deviations in mental development can transform into a severe form of psychopathy (G.E. Sukhareva, 1954, etc.). In this regard, biological factors are considered as starting points,preconditions, which can cause psychopathic personality development; acquire a decisive role social factors, mainly conditions for child upbringing and development.

Psychopathy is very diverse in its manifestations, so the clinic distinguishes its various forms (organic psychopathy, epileptoid psychopathy, etc.). Common to all forms of psychopathy is a violation of the development of the emotional-volitional sphere, specific character anomalies. Psychopathic personality development is characterized by: weakness of will, impulsiveness of actions, rough affective reactions. Underdevelopment of the emotional-volitional sphere also manifests itself in a certain decrease in performance associated with the inability to concentrate and overcome difficulties encountered when performing tasks.

Violations of the emotional-volitional sphere are most clearly expressed when organic psychopathy, which is based on organic damage to the subcortical brain systems. Clinical manifestations of organic psychopathy are different. In some cases, the first manifestations of a mental disorder are detected at an early age. The anamnesis of these children indicates pronounced timidity, fear of sharp sounds, bright light, unfamiliar objects, and people. This is accompanied by intense and prolonged screaming and crying. In early and preschool age, psychomotor restlessness and increased sensory and motor excitability come to the fore. At primary school age, psychopathic behavior manifests itself in the form of uncontrollability, protest against the rules of social behavior, any regime, in the form of affective outbursts (pugnaciousness, running around, noisiness, and later - school truancy, a tendency to vagrancy, etc.).

In other cases of organic psychopathy, the following feature of the behavioral reactions of children attracts attention, sharply distinguishing them from their peers already at preschool age. Relatives and teachers note the extreme unevenness of their mood; Along with increased excitability and excessive mobility, these children and adolescents often experience a low, gloomy, irritable mood. Children of senior preschool and primary school age often complain of vague pain, refuse to eat, sleep poorly, and often quarrel and fight with peers. Increased irritability, negativity in various forms its manifestations, hostile attitude towards others, aggressiveness towards them form pronounced psychopathological symptoms of organic psychopathy. These manifestations are especially pronounced at an older age, during puberty. They are often accompanied by a slow pace of intellectual activity, memory loss, increased fatigue. In some cases, organic psychopathy is combined with delayed psychomotor development of the child.

G.E. Sukhareva identifies two main groups of organic psychopathy: excitable(explosive) and brakeless.

At the first (excitable) type, unmotivated mood swings are observed in the form of dysphoria. In response to the slightest remarks, children and adolescents have violent reactions of protest, leaving home and school.

Organic psychopaths of the uninhibited type are characterized by elevated mood levels, euphoria, and uncriticality. All this is a favorable background for the formation of a pathology of desires and a tendency to vagrancy.

With a hereditary burden of epilepsy in children, personality traits characteristic of epileptoid psychopathy. This form of psychopathy is characterized by the fact that in children, with primary intact intelligence and the absence of typical signs of epilepsy (seizures, etc.), the following behavioral and character traits are noted: irritability, short temper, poor switchability from one type of activity to another, “getting stuck” on their experiences, aggressiveness, egocentrism. Along with this, thoroughness and perseverance in completing educational tasks are characteristic. These positive traits must be used as support in the process of correctional work.

With a hereditary burden of schizophrenia, children may develop schizoid personality traits. These children are characterized by: poverty of emotions (often underdevelopment of higher emotions: feelings of empathy, compassion, gratitude, etc.), lack of childlike spontaneity and cheerfulness, and little need to communicate with others. The core property of their personality is egocentrism and autistic manifestations. They are characterized by a peculiar asynchrony of mental development from early childhood. The development of speech outpaces the development of motor skills, and therefore children often have undeveloped self-care skills. In games, children prefer loneliness or communication with adults and older children. In a number of cases, the peculiarity of the motor sphere is noted - clumsiness, motor awkwardness, inability to perform practical activities. General emotional lethargy, which is detected in children from an early age, lack of need for communication (autistic manifestations), lack of interest in practical activities, and later - isolation, self-doubt, despite a fairly high level of intellectual development, create significant difficulties in education and teaching this category of children.

Hysterical psychopathic development is more common in childhood than other forms. It manifests itself in pronounced egocentrism, increased suggestibility, and demonstrative behavior. This variant of psychopathic development is based on mental immaturity. It manifests itself in a thirst for recognition, in the inability of a child and adolescent to exert volition, which is the essence of mental disharmony.

Specific features hysterical psychopathy manifest themselves in pronounced egocentrism, in the constant demand for increased attention to oneself, in the desire to achieve what they want by any means. In social communication there is a tendency to conflicts and lies. When faced with life's difficulties, hysterical reactions occur. Children are very capricious, love to play a commanding role in a group of peers and become aggressive if they fail to do so. Extreme instability (lability) of mood is noted.

Psychopathic development according to unstable type can be observed in children with psychophysical infantilism. They are distinguished by immaturity of interests, superficiality, instability of attachments, and impulsiveness. Such children have difficulties in long-term, purposeful activity; they are characterized by irresponsibility, instability of moral principles, and socially negative forms of behavior. This variant of psychopathic development can be of either constitutional or organic origin.

In practical special psychology, a certain relationship has been established between incorrect approaches to raising children, pedagogical errors and the formation of psychopathic character traits. Thus, the characterological traits of excitable psychopaths often arise during so-called “hypoguardianship” or direct neglect. The formation of “inhibited psychopaths” is favored by the callousness or even cruelty of others, when the child does not see affection and is subjected to humiliation and insults (the social phenomenon of “Cinderella”). Hysterical personality traits are most often formed in conditions of “overprotection”, in an atmosphere of constant adoration and admiration, when the child’s loved ones fulfill any of his desires and whims (the “family idol” phenomenon).

4. B adolescence An intensive transformation of the adolescent’s psyche occurs. Significant changes are observed in the formation of intellectual activity, which is manifested in the desire for knowledge, the formation of abstract thinking, and a creative approach to problem solving. Volitional processes are intensively formed. A teenager is characterized by persistence, perseverance in achieving a goal, and the ability to engage in purposeful volitional activity. Consciousness is actively being formed. This age is characterized by disharmony of mental development, which often manifests itself in emphasis character. According to A.E. Lichko, the accentuation (sharpening) of individual character traits in students of different types of schools varies from 32 to 68% of the total student population (A.E. Lichko, 1983).

Character accentuations – These are extreme variants of a normal nature, but at the same time they can be a predisposing factor for the development of neuroses, neurotic, pathocharacterological and psychopathic disorders.

Numerous studies by psychologists have shown that the degree of disharmony in adolescents is different, and the accentuation of character itself has different qualitative features and manifests itself differently in the behavioral characteristics of adolescents. The main options for character accentuations include the following.

Dysthymic personality type. Features of this type of accentuation are periodic fluctuations in mood and vitality in adolescents. During periods of high mood, adolescents of this type are sociable and active. During a period of decline in mood, they are laconic, pessimistic, begin to be burdened by noisy society, become sad, lose their appetite, and suffer from insomnia.

Teenagers of this type of accentuation feel conformed among a small circle of close people who understand them and provide support. It is important for them to have long-term, stable attachments and hobbies.

Emotive personality type. Adolescents of this type are characterized by variability of moods, depth of experiences, and increased sensitivity. Emotive teenagers have developed intuition and are sensitive to the assessments of others. They feel conformed to their family, understanding and caring adults, and constantly strive for confidential communication with adults and peers who are significant to them.

Anxious type The main feature of this type of accentuation is anxious suspiciousness, constant fear for oneself and one’s loved ones. In childhood, adolescents of the anxious type often have a symbiotic relationship with their mother or other relatives. Teenagers experience a strong fear of new people (teachers, neighbors, etc.). They need warm, caring relationships. A teenager’s confidence that he will be supported and helped in an unexpected, non-standard situation contributes to the development of initiative and activity.

Introverted type. Children and adolescents of this type tend to be emotionally withdrawn and withdrawn. They, as a rule, lack the desire to establish close, friendly relationships with others. They prefer individual activities. They have weak expressiveness, a desire for solitude filled with reading books, fantasizing, and various hobbies. These children need warm, caring relationships from loved ones. Their psychological comfort increases when adults accept and support their most unexpected hobbies.

Excitable type. With this type of character accentuation in adolescents, there is an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory processes. Adolescents of the excitable type, as a rule, are in a state of dysphoria, which manifests itself in depression with the threat of aggressiveness towards the entire outside world. In this state, an excitable teenager is suspicious, inhibited, rigid, prone to emotional irascibility, impulsiveness, and unmotivated cruelty towards loved ones. Excitable teenagers need warm emotional relationships with others.

Demonstrative type. Teenagers of this type are distinguished by pronounced egocentrism, a constant desire to be the center of attention, and a desire to “make an impression.” They are characterized by sociability, high intuition, and the ability to adapt. Under favorable conditions, when a “demonstrative” teenager finds himself in the center of attention and accepted by others, he adapts well and is capable of productive, creative activity. In the absence of such conditions, there is a disharmony of personal properties of the hysterical type - attracting special attention to oneself through demonstrative behavior, and a tendency to lie and fantasize as a defense mechanism.

Pedantic type. As E.I. emphasizes Leonhard, pedantry as an accentuated character trait is manifested in the behavior of the individual. The behavior of a pedantic personality does not go beyond the bounds of reason, and in these cases the advantages associated with the tendency towards thoroughness, clarity, and completeness are often felt. The main features of this type of character accentuation in adolescence are indecision and a tendency to reasoning. Such teenagers are very careful, conscientious, rational, and responsible. However, some adolescents with increased anxiety experience indecisiveness in decision-making situations. Their behavior is characterized by some rigidity and emotional restraint. Such teenagers are characterized by increased fixation on their health.

Unstable type. The main characteristic of this type is the pronounced weakness of the volitional components of the personality. Lack of will manifests itself, first of all, in the educational or work activities of a teenager. However, in the process of entertainment, such teenagers can be highly active. Unstable adolescents also have increased suggestibility, and therefore their social behavior largely depends on their environment. Increased suggestibility and impulsiveness against the background of immaturity of higher forms of volitional activity often contributes to the formation of a tendency towards additive (dependent) behavior: alcoholism, drug addiction, computer addiction, etc. Unstable accentuation manifests itself already in the elementary grades of school. The child has a complete lack of desire to learn and exhibits unstable behavior. In the personality structure of unstable adolescents, inadequate self-esteem is observed, which is manifested in the inability to self-analysis, corresponding to the assessment of their actions. Unstable adolescents are prone to imitative activities, which makes it possible, under favorable conditions, to form socially acceptable forms of behavior in them.

Affectively labile type. An important feature of this type is extreme mood variability. Frequent mood changes are combined with a significant depth of their experience. The well-being of a teenager and his ability to work depend on the mood of a given moment. Against the background of mood swings, conflicts with peers and adults, short-term and affective outbursts are possible, but then quick repentance follows. During Have a good mood Labile teenagers are sociable, easily adapt to new surroundings, and are responsive to requests. They have well-developed intuition, they are distinguished by their sincerity and depth of attachment to family, loved ones, and friends, and they deeply experience rejection from emotionally significant persons. With a friendly attitude from teachers and others, such teenagers feel comfortable and are active.

It should be noted that manifestations of psychopathic development do not always end with the full formation of psychopathy. For all forms of psychopathic behavior, provided early targeted Corrective action in combination (if necessary) with therapeutic measures can achieve significant success in compensating for deviant development in this category of children.

3. Children with early childhood autism syndrome.

Early childhood autism (ECA) is one of the most complex mental development disorders. This syndrome develops in its full form by the age of three. RDA manifests itself in the following clinical and psychological signs:

· impaired ability to establish emotional contact;

· stereotypical behavior. It is characterized by the presence of monotonous actions in the child’s behavior - motor (swinging, jumping, tapping), speech (pronouncing the same sounds, words or phrases), stereotypical manipulations of any object; monotonous games, stereotypical interests.

· specific disorders speech development (mutism, echolalia, speech cliches, stereotypical monologues, absence of first-person pronouns in speech, etc.), leading to a violation of speech communication.

Early childhood autism is also characterized by:

· Increased sensitivity to sensory stimuli. Already in the first year of life, there is a tendency to sensory discomfort (most often to intense household sounds and tactile irritations), as well as a focus on unpleasant impressions. With insufficient activity aimed at examining the surrounding world and limiting diverse sensory contact with it, there is a pronounced “capture”, fascination with certain specific impressions - tactile, visual, auditory, vestibular, which the child strives to receive again and again. For example, a child’s favorite pastime for six months or more may be rustling a plastic bag, watching the movement of a shadow on the wall; the strongest impression may be the light of a lamp, etc. The fundamental difference in autism is the fact that a loved one almost never manages to join in the actions with which the child is “fascinated.”

· Violation of the sense of self-preservation is observed in most cases before the age of one year. It manifests itself both in hyper-caution and in the absence of a sense of danger.

· Violation of affective contact with the immediate environment is expressed by:

· in particular the relationship to the hands of the mother. Many autistic children lack anticipating posture (stretching arms towards an adult when the child looks at him). Such a child may also not feel comfortable in the mother’s arms: he either “hangs like a bag”, or is overly tense, resists caresses, etc.;

· features of fixation of gaze on the mother's face. Normally, a child early shows an interest in the human face. Communication through gaze is the basis for the development of subsequent forms of communicative behavior. Autistic children are characterized by avoidance of eye contact (looking past the face or “through” the adult’s face);

· features of an early smile. The timely appearance of a smile and its direction to a loved one is a sign of the successful and effective development of the child. The first smile in most autistic children is not addressed to a person, but rather in response to sensory stimulation that is pleasant for the child (inhibition, the bright color of the mother’s clothes, etc.).

· features of the formation of attachment to a loved one. Normally, they manifest themselves as an obvious preference of one of the persons caring for the child, most often the mother, in experiences of separation from her. The autistic child most often does not use positive emotional reactions to express affection;

· in difficulties in expressing a request. Many children normally develop a directed gaze and gesture at an early stage of development - extending their hand in the right direction, which at subsequent stages transformed into a pointing gesture. In an autistic child and at later stages of development, such a transformation of gesture does not occur. Even at an older age, when expressing his desire, an autistic child takes the adult’s hand and places it on the desired object;

Difficulties in the voluntary organization of the child, which can be expressed in the following trends:

· absence or inconstancy of the baby’s response to an adult addressing him using his own name;

· failure to follow the direction of an adult’s gaze with his eyes, ignoring his pointing gesture;

· lack of expression of imitative reactions, and more often their complete absence; difficulty in organizing autistic children into simple games that require imitation and demonstration (“okay”);

· the child’s great dependence on the influences of the surrounding “psychic field”. If parents show great persistence and activity, trying to attract attention, then the autistic child either protests or withdraws from contact.

Violation of contact with others, associated with the developmental features of the child’s forms of addressing an adult, is reflected in the difficulty of expressing one’s own emotional state. Normally, the ability to express one’s emotional state and share it with an adult is one of the earliest adaptive achievements of a child. It usually appears after two months. The mother perfectly understands the mood of her child and therefore can control it: comfort the child, relieve discomfort, calm him down. Mothers of autistic children often have difficulty even understanding the emotional state of their children.

Part II. The main content of complex correctional work with children, suffering from emotional-volitional disorders

Study questions.

1. The main directions of correctional pedagogical work.

4. Medical and health-improving activities.

5. Methods of psychological correction of emotional-volitional disorders.

Psychological and pedagogical assistance to children suffering from emotional-volitional disorders involves solving a number of organizational and pedagogical problems and the practical implementation of the following areas of correctional work.

· Comprehensive study reasons violations of the emotional-volitional sphere in a given child, behavioral disorders, reasons that contributed to the emergence of affective reactions. Finding out conditions of education and development child in the family.

· Elimination (if possible) or weakening of psychotraumatic moments (including negative psychotraumatic social factors, for example, unfavorable living conditions and activities of the child in the family, incorrect pedagogical approach to raising a child, etc.).

· Definition and practical implementation of the rational (taking into account the individual characteristics of the child) daily routine and educational activities. Organization of goal-directed behavior of the child; formation of adequate behavior in various social and everyday situations.

· Establishing positive close emotional contact with the child, including him in exciting activities (together with the teacher and other children) - taking into account his interests and inclinations. Maintaining positive contact with the child throughout the entire period of teaching work in a given educational institution.

· Smoothing and gradual overcoming of negative personality traits in children with emotional-volitional disorders (withdrawal, negativism /including speech negativism/, irritability, sensitivity /in particular increased sensitivity to failures/, indifferent attitude to the problems of others, to one’s position in the children’s team, etc.).

· It is important to overcome and prevent neurotic reactions and pathocharacterological disorders: egocentrism, infantility with constant dependence on others, lack of self-confidence, etc. For this purpose, the following is provided:

– prevention of affective reactions, reactive behavior; preventing the emergence of social situations and variants of interpersonal contacts between children that provoke affective reactions in the child;

– rational, clear, thoughtful verbal regulation of the child’s activities;

– prevention of educational (psychological) overload and fatigue, timely switching of the child’s attention from the given conflict situation to another type of activity, to discuss a “new” issue, etc.

No less importance is attached to other areas of correctional pedagogical and correctional psychological work. These include:

· Formation of socially positive personal qualities: sociability, social activity, ability to willpower, desire to overcome encountered difficulties, to self-affirmation in a team, combined with a benevolent, correct attitude towards others;

· Formation of correct relationships between children in the children's team (first of all, normalization or establishment of correct interpersonal relationships between a child suffering from emotional-volitional disorders and other children in the teaching group/class); carrying out explanatory work with the children around the child. Teaching the child to cooperate with other children and adults;

· Purposeful formation in children with emotional-volitional disorders game, subject-practical(including artistic and visual), educational and elementary labor activity; on this basis, carrying out systematic, diverse pedagogical work on the moral and aesthetic education of children, and the formation of positive personality traits.

Streamlining and development of orientation-research activities (based on the targeted formation of sensory perception, visual and auditory gnosis, operations of analysis of the perceived object and the holistic subject situation, etc.);

Joining collective forms of activity, involving the child in play, subject-related practical and educational activities together with other children. Formation of a child’s teamwork skills: the ability to take into account common rules and the goals of this type of activity, the interests of other children, the ability to obey the requirements of the team, relate their actions to the work of others, etc.

Development of cognitive interests and needs, formation of a conscious, responsible attitude towards one’s responsibilities, completed educational tasks, public assignments, etc.

Formation sustainable motives educational and subject-practical activities appropriate to age. Development of verbal communication in the course of joint activities with the teacher and other children (educational, play, practical).

Upbringing purposefulness and planning activities, the formation of inhibitory (“restraining”) reactions, correct self-assessment of one’s own activities and behavior.

Actively involving children in the preparation and holding of holidays, excursions, cultural and sporting events.

Development of motor functions, general and fine manual motor skills, including in the formation of substantive and practical activities in its various types. Preparation for mastering the motor act of writing.

For this purpose the following are provided:

– Development of children’s cognitive activity;

– The use of various methods and techniques in the process of correctional pedagogical work with children, specifically aimed at developing the activity and independence of children in educational and subject-related practical activities (educational tasks with elements of competition, creative tasks using bright, colorful didactic material; exercises, built on the principle of “small steps”, “climbing steps”, etc.);

– Regular classes in various clubs, sections, and interest clubs.

The educational and educational activities conducted should be dynamic, varied, interesting and at the same time should not contain unnecessary information or a large number of tasks difficult to complete independently, which often causes negative emotions, fatigue, and negative behavioral reactions in children.

Psychological* and psychological-pedagogical correction disorders of the emotional-volitional sphere noted in children includes: correctional and developmental classes, psychological training, classes according to the system art correction(carried out by means play therapy, music therapy, visual arts: drawing, modeling, applique, etc.). Play psychotherapy is important when working with children of senior preschool and primary school age. For role-playing games, social and everyday situations are selected that are well understood by the child and relevant to him on a personal level. During the game, the child learns adequate relationships with the people around him. Of great importance is the differentiated selection of plots for games that contribute to the child’s adaptation to his environment (for example: “My Family”, where children act as parents, and the “role” of children is played by dolls; “Our little friends”, “We are builders”, “Cosmonauts”, “Our House”, “Playing on the Playground”, etc.)

The implementation of a complex of therapeutic and health-improving measures includes:

· medical consultation (teachers and parents),

· proper nutrition, diet therapy and herbal medicine;

· drug treatment,

· physiotherapy,

· hydrotherapy and hardening procedures;

· therapeutic exercises and massage, etc. *

Pedagogical work with the child's family includes a number of activities:

· identification and assessment of the social and living conditions in which the child’s family lives;

· study and analysis of the conditions for the upbringing and development of a child in the family;

· identification and elimination of incorrect approaches to raising a child in the family (upbringing in conditions of overprotection, lack of educational influence of others /hypoprotection/, excessive or underestimated demands on the child from adults when organizing various types his activities, etc.).

· Development of a unified (for teachers and parents) and adequate understanding of the child’s problems.

– Determination (together with parents) of the correct pedagogical approach to raising and educating a child, taking into account his individual personal and psychological characteristics.

– Formation of a favorable “psychological climate” in the family (normalization of interpersonal relationships within the family - between parents and child, between the child and other children in the family).

– Teacher Education parents; teaching them some accessible methods of correctional pedagogical work. Inclusion of parents (as well as immediate relatives) in correctional and pedagogical work with the child (conducting correctional and developmental classes at home), etc.

Teachers and parents are required to have a particularly attentive, calm and tactful attitude towards a child with psychopathological personality traits. In pedagogical work, one should rely on the positive characterological traits of the child’s personality, the active use of techniques encouragement, education based on positive examples, distraction from unfavorable moments and aspects of the surrounding life. When working with children suffering from emotional-volitional disorders, a calm, even tone, goodwill combined with exactingness, and the absence of multidirectional attitudes when organizing the child’s activities and behavior are necessary.

For the rehabilitation of autistic children, the following areas of correctional work are implemented in comprehensive correctional work.

Psychological correction, which includes establishing contact with adults, mitigating the background of sensory and emotional discomfort, anxiety and fears, stimulating mental activity aimed at influencing adults and peers, forming purposeful behavior, and overcoming negative forms of behavior. Work on this section is carried out by a psychologist.

Pedagogical correction. Depending on the level of development of the nervous system, the knowledge and skills of an autistic child, the nature of his passions and interests, an individual educational program is created. Based on the psychologist’s research data, the teacher conducts his own examination, determines specific teaching objectives, and develops a working methodology.

Identification and development of children's creative abilities. Music is an important area of life for an autistic child, giving him a lot of positive emotions, and singing often acts as the most important factor in the appearance and development of speech.

Development of general motor skills. Therapeutic physical education in correctional work with autistic children is very important. Due to the underdevelopment of the functions of the vestibular apparatus, exercises on balance, coordination of movements, and orientation in space become of particular importance.

Working with parents of autistic children. The complex of work with parents includes: psychotherapy of family members, familiarization of parents with a number of mental characteristics of a child with RDA, training in methods of raising an autistic child, organizing his regime, developing self-care skills, preparing for schooling.

5. Basic forms and methods of psychological correction of emotional-volitional disorders

5.1 The main goal of psychological correction of behavioral disorders in children and adolescents with disharmonious development is the harmonization of their personal sphere, family relationships and the solution (elimination) of current psycho-traumatic problems. When working with children and adolescents suffering from emotional-volitional disorders, the following methods of psychotherapy are widely used: suggestive psychotherapy, group, behavioral, family, rational, self-hypnosis. Psychoanalysis, transactional analysis, Gestalt therapy, autogenic training, etc. are often used. Autogenic training is the orderly use of special exercises and psychological relaxation, helps manage emotions, restore strength, performance, relieve tension, and overcome stressful conditions. Behavioral psychotherapy is based on the principles of behaviorism, helps change the child’s behavior under the influence of a positive stimulus, relieves discomfort and inadequate reactions. Training as a type of behavioral psychotherapy teaches you how to manage your emotions, make decisions, teaches communication, and self-confidence. Rational psychotherapy as a method includes techniques of explanation, suggestion, emotional influence, study, personality correction, and logical argumentation. Occupational therapy is actively used as a link connecting a person with social reality. In essence, this is treatment by employment, protection from personal disintegration, and the creation of conditions for interpersonal communication.

Of particular interest in psychocorrectional work with adolescents with disorders of emotional regulation of behavior is level approach, proposed by prof. V.V. Lebedinsky (1988). The interaction of an individual with the outside world, the realization of his needs can occur at different levels of activity and depth of emotional contact of the child (adolescent) with environment. There are four main levels of such interaction.

First level field reactivity– primarily associated with the most primitive, passive forms of mental adaptation. Affective experiences at this level do not yet contain a positive or negative evaluation; they are associated only with a general sense of comfort or discomfort.

In older children and adults, this level performs background functions in the implementation of emotional and semantic adaptation to the environment. It provides a tonic response to affective processes. The role of this level in the regulation of behavior is extremely large and its underestimation entails significant costs in the psychocorrection process. Tonic emotional regulation with the help of special daily psychotechnical techniques has a positive effect on different levels of “basal affectivity.” Therefore, various psychoregulatory training using sensory stimuli ( sound, color, light, tactile touch) are of great importance in psychocorrection of behavior.

Second - level of stereotypes– plays an important role in regulating the child’s behavior in the first months of life, in the formation of adaptive reactions - nutritional, defensive, establishing physical contact with the mother. At this level, signals from the surrounding world and the internal environment of the body are already consciously assessed, sensations of all modalities are affectively assessed: auditory, visual, tactile, gustatory, etc. The type of behavior characteristic of this level of affective adaptation is stereotypical reactions. Affective stereotypes are a necessary background for ensuring the most complex forms of human behavior. Activation of this level of emotional regulation in the process of psychocorrectional work is achieved when the child (teenager) focuses on sensory (muscle, taste, tactile and other) sensations, perception and reproduction of simple rhythmic stimuli. This level, like the first, helps to stabilize a person’s affective life. A variety of psychotechnical techniques widely used by psychologists, such as rhythmic repetitions, “ritual actions,” jumping, swinging, etc., occupy an important place in the psychocorrection process, especially in the first stages of classes. They perform and how relaxing, And How mobilizing a means of influence in correcting the behavior of children and adolescents.

The third level of affective organization of behavior is expansion level– is the next stage of a person’s emotional contact with the environment. The child gradually begins to master its mechanisms in the second half of the first year of life, which contributes to the formation of active adaptation to new conditions. Affective experiences of the third level are associated not with the satisfaction of the need itself, as was the case at the second level, but with the achievement of what is desired. They are distinguished by great strength and polarity. If at the second level the instability of the situation, the unknown, danger, unsatisfied desire causes anxiety and fear, then at the third they mobilize the subject to overcome difficulties. At this level of affective organization of activity and behavior, the child experiences curiosity about unexpected experiences, excitement in overcoming danger, anger, and a desire to overcome emerging difficulties. In the process of psychocorrection, the level of affective expansion is stimulated under the influence of experiences that arise in the process of an exciting game, risk, competition, overcoming difficult and dangerous situations, playing out “frightening” plots containing a real prospect of their successful resolution.

Fourth level - level emotional control(highest level of the system basal emotional regulation) – is formed on the basis of “subordination”, complementarity and socialization of all previous levels. Adaptive affective behavior at this level rises to the next level of complexity. At this level, the affective basis for the voluntary organization of human behavior is laid. The behavioral act of the subject is already becoming act- an action that is built taking into account the attitude of another person towards it. If adaptation fails, the subject at this level no longer reacts to a situation that is significant to him either by leaving, or by physical activity, or by directed aggression, as is possible at previous levels - he turns to other people for help. At this level, the affective “self-orientation” is improved, which is an important prerequisite for the development of self-esteem. Affective experience at this level is associated with empathy for another person. Correction of the emotional-intellectual organization of behavior requires the mandatory inclusion of such psychotechnical techniques as cooperation, partnership, reflection, which contributes to the formation of personal reactions humanism, empathy, self-control.

The identified levels of affective organization implement qualitatively different adaptation tasks. Weakening or damage to one of the levels leads to general affective maladjustment of the child or adolescent in the surrounding society.

The structural-level study of the basal emotional organization of the individual is important in solving the problem of shaping the individual behavior of children and adolescents and developing effective ways to correct it.

5.2 The basis for behavioral disorders in children and adolescents with developmental disharmony is often a lack of voluntary regulation of activity. Relying on activity principle in psychology, we can identify the main blocks of the structure of human behavior.

Motivational block– includes the ability of a child (adolescent) to identify, realize and accept the goal of behavior.

Operational and regulatory block– the ability to plan actions to achieve a goal (both in terms of content and time of implementation of the activity).

Control unit– the ability to control one’s behavior and make the necessary adjustments to it.

Difficulties in understanding one's behavior are common to many children and adolescents with disharmony of mental development. They manifest themselves in weak reflection, ignorance of their “strong” and “weak” personal qualities, as well as in the teenager’s underestimation of one or another psychotraumatic situation, which contributes to

Often, parents' concern is mainly concentrated in the area of children's physical health, when sufficient attention is not paid to the emotional state of the child, and some early alarming symptoms of disturbances in the emotional-volitional sphere are perceived as temporary, characteristic of age, and therefore not dangerous.

Emotions play a significant role from the very beginning of a baby’s life, and serve as an indicator of his attitude towards his parents and what surrounds him. Currently, along with general health problems in children, experts note with concern the increase in emotional-volitional disorders, which result in more serious problems in the form of low social adaptation, a tendency to antisocial behavior, and learning difficulties.

External manifestations of disorders of the emotional-volitional sphere in childhood

Despite the fact that you should not independently make not only medical diagnoses, but also diagnoses in the field of psychological health, and it is better to entrust this to professionals, there are a number of signs of disturbances in the emotional-volitional sphere, the presence of which should be the reason for contacting specialists.

Violations in the emotional-volitional sphere of a child’s personality have characteristic features of age-related manifestations. So, for example, if adults systematically note in their child at an early age such behavioral characteristics as excessive aggressiveness or passivity, tearfulness, “getting stuck” on a certain emotion, then it is possible that this is an early manifestation of emotional disorders.

In preschool age, the above symptoms may be supplemented by the inability to follow norms and rules of behavior and insufficient development of independence. At school age, these deviations, along with those listed, can be combined with self-doubt, impaired social interaction, decreased sense of purpose, and inadequate self-esteem.

It is important to understand that the existence of disorders should be judged not by the presence of a single symptom, which may be the child’s reaction to a specific situation, but by the combination of several characteristic symptoms.

The main external manifestations are as follows:

Emotional tension. With increased emotional tension, in addition to well-known manifestations, difficulties in organizing mental activity and a decrease in play activity characteristic of a particular age can also be clearly expressed.

The rapid mental fatigue of a child in comparison with peers or with earlier behavior is expressed in the fact that the child has difficulty concentrating, he may demonstrate a clear negative attitude towards situations where the manifestation of thinking and intellectual qualities is necessary.
Increased anxiety. Increased anxiety, in addition to the known signs, can be expressed in avoidance of social contacts and a decrease in the desire to communicate.
Aggressiveness. Manifestations can be in the form of demonstrative disobedience to adults, physical aggression and verbal aggression. Also, his aggression can be directed at himself, he can hurt himself. The child becomes disobedient and with great difficulty succumbs to the educational influences of adults.
Lack of empathy. Empathy is the ability to feel and understand the emotions of another person, to empathize. In case of disturbances in the emotional-volitional sphere, this symptom is usually accompanied by increased anxiety. An inability to empathize may also be a warning sign of a mental disorder or intellectual disability.
Unpreparedness and unwillingness to overcome difficulties. The child is lethargic and does not enjoy contact with adults. Extreme manifestations of behavior may look like complete ignorance of parents or other adults - in certain situations, a child may pretend that he does not hear an adult.
Low motivation to succeed. A characteristic sign of low motivation for success is the desire to avoid hypothetical failures, so the child takes on new tasks with displeasure and tries to avoid situations where there is even the slightest doubt about the result. It is very difficult to persuade him to try to do anything. A common answer in this situation is: “it won’t work,” “I don’t know how.” Parents may mistakenly interpret this as a manifestation of laziness.
Expressed distrust of others. It can manifest itself as hostility, often accompanied by tearfulness; school-age children can manifest it as excessive criticism of the statements and actions of both peers and surrounding adults.
Excessive impulsiveness of a child, as a rule, is expressed in poor self-control and insufficient awareness of his actions.
Avoiding close contacts with other people. A child may repel others with remarks expressing contempt or impatience, insolence, etc.

Formation of the emotional-volitional sphere of the child

Parents observe the manifestation of emotions from the very beginning of the child’s life; with their help, communication with parents occurs, so the baby shows that he feels good, or he experiences unpleasant sensations.

Later, in the process of growing up, the child faces problems that he has to solve with to varying degrees independence. Attitude to a problem or situation causes a certain emotional response, and attempts to influence the problem cause additional emotions. In other words, if a child has to show arbitrariness in carrying out any actions, where the fundamental motive is not “I want”, but “I need”, that is, volitional effort will be required to solve the problem, in fact this will mean the implementation of a volitional act.

As we grow older, emotions also undergo certain changes and develop. Children at this age learn to feel and are able to demonstrate more complex manifestations of emotions. The main feature of the correct emotional-volitional development of a child is the increasing ability to control the manifestation of emotions.

The main causes of violations of the emotional-volitional sphere of the child

Child psychologists place special emphasis on the statement that the development of a child’s personality can occur harmoniously only with sufficient trusting communication with close adults.

The main causes of violations are:

suffered stress;
retardation in intellectual development;
lack of emotional contacts with close adults;
social and everyday reasons;
films and computer games not intended for his age;
a number of other reasons that cause internal discomfort and feelings of inferiority in the child.

Violations of the children's emotional sphere manifest themselves much more often and more clearly during periods of so-called age-related crises. Vivid examples of such points of maturation can be the crises “I myself” at the age of three and the “Crisis of adolescence” in adolescence.

Diagnosis of disorders

To correct disorders, timely and correct diagnosis is important, taking into account the causes of the development of deviations. Psychologists have a range of special techniques and tests to assess the development and psychological state of a child, taking into account his age characteristics.

For preschoolers, projective diagnostic methods are usually used:

drawing test;
Luscher color test;
Beck Anxiety Scale;
questionnaire “Well-being, activity, mood” (SAM);
test school anxiety Phillips and many others.

Correction of disorders of the emotional-volitional sphere in childhood

What to do if the baby’s behavior suggests the presence of such a disorder? First of all, it is important to understand that these violations can and should be corrected. You should not rely only on specialists; the role of parents in correcting the behavioral characteristics of the child’s character is very important.

An important point in laying the foundation for a successful resolution of this problem is the establishment of contact and trust between parents and the child. In communication, you should avoid critical assessments, show a friendly attitude, remain calm, praise adequate manifestations of feelings more, you should be sincerely interested in his feelings and empathize.

Contact a psychologist

To eliminate disturbances in the emotional sphere, you should contact a child psychologist, who, with the help of special classes, will help you learn how to react correctly when stressful situations arise and control your feelings. Another important point is the work of the psychologist with the parents themselves.

Psychology currently describes many methods for correcting childhood disorders in the form of play therapy. As you know, the best learning occurs with the involvement of positive emotions. Teaching correct behavior is no exception.

The value of a number of methods lies in the fact that they can be successfully used not only by specialists themselves, but also by parents interested in the organic development of their baby.

Practical correction methods

These are, in particular, the methods of fairy tale therapy and puppet therapy. Their main principle is the child’s identification with a fairy tale character or his favorite toy during the game. The child projects his problem onto the main character, the toy and, during the game, resolves them according to the plot.

Of course, all these methods imply the obligatory direct involvement of adults in the game process itself.

If parents in the process of upbringing pay sufficient and due attention to such aspects of the development of the child’s personality as the emotional-volitional sphere, then in the future this will make it much easier to survive the period of teenage personality formation, which, as many know, can introduce a number of serious deviations in the child’s behavior.

The work experience accumulated by psychologists shows that not only taking into account the characteristics of age development, a thorough selection diagnostic techniques and psychological correction techniques, allows specialists to successfully solve problems of violation of the harmonious development of a child’s personality; the decisive factor in this area will always be parental attention, patience, care and love.

Psychologist, psychotherapist, personal well-being specialist

Svetlana Buk

Definition of the emotional-volitional sphere

For appropriate development in society, as well as normal life activity, the emotional-volitional sphere is important. A lot depends on her. And this applies not only family relations, but also professional activities.

The process itself is very complex. Its origin is influenced by various factors. This can be either a person’s social conditions or his heredity. This area begins to develop at an early age and continues to develop until adolescence.

From birth, a person overcomes the following types of development:

Emotions are different...

As well as their manifestations in life

For what reasons does the failure occur?

There are a number of reasons that can influence the development of this process and cause emotional and volitional disturbances. The main factors include:

Along with this, you can name any other reasons that can cause internal discomfort and a feeling of inferiority. At the same time, a child will be able to develop harmoniously and correctly only if he has a trusting relationship with his family.

Spectrum of disorders of will and emotions

Emotional volitional disorders include:

hyperbulia;
hypobulia;
abulia;
obsessive-compulsive disorder.

With a general increase in will, hyperbulia develops, which can affect all major drives. This manifestation is considered characteristic of manic syndrome. So, for example, a person’s appetite will increase; if he is in a department, he will immediately eat the food that is brought to him.

Both will and drive decrease with hypobulia. In this case, the person does not need communication; he is burdened by strangers who are nearby. He feels better alone. Such patients prefer to immerse themselves in their own world of suffering. They do not want to take care of their relatives.

When a decrease in will occurs, this indicates abulia. Such a disorder is considered persistent, and together with apathy it is composed of an apathetic-abulic syndrome, which, as a rule, manifests itself during the final state of schizophrenia.

With obsessive drive, the patient has desires that he is able to control. But when he begins to renounce his desires, this gives rise to serious anxiety in him. He is haunted by thoughts of a need that has not been satisfied. For example, if a person has a fear of pollution, he will try not to wash his hands as often as he would like, but this will make him painfully think about his own need. And when no one is looking at him, he will wash them thoroughly.

Stronger feelings include compulsive attraction. It is so strong that it is compared to instincts. The need becomes pathological. Her position is dominant, so the internal struggle stops very quickly and the person immediately satisfies his desire. This may be a grossly antisocial act that will result in punishment.

Volitional disorders

Will is the mental activity of the individual, which is aimed at a specific goal or overcoming obstacles. Without this, a person will not be able to realize his intentions or solve life problems. Volitional disorders include hypobulia and abulia. In the first case, volitional activity will be weakened, and in the second, it will be completely absent.

If a person experiences hyperbulia, which is combined with distractibility, then this may indicate a manic state or delusional disorder.

The desire for food and self-preservation are disrupted in the case of parabulia, that is, when a volitional act is perverted. The patient, refusing normal foods, begins to eat inedible foods. In some cases, pathological gluttony is observed. When the sense of self-preservation is impaired, the patient can cause serious injury to himself. This also includes sexual perversions, in particular masochism and exhibitionism.

Spectrum of volitional qualities

Emotional disorders

Emotions are different. They characterize people’s relationships to the world around them and to themselves. There are many emotional disorders, but some of them are considered an urgent reason to visit a specialist. Among them:

depressed, melancholy mood, of a recurring, protracted nature;
constant change of emotions, without serious reasons;
uncontrollable emotional states, affects;
chronic anxiety;
stiffness, uncertainty, timidity;
high emotional sensitivity;
phobias.

Emotional disorders include the following pathological deviations:

Apathy is similar to emotional paralysis. The person is completely indifferent to everything around him. This is accompanied by inactivity.
Hypotymia, in which the mood decreases, and the person feels depressed, melancholy, hopeless, and therefore fixes his attention only on negative events.
Depression is characterized by a triad of hypothymia, slow thinking, and motor retardation. At the same time, the patient has a melancholic mood, he feels deep sadness, heaviness in his heart and whole body. Early in the morning the state of health worsens significantly. During this period, there is a high probability of suicide.
In the case of dysphoria, the mood is also low, but it has a tense and angry character. This deviation is short-term. As a rule, it occurs in people suffering from epilepsy.
Dysthymia is also not prolonged. It goes away in a relatively short period of time. This condition is characterized by a mood disorder. A person feels despondency, anxiety, anger.
The opposite of the above deviations is hyperthymia, in which a person is overly cheerful, he is happy and cheerful, energetic and overestimates his own capabilities.
A person in a state of euphoria is complacent and carefree, but at the same time is characterized by passivity. This often occurs in cases of organic brain disease.
During ecstasy, the patient plunges into himself, he experiences delight, extraordinary happiness. Sometimes this condition is associated with a visual hallucination of positive content.

When a child is overly aggressive or withdrawn

Violations of the emotional-volitional sphere, which are most pronounced in children:

Aggressiveness. Almost every child can show aggression, but here it is worth paying attention to the degree of the reaction, its duration and the nature of the reasons.
Emotional disinhibition. In this case, there is an overly violent reaction to everything. Such children, if they cry, do so loudly and defiantly.
Anxiety. With such a violation, the child will be embarrassed to clearly express his emotions, he does not talk about his problems, and feels discomfort when attention is paid to him.

In addition, the disorder occurs with increased and decreased emotionality. In the first case, this concerns euphoria, depression, anxiety syndrome, dysphoria, and fears. When it is low, apathy develops.

Violation of the emotional-volitional sphere and behavioral disorder are observed in a hyperactive child who experiences motor restlessness, suffers from restlessness, and impulsivity. He can't concentrate.

A modern view of correction

Hippotherapy is identified as one of the main methods soft correction. It involves communication with horses. This procedure is suitable not only for children, but also for adults.

It can be used for the whole family, which will help unite it and improve trusting relationships. This treatment will allow you to say goodbye to a depressive mood, negative experiences, and reduce anxiety.

If we are talking about correcting disorders in a child, then a variety of psychological methods can be used for this. Among them it is worth highlighting:

play therapy, which involves the use of games (this method is considered especially effective for preschoolers);
body-oriented therapy, dance;
fairytale therapy;
art therapy, which is divided into two types: perception of finished material or independent drawing;
music therapy, in which music is used in any form.

It is better to try to prevent any disease or deviation. To prevent emotional and volitional disorders, you should listen to these simple tips:

if an adult or child is emotionally traumatized, then those nearby should be calm and show their goodwill;
people need to share their experiences and feelings as often as possible;
need to do physical labor or draw;
monitor your daily routine;
try to avoid stressful situations and excessive worry.

It is important to understand that a lot depends on those who are nearby. You don’t need to share your experiences with everyone around you, but you need to have someone who will help in a difficult situation, support and listen. In turn, parents must show patience, care and boundless love. This will preserve the baby’s mental health.

Emotionally volitional disorders

Emotions in a person act as a special class of mental states, which are reflected in the form of a positive or negative attitude towards the world around us, other people and, above all, oneself. Emotional experiences are determined by the corresponding properties and qualities formed in objects and phenomena of reality, as well as by certain needs and needs of a person.

The role of emotions in human life

The term "emotion" comes from the Latin name emovere, which means movement, excitement and excitement. The key functional component of emotions is the motivation for activity; as a result, the emotional sphere is also called the emotional-volitional sphere.

At the moment, emotions play a significant role in ensuring the interaction between the body and the environment.

Negative emotions manifest themselves as a result of a lack of necessary information that is required to satisfy a number of needs, and positive emotions characterized by the complete availability of all necessary information.

Today, emotions are divided into 3 main parts:

Affect, characterized by acute experience of a certain event, emotional tension and excitement;
Cognition (awareness of one’s state, its verbal designation and assessment of further prospects for meeting needs);
Expression that is characterized by external bodily motor activity or behavior.

A relatively stable emotional state of a person is called mood. The sphere of human needs includes social needs and emotions that arise on the basis of social and cultural needs, which later became known as feelings.

There are 2 emotional groups:

Primary (anger, sadness, anxiety, shame, surprise);
Secondary, which includes processed primary emotions. For example, pride is joy.

Clinical picture of emotional-volitional disorders

The main external manifestations of a violation of the emotional-volitional sphere include:

Emotional stress. With increased emotional tension, disorganization of mental activity and decreased activity occur.
Rapid mental fatigue (in a child). It is expressed by the fact that the child is unable to concentrate, and is also characterized by a sharp negative reaction to certain situations where a demonstration of his mental qualities is necessary.
A state of anxiety, which is expressed by the fact that a person avoids in every possible way any contact with other people and does not strive to communicate with them.
Increased aggressiveness. Most often it occurs in childhood, when a child defiantly disobeys adults and experiences constant physical and verbal aggression. Such aggression can be expressed not only towards others, but also towards oneself, thereby causing harm to one’s own health.
Lack of ability to feel and comprehend the emotions of other people, to empathize. This symptom is usually accompanied by increased anxiety and is the cause of mental disorder and mental retardation.
Lack of desire to overcome life's difficulties. In this case, the child is in a constantly lethargic state, he has no desire to communicate with adults. Extreme manifestations of this disorder are expressed in complete ignorance of parents and other adults.
Lack of motivation to succeed. The main factor of low motivation is the desire to avoid possible failures, as a result of which a person refuses to take on new tasks and tries to avoid situations where even the slightest doubt arises about final success.
Expressed distrust of other people. Often accompanied by such symptoms as hostility towards others.
Increased impulsivity in childhood. It is expressed by such signs as a lack of self-control and awareness of one’s actions.

Disorders of the emotional sphere in adult patients are distinguished by such features as:

Hypobulia or decreased willpower. Patients with this disorder lack any need to communicate with other people, experience irritability in the presence of strangers, and lack the ability or desire to carry on a conversation.
Hyperbulia. It is characterized by increased desire in all areas of life, often expressed in increased appetite and the need for constant communication and attention.
Abulia. It is distinguished by the fact that a person’s volitional drives sharply decrease.
Compulsive attraction is an irresistible need for something or someone. This disorder is often compared to animal instinct, when a person’s ability to be aware of their actions is significantly suppressed.
Obsessive desire is a manifestation of obsessive desires that the patient is not able to independently control. Failure to satisfy such desires leads to depression and deep suffering for the patient, and his thoughts are filled with the idea of their realization.

Syndromes of emotional-volitional disorders

The most common forms of emotional disorders are depressive and manic syndromes.

The clinical picture of depressive syndrome is described by its 3 main signs, such as:

Hypotomia, characterized by decreased mood;
Associative inhibition (mental inhibition);
Motor retardation.

It is worth noting that the first point listed above is a key sign of a depressive state. Hypotomia can be expressed in the fact that a person is constantly sad, feels depressed and sad. Unlike the established reaction, when sadness arises as a result of experiencing a sad event, with depression a person loses connection with the environment. That is, in this case the patient does not show a reaction to joyful and other events.

Mental retardation in its mild manifestations is expressed in the form of slowing down monosyllabic speech and taking a long time to think about the answer. A severe course is characterized by the inability to comprehend the questions asked and solve a number of simple logical problems.

Motor retardation manifests itself in the form of stiffness and slowness of movements. In severe cases of depression, there is a risk of depressive stupor (a state of complete depression).

Often, manic syndrome manifests itself within the framework of affective bipolar disorder. In this case, the course of this syndrome is characterized by paroxysmal episodes, in the form of individual episodes with certain stages of development. Symptomatic picture, which stands out in the structure of a manic episode, is characterized by variability within one patient depending on the stage of development of the pathology.

Such a pathological condition as manic syndrome, as well as depressive syndrome, is distinguished by 3 main features:

Elevated mood due to hyperthymia;
Mental excitability in the form of accelerated thought processes and speech (tachypsia);
Motor excitement;

An abnormal increase in mood is characterized by the fact that the patient does not feel such manifestations as melancholy, anxiety and a number of other signs characteristic of depressive syndrome.

Mental excitability with an accelerated thinking process occurs up to a race of ideas, that is, in this case, the patient’s speech becomes incoherent due to excessive distractibility, although the patient himself is aware of the logic of his words. It also stands out because the patient has ideas of his own greatness and denial of the guilt and responsibility of other people.

Increased motor activity in this syndrome is characterized by disinhibition of this activity in order to obtain pleasure. Consequently, with manic syndrome, patients tend to consume large amounts of alcohol and drugs.

Manic syndrome is also characterized by such emotional disturbances as:

Strengthening instincts (increased appetite, sexuality);
Increased distractibility;
Reassessment of personal qualities.

Methods for correcting emotional disorders

Features of the correction of emotional disorders in children and adults are based on the use of a number of effective techniques that can almost completely normalize their emotional state. Usually, emotional correction for children is the use of play therapy.

There is another therapeutic approach, namely psychodynamic, which is based on the method of psychoanalysis aimed at resolving the patient’s internal conflict, awareness of his needs and life experiences.

The psychodynamic method also includes:

These specific effects have proven themselves not only for children, but also for adults. They allow patients to relax, show creative imagination and present emotional disorders as a certain image. The psychodynamic approach is also distinguished by its ease and ease of implementation.

Also common methods include ethnofunctional psychotherapy, which allows you to artificially create a duality of the subject, in order to understand your personal and emotional problems, as if focusing your view from the outside. In this case, the help of a psychotherapist allows patients to transfer their emotional problems to an ethnic projection, work through them, realize them and let them pass through themselves in order to finally get rid of them.

Prevention of emotional disorders

The main goal of preventing disorders of the emotional-volitional sphere is the formation of dynamic balance and a certain margin of safety of the central nervous system. This state is determined by the absence of internal conflicts and a stable optimistic attitude.

Sustained optimistic motivation makes it possible to move towards the intended goal, overcoming various difficulties. As a result, a person learns to make informed decisions based on a large amount of information, which reduces the likelihood of error. That is, the key to an emotionally stable nervous system is a person’s movement along the path of development.

What is emotional-volitional disorder?

All of the above is... does not arise by itself... As a rule, it is accompanied by the following diseases:

True, sometimes... They whisper that there are all sorts of special techniques, influences and suppressions...

And 1% of cases - yes, they exist... But the rest, of course, is provincial theater.)

The task of doctors is to... everyone was alive and well... And for those who are unwell - to make their existence extremely easy... True, the question was asked in the “Psychology” category. But what kind of psychologist does not dream of being called... doctor.)

Reluctance to engage in usual activities

Emotionally volitional disorders

The birth of a child in a family with certain disabilities normal development- always stressful for both parents. It is very good when relatives, friends or psychological rehabilitation specialists help them cope with the problem.

The first signs of a violation of the emotional-volitional sphere begin to appear during a period of active communication in a group of peers, which is why you should not ignore any deviations in the child’s behavior. These disorders are quite rarely noted as an independent disease; they are often harbingers or components of quite serious mental disorders:

A decrease in intellectual activity in children manifests itself in the form of insufficiently complete regulation of emotions, inappropriate behavior, decreased morality, low level of emotional coloring of speech. Mental retardation in such patients it can be veiled by inappropriate behavior in its extreme expression - apathy, irritability, euphoria, etc.

Classification of disorders in the emotional-volitional sphere

Among the disorders in the sphere of emotional-volitional expression of personality in adults are:

1. Hypobulia – decreased will. Patients with this disorder have absolutely no need to communicate with people around them, they are irritated by the presence of strangers nearby, are unable and unwilling to carry on a conversation, and can spend hours in an empty dark room.

2. Hyperbulia – increased desire in all areas of human life; more often this disorder is expressed in increased appetite, the need for constant communication and attention.

3. Abulia – a sharp decrease in volitional drives. In schizophrenia, this disorder is included in a single symptom complex “apathetic-abulic”.

4. Compulsive attraction is an irresistible need for something or someone. This feeling is comparable to animal instinct and forces a person to commit acts that, in most cases, are criminally punishable.

5. Obsessive desire - the emergence of obsessive desires that the patient cannot independently control. An unsatisfied desire leads to deep suffering for the patient; all his thoughts are filled only with ideas about its embodiment.

The main deviations in the emotional and volitional sphere in children are:

1. Emotional hyperexcitability.

2. Increased impressionability, fears.

3. Motor retardation or hyperactivity.

4. Apathy and indifference, indifferent attitude towards others, lack of compassion.

6. Increased suggestibility, lack of independence.

Gentle correction of emotional-volitional disorders

Hippotherapy around the world has received a lot of positive feedback both in the rehabilitation of adults and in the rehabilitation of children. Communication with a horse brings great pleasure to children and their parents. This method of rehabilitation helps to unite the family, strengthen the emotional connection between generations, and build trusting relationships.

Thanks to hippotherapy classes in adults, children and adolescents, the processes of excitation and inhibition in the cerebral cortex are normalized, motivation to achieve goals is enhanced, self-esteem and vitality increase.

With the help of horse riding, every rider can learn to control their emotions smoothly and without mental breakdown. During the training, the severity of fears gradually decreases, confidence appears that communication with the animal is necessary for both participants in the process, and the self-worth of introverted individuals increases.

A trained and understanding horse helps children and adults achieve their goals, acquire new skills and knowledge, and become more open to society. In addition, hippotherapy develops higher nervous activity: thinking, memory, concentration.

Constant tension of the muscles of the whole body and maximum composure during horse riding lessons improves balance, coordination of movements, and self-confidence even in those students who cannot make a single decision without the help of others.

Various types of hippotherapy help reduce anxiety and depressive mood, forget about negative experiences and increase morale. When achieving your goals, classes allow you to develop will and endurance and break down the internal barriers of your inadequacy.

Some students enjoy interacting with animals so much that they are happy to start equestrian sports at a school for the disabled. During training and competitions, the volitional sphere develops well. They become more assertive, purposeful, self-control and endurance improve.

Violation of the emotional-volitional sphere

General information

For normal life activity and development in society, the emotional-volitional sphere of the individual is of great importance. Emotions and feelings play an important role in human life.

The human will is responsible for the ability that manifests itself during the regulation of its activities. From birth, a person does not possess it, since, basically, all his actions are based on intuition. As life experience accumulates, volitional actions begin to appear, which become more and more complex. The important thing is that a person not only gets to know the world, but also tries to somehow adapt it to himself. This is precisely what volitional actions are, which are very important indicators in life.

The volitional sphere of personality most often manifests itself when life path There are various difficulties and trials. The last stage in the formation of will is the actions that must be taken to overcome external and internal obstacles. If we talk about history, volitional decisions at different times were formed thanks to certain work activities.

What diseases cause a violation of the emotional-volitional sphere:

External stimuli include certain social conditions, and internal stimuli include heredity. Development occurs from early childhood through adolescence.

Characteristics of the volitional sphere of personality

Volitional actions can be divided into two groups:

Simple actions (do not require the expenditure of certain forces and additional organization).

Complex actions (require a certain concentration, persistence and skill).

In order to understand the essence of such actions, it is necessary to understand the structure. An act of will consists of the following elements:

method and means of activity;

Violations of the emotional-volitional sphere

Hyperbulia, a general increase in will and drives, affecting all the basic drives of a person. For example, an increase in appetite leads to the fact that patients, while in the department, immediately eat the food brought to them. Hyperbulia is a characteristic manifestation of manic syndrome.

Disorders of mature personality and behavior in adults (psychopathy)

DISORDERS OF MATURE PERSONALITY AND BEHAVIOR IN ADULTS (psychopathy) - an anomaly of personality development with a predominant deficiency in the emotional-volitional sphere, persistent disturbances in adaptation in behavior, starting in childhood and adolescence and persisting throughout subsequent life. This anomaly of character, leading in the personality structure, according to P.B. Gannushkin is characterized by a triad: the totality of violations, their persistence and severity to the level of social disadaptation. At the same time, the person with a disharmonious personality type and the people around him suffer. Subjects with personality disorders usually tend to refuse psychiatric help and deny the disorders observed in them.

In case of personality disorders, subjects are not exempt from criminal liability (in a forensic psychiatric examination), are recognized as unfit for military service, and there are restrictions on their choice of profession.

According to available data, the prevalence of these disorders is 2-5% among adults, 4-5% among hospitalized patients in psychiatric hospitals, the predominance of men among psychopathic personalities compared to women (2:1-3:1).

Causes

Genetic, biochemical and social factors predispose to the occurrence of disorders of mature personality and behavior in adults.

Genetic factors. Among monozygotic twins, the concordance for personality disorders was several times greater than for dizygotic twins. Peculiarities of temperament (character), manifested from childhood, are more clearly visible in adolescence: children who are fearful in nature may subsequently exhibit avoidance behavior. Minor organic disorders of the central nervous system in children are subsequently most common in antisocial and borderline individuals.

Biochemical factors. Individuals with impulsive traits often experience increased levels of the hormones 17-estradiol and estrone. Low level platelet monoamine oxidase enzyme correlates to a certain extent with social activity. Dopaminergic and serotonergic systems have an activating effect on psychophysical activity. High levels of endorphins, helping to suppress the activation reaction, are found in passive, phlegmatic subjects.

Social factors. In particular, the discrepancy between the temperament (character) of a mother with anxiety traits and the educational approach leads to the development of increased anxiety in the child and a greater susceptibility to personality disorders than if he was raised by a calm mother.

Symptoms

Disharmony of personality and behavior manifests itself in several areas: cognitive (providing cognitive activity person) - the nature of perception of the environment and oneself changes; in the emotional - the range, intensity and adequacy of emotional reactions (their social acceptability) changes; in the field of control of impulses and satisfaction of needs; in the sphere of interpersonal relationships - when resolving conflict situations, the type of behavior significantly deviates from the cultural norm, manifests itself in a lack of flexibility, insufficient adaptability in different situations. If in childhood there are pathocharacterological radicals (excessive excitability, aggressiveness, a tendency to run away and wander, etc.), then in adolescence their transformation into pathocharacterological personality formation can be observed, then in adulthood - into psychopathy. Here, a personality disorder diagnosis can be made from the age of 17.

Character accentuations are extreme variants of the norm, in which individual character traits are excessively enhanced. At the same time, there is selective vulnerability to certain mental influences with good and even increased resistance to others. At least 50% of the population of developed countries have accentuated character traits. The degree of severity of personality disorders (severe, pronounced, moderate) is determined by the degree of severity of compensatory mechanisms. Among the types of disorders of mature personality and behavior in adults, the following are distinguished.

Schizoid personality disorder in addition to common diagnostic criteria psychopathy is characterized by anhedonia, when little is enjoyable, emotional coldness, inability to show warm feelings or anger towards other people, poor response to praise and criticism, little interest in sexual contact with another person, increased preoccupation with fantasies, persistent preference for solitary activities , ignoring the social norms and conventions dominant in society, lack of close friends and trusted relationships.

Emotionally unstable personality disorder is characterized by a strong tendency to act impulsively, without regard for consequences, along with mood instability. There are two types of this personality disorder: the impulsive type with outbursts of cruelty and threatening behavior, especially in response to condemnation by others; borderline type, which is characterized by a chronic feeling of emptiness, disorder and uncertainty of self-image, intentions and internal preferences, including sexual ones (a risk factor for the formation of sexual perversions), a tendency to be involved in intense and unstable relationships, and excessive efforts to avoid solitude. If such individuals are left alone, there may be suicidal threats or acts of self-harm due to the low subjective value of life.

Hysterical personality disorder is characterized by theatrical behavior, exaggerated expression of emotions, increased suggestibility, superficiality and lability of emotions, a tendency to mood swings, a constant desire for activities in which the individual is the center of attention, inadequate seductiveness in appearance and behavior, increased concern about one’s own physical attractiveness.

Anancastic (obsessive-compulsive) personality disorder is characterized by an excessive tendency to doubt and caution, preoccupation with details, rules, lists, order, organization or schedules; a desire for perfection that prevents completion of tasks; excessive conscientiousness; scrupulousness and inappropriate concern for productivity at the expense of pleasure and interpersonal connections; increased pedantry and adherence to social norms (conservatism); rigidity and stubbornness; insufficiently justified, due to persistent demands on others to act in the way that seems right to the anankast; the appearance of persistent and unwanted thoughts and urges.

Anxious (avoidant) personality disorder is characterized by persistent general feeling tension and heavy forebodings and ideas about one’s own social inadequacy, personal unattractiveness, humiliation in relation to others; increased concern about criticism addressed to oneself, its reluctance to enter into relationships without guarantees of being liked; limited lifestyle due to the need for physical security; avoidance of social or professional activities for fear of being criticized or rejected.

Dependent personality disorder is characterized by actively or passively placing most of the decisions in one's life on others; subordination of one's own needs to the needs of other people on whom the patient depends and inadequate compliance with their desires; reluctance to make even reasonable demands on people on whom the patient is dependent; feeling uncomfortable or helpless alone due to excessive fear of not being able to live independently; fear of being abandoned by the person you are with close connection, and be left to your own devices; limited ability to make day-to-day decisions without extensive advice and encouragement from others.

Dissocial personality disorder (antisocial psychopathy - according to P.B. Gannushkin, “congenital criminal type” - according to Lombroso) is manifested by callous indifference to the feelings of others; a rude and persistent position of irresponsibility and disregard for social rules and responsibilities; inability to maintain relationships in the absence of difficulties in their formation; extremely low tolerance to frustration, as well as a low threshold for the discharge of aggression, including violence; inability to feel guilt and benefit from life experiences, especially punishment; a pronounced tendency to blame others or put forward plausible explanations for one’s behavior, leading the subject to conflict with society.

Paranoid personality disorder is characterized by: excessive sensitivity to failures and rejections; the tendency to constantly be dissatisfied with someone; suspicion; a militantly scrupulous attitude towards issues related to individual rights, which does not correspond to the actual situation; renewed unjustified suspicions regarding the sexual fidelity of a spouse or sexual partner; the tendency to experience one’s increased significance, which is manifested by the constant attribution of what is happening to one’s own account, the embrace of unimportant “conspiracy” interpretations of events occurring with a given person.

Diagnostics

It is placed on the basis of dynamic observation of the subject’s behavior and the results of psychological testing.

Treatment

Various methods of psychotherapy, in a state of decompensation, biological methods of therapy (neuroleptics, antidepressants, tranquilizers).

Psychogenic pathocharacteristic formations of personality in children and adolescents that deserve attention due to their social significance and relative frequency. In their occurrence, they are associated with a chronic traumatic situation in the microenvironment and improper upbringing. Under unfavorable circumstances, the pathocharacterological formation of personality can lead to the development of “acquired” psychopathy by the age of 17-18. In this case, personal reactions are consolidated (protest, refusal, imitation, overcompensation and other characterological and pathocharacterological reactions that arise in response to psycho-traumatic influences) and direct stimulation by improper education of undesirable character traits (excitability, timidity, incontinence, etc.). The following options are distinguished (according to V.V. Kovalev): 1) affectively excitable; 2) braked; 3) hysterical and 4) unstable.

Children and adolescents with an affectively-excitable variant of psychogenic pathocharacterological personality formation are characterized by a tendency to affective discharges (irritation, anger) with aggressive actions, an inability to restrain themselves, anger, an oppositional attitude towards adults, and an increased readiness for conflicts with others. These character traits are especially often formed and consolidated in conditions of hypoprotection or neglect (incomplete family, alcohol or drug addiction of parents), during a long-term conflict situation in the microenvironment (family, school children's group, etc.). The formation of pathological character traits is accelerated by microsocial and pedagogical neglect, caused by leaving school, home, and missing classes.

The inhibited variant is characterized by self-doubt, timidity, touchiness, and a tendency to asthenic reactions. Lack of frankness, deceit, and daydreaming are also possible. This option is formed in conditions of improper upbringing such as “overprotection” with despotism of parents, humiliation of the child, the use of constant prohibitions and restrictions, and physical punishment.

The hysterical variant is manifested by demonstrativeness, the desire to attract attention, and an egoistic attitude. It is more often formed in families with an only child in conditions of upbringing according to the “family idol” type. Children with signs of mental immaturity are most predisposed to it.

The unstable variant is characterized by the absence of volitional delays, dependence of behavior on momentary desires, increased subordination to outside influence, reluctance to overcome the slightest difficulties, lack of skill and interest in work. “Greenhouse education” contributes to its formation, when a child from early childhood is protected from overcoming difficulties on his own and all responsibilities are performed for him (taking care of personal belongings, preparing homework, making the bed, etc.). Due to the immaturity of emotional and volitional properties, there is an increased tendency to imitate negative forms of behavior of others (leaving school, petty theft, drinking alcohol, psychoactive substances, etc.), when phenomena of micro-social and pedagogical neglect are added. The end result is a path to crime.

The following stages of the dynamics of pathocharacterological personality formations are distinguished: 1) characterological and pathocharacterological reactions (junior school age); 2) leading pathocharacterological syndrome (prepubertal age 10-12 years); 3) pubertal polymorphism; 4) post-pubertal dynamics. On last stage either the formation of a psychopathic personality structure is completed, or a tendency towards smoothing out pathological character traits (depsychopathy) is revealed.

Favorable dynamics are facilitated by the resolution of a traumatic situation, the emergence of new interests (educational, professional, sexual, etc.) associated with the approach of physical, mental and social maturity, escape from the negative educational influence of the family, the emergence of a more mature self-awareness, critical assessment of one’s actions, targeted correctional and pedagogical influences.

Disorders of the emotional-volitional sphere

Emotions are one of the most important mechanisms mental activity. It is emotions that produce a sensually colored summary assessment of incoming information from within and without. In other words, we evaluate the external situation and our own internal state. Emotions should be assessed along two axes: strong-weak and negative-positive.

Emotion is a feeling, an internally subjective experience that is inaccessible to direct observation. But even this deeply subjective form of manifestation can have disturbances called emotional-volitional disorders.

Emotional-volitional disorders

The peculiarity of these disorders is that they combine two psychological mechanisms: emotions and will.

Emotions have external expression: facial expressions, gestures, intonation, etc. By the external manifestation of emotions, doctors judge a person’s internal state. A long-term emotional state is characterized by the term “mood.” A person’s mood is quite flexible and depends on several factors:

external: luck, defeat, obstacles, conflicts, etc.;
internal: health, activity.

Will is a mechanism for regulating behavior that allows you to plan activities, satisfy needs, and overcome difficulties. The needs that contribute to adaptation are usually called “drive.” Attraction is a special state of human need for certain conditions. Conscious attractions are usually called desires. A person always has several pressing and competing needs. If a person does not have the opportunity to fulfill his needs, then unpleasant condition called frustration.

Symptoms of emotional-volitional disorders

Emotional disorders are an excessive manifestation of natural emotions:

Hypotymia is a persistent, painful decrease in mood. Hypotymia corresponds to melancholy, depression, sadness. Unlike the feeling of sadness, hypothymia is highly persistent, but it can have different qualitative expressions: from mild sadness to severe “mental pain.”
Hyperthymia is a painful elevated mood. Vivid positive emotions are associated with this concept: fun, delight, joy. For several weeks and even months, patients remain optimistic and feel happy. People tend to be very energetic, take initiative and are interested. At the same time, neither sad events nor difficulties can spoil the general high spirits. Hyperthymia is a characteristic manifestation of manic syndrome. A variant of hyperthymia is euphoria, which is considered not so much as an expression of joy and happiness, but also as a complacent and carefree affect. The patients are absolutely inactive. All their conversations are empty.
Dysphoria is sudden attacks of anger, irritation and malice. In this state, people are capable of cruel aggressive acts, sarcasm, insults and bullying.
Anxiety is an emotion associated with the need for safety. Anxiety is expressed by a feeling of an impending vague threat, excitement, tossing, restlessness, and muscle tension.
Ambivalence is the simultaneous coexistence of two opposing emotions: love and hatred, affection and disgust, etc.
Apathy is a decrease in the expression of emotions, indifference, indifference to everything. Patients lose interest in friends, do not react to events in the world, and are not interested in their own appearance and state of health.
Emotional lability is extreme mobility of mood, which is characterized by the ease of mood changes: from laughter to tears, from relaxation to active fussiness, etc.

Disorders of will and desires

In clinical practice, disorders of will and desire are manifested by behavioral disorders:

Hyperbulia is an increase in drives and will, which affect all basic needs: increased appetite, hypersexuality, etc.
Hypobulia – decreased drive and will. Patients have suppressed all basic needs, including physiological ones.
Abulia is a condition in which there is a sharp decrease in willpower. At the same time, individual needs remain normal.
Perversion of drives is an altered manifestation of ordinary needs: appetite, sexual desire, desire for antisocial actions (theft, alcoholism, etc.).
Obsessive (obsessive) attraction is the emergence of desires that diverge from moral norms, but are controlled by the efforts of the will. In this case, a person is able to suppress desires as unacceptable. However, refusal to satisfy drives can cause strong feelings, and the thought of an unsatisfied need arises and persists in the head.
Compulsive attraction is a powerful feeling comparable to the needs of life (hunger, thirst, self-preservation instinct).
Impulsive actions are committed immediately when a painful desire manifests itself, and there are absolutely no stages of struggle of motives and decision-making.

Emotional-volitional disorders require treatment. Drug therapy combined with psychotherapy is often effective. For effective treatment, the choice of specialist plays a decisive role. Trust only real professionals.

Chapter 8. Disorders of the emotional-volitional sphere

Emotions- this is one of the most important mechanisms of mental activity, producing a sensually colored subjective summary assessment of incoming signals, the well-being of a person’s internal state and the current external situation.

A general favorable assessment of the current situation and existing prospects is expressed in positive emotions - joy, pleasure, tranquility, love, comfort. The general perception of the situation as unfavorable or dangerous is manifested by negative emotions - sadness, melancholy, fear, anxiety, hatred, anger, discomfort. Thus, the quantitative characterization of emotions should be carried out not along one, but along two axes: strong - weak, positive - negative. For example, the term "depression" refers to strong negative emotions, while the term "apathy" indicates weakness or complete absence emotions (indifference). In some cases, a person does not have sufficient information to evaluate a particular stimulus - this can cause vague emotions of surprise and bewilderment. U healthy people rarely, but contradictory feelings arise: love and hatred at the same time.

Emotion (feeling) is an internally subjective experience that is inaccessible to direct observation. The doctor judges the emotional state of a person by affect(in the broad sense of this term), i.e. by external expression of emotions: facial expressions, gestures, intonation, vegetative reactions. In this sense, the terms “affective” and “emotional” are used interchangeably in psychiatry. Often one has to deal with a discrepancy between the content of the patient’s speech and the facial expression and tone of the statement. Facial expressions and intonation in this case make it possible to assess the true attitude to what was said. Statements by patients about love for relatives, desire to get a job, combined with monotony of speech, lack of proper affect, indicate the unfoundedness of the statements, the predominance of indifference and laziness.

Emotions are characterized by some dynamic features. Prolonged emotional states correspond to the term “ mood", which in a healthy person is quite flexible and depends on a combination of many circumstances - external (success or failure, the presence of an insurmountable obstacle or expectation of a result) and internal (physical ill health, natural seasonal fluctuations in activity). A change in the situation in a favorable direction should lead to an improvement in mood. At the same time, it is characterized by a certain inertia, so joyful news against the background of sorrowful experiences cannot evoke an immediate response from us. Along with stable emotional states, there are also short-term violent emotional reactions - a state of affect (in the narrow sense of the word).

There are several main functions of emotions. The first of them, signal, allows you to quickly assess the situation - before a detailed logical analysis is carried out. Such an assessment, based on a general impression, is not completely perfect, but it allows you to avoid wasting unnecessary time on the logical analysis of unimportant stimuli. Emotions generally signal to us about the presence of some kind of need: we learn about the desire to eat by feeling hungry; about the thirst for entertainment - through a feeling of boredom. The second important function of emotions is communicative. Emotionality helps us communicate and act together. The collective activity of people involves emotions such as sympathy, empathy (mutual understanding), and mistrust. Violation of the emotional sphere in mental illness naturally entails a violation of contacts with others, isolation, and misunderstanding. Finally, one of the most important functions of emotions is shaping behavior person. It is emotions that make it possible to assess the significance of a particular human need and serve as an impetus for its implementation. Thus, the feeling of hunger prompts us to look for food, suffocation - to open the window, shame - to hide from spectators, fear Ha- flee. It is important to consider that emotion does not always accurately reflect the true state of internal homeostasis and the characteristics of the external situation. Therefore, a person, experiencing hunger, can eat more than the body needs; experiencing fear, he avoids a situation that is not actually dangerous. On the other hand, a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction (euphoria) artificially induced with the help of drugs deprives a person of the need to act despite a significant violation of his homeostasis. Loss of the ability to experience emotions during mental illness naturally leads to inaction. Such a person does not read books or watch TV because he does not feel bored, and does not take care of his clothes and body cleanliness because he does not feel shame.

Based on their influence on behavior, emotions are divided into: sthenic(inducing action, activating, exciting) and asthenic(depriving activity and strength, paralyzing the will). The same psychotraumatic situation can cause excitement, flight, frenzy or, conversely, numbness (“my legs gave way from fear”) in different people. So, emotions provide the necessary impetus for taking action. Direct conscious planning of behavior and the implementation of behavioral acts is performed by the will.

Will is the main regulatory mechanism of behavior, allowing one to consciously plan activities, overcome obstacles, and satisfy needs (drives) in a form that promotes greater adaptation.

Attraction is a state of specific human need, a need for certain conditions of existence, dependence on their presence. We call conscious attractions desires. It is almost impossible to list all possible types of needs: each person’s set of needs is unique and subjective, but several of the most important needs for most people should be indicated. These are physiological needs for food, safety (instinct of self-preservation), sexual desire. In addition, a person, as a social being, often needs communication (affiliative need), and also strives to take care of loved ones (parental instinct).

A person always simultaneously has several competing needs that are relevant to him. The choice of the most important of them on the basis of an emotional assessment is carried out by the will. Thus, it allows you to realize or suppress existing drives, focusing on the individual scale of values - hierarchy of motives. Suppressing a need does not mean reducing its relevance. The inability to fulfill a need that is urgent for a person causes an emotionally unpleasant feeling - frustration. Trying to avoid it, a person is forced either to satisfy his need later, when conditions change to more favorable ones (as, for example, a patient with alcoholism does when he receives a long-awaited salary), or to attempt to change his attitude towards the need, i.e. apply psychological defense mechanisms(see section 1.1.4).

Weakness of will as a personality trait or as a manifestation of mental illness, on the one hand, does not allow a person to systematically satisfy his needs, and on the other hand, leads to the immediate implementation of any desire that arises in a form that is contrary to the norms of society and causes maladjustment.

Although in most cases it is impossible to associate mental functions with any specific neural structure, it should be mentioned that experiments indicate the presence of certain centers of pleasure (a number of areas of the limbic system and the septal region) and avoidance in the brain. In addition, it has been noted that damage to the frontal cortex and pathways leading to the frontal lobes (for example, during lobotomy surgery) often leads to loss of emotions, indifference and passivity. In recent years, the problem of functional asymmetry of the brain has been discussed. It is assumed that the emotional assessment of the situation mainly occurs in the non-dominant (right) hemisphere, the activation of which is associated with states of melancholy and depression, while when the dominant (left) hemisphere is activated, an increase in mood is more often observed.

8.1. Symptoms of Emotional Disorders

Emotional disorders are an excessive expression of a person’s natural emotions (hyperthymia, hypothymia, dysphoria, etc.) or a violation of their dynamics (lability or rigidity). We should talk about the pathology of the emotional sphere when emotional manifestations deform the patient’s behavior as a whole and cause serious maladjustment.

Hypotymia - persistent painful depression of mood. The concept of hypothymia corresponds to sadness, melancholy, and depression. Unlike the natural feeling of sadness caused by an unfavorable situation, hypothymia in mental illness is surprisingly persistent. Regardless of the immediate situation, patients are extremely pessimistic about their current condition and existing prospects. It is important to note that this is not only a strong feeling of sadness, but also an inability to experience joy. Therefore, a person in such a state cannot be cheered up by either a witty anecdote or good news. Depending on the severity of the disease, hypothymia can take the form of mild sadness, pessimism to a deep physical (vital) feeling, experienced as “mental pain,” “tightness in the chest,” “stone on the heart.” This feeling is called vital (pre-cardiac) melancholy, it is accompanied by a feeling of catastrophe, hopelessness, collapse.

Hypotymia as a manifestation of strong emotions is classified as a productive psychopathological disorder. This symptom is not specific and can be observed during an exacerbation of any mental illness; it is often found in severe somatic pathology (for example, with malignant tumors), and is also part of the structure of obsessive-phobic, hypochondriacal and dysmorphomanic syndromes. However, first of all, this symptom is associated with the concept depressive syndrome for which hypothymia is the main syndrome-forming disorder.

Hyperthymia - persistent painful increase in mood. This term is associated with bright positive emotions - joy, fun, delight. Unlike situationally determined joy, hyperthymia is characterized by persistence. Over the course of weeks and months, patients constantly maintain amazing optimism and a feeling of happiness. They are full of energy, show initiative and interest in everything. Neither sad news nor obstacles to the implementation of plans disturb their general joyful mood. Hyperthymia is a characteristic manifestation manic syndrome. The most acute psychoses are expressed by especially strong exalted feelings, reaching the degree ecstasy. This condition may indicate the formation of oneiric stupefaction (see section 10.2.3).

A special variant of hyperthymia is the condition euphoria, which should be considered not so much as an expression of joy and happiness, but as a complacent and carefree affect. Patients do not show initiative, are inactive, and are prone to empty talk. Euphoria can be a sign of a wide variety of exogenous and somatogenic brain lesions (intoxication, hypoxia, brain tumors and extensive disintegrating extracerebral neoplasms, severe damage to hepatic and renal function, myocardial infarction, etc.) and can be accompanied by delusional ideas of grandeur (with paraphrenic syndrome, in patients with progressive paralysis).

The term Moria denote foolish, careless babbling, laughter, and unproductive agitation in deeply mentally retarded patients.

Dysphoria are called sudden attacks of anger, malice, irritation, dissatisfaction with others and with oneself. In this state, patients are capable of cruel, aggressive actions, cynical insults, crude sarcasm and bullying. The paroxysmal course of this disorder indicates the epileptiform nature of the symptoms. In epilepsy, dysphoria is observed either as an independent type of seizures, or is part of the structure of the aura and twilight stupefaction. Dysphoria is one of the manifestations of psychoorganic syndrome (see section 13.3.2). Dysphoric episodes are also often observed in explosive (excitable) psychopathy and in patients with alcoholism and drug addiction during the period of abstinence.

Anxiety - the most important human emotion, closely related to the need for security, expressed by a feeling of an impending uncertain threat, internal excitement. Anxiety is a sthenic emotion: accompanied by tossing, restlessness, restlessness, and muscle tension. As an important signal of trouble, it can arise in the initial period of any mental illness. In obsessive-compulsive neurosis and psychasthenia, anxiety is one of the main manifestations of the disease. In recent years, suddenly occurring (often against the backdrop of a traumatic situation) panic attacks, manifested by acute attacks of anxiety, have been identified as an independent disorder. A powerful, unfounded feeling of anxiety is one of the early symptoms of incipient acute delusional psychosis.

In acute delusional psychoses (syndrome of acute sensory delirium), anxiety is extremely expressed and often reaches the degree confusion, in which it is combined with uncertainty, misunderstanding of the situation, and impaired perception of the surrounding world (derealization and depersonalization). Patients are looking for support and explanations, their gaze expresses surprise ( affect of bewilderment). Like the state of ecstasy, such a disorder indicates the formation of oneiroid.

Ambivalence - simultaneous coexistence of 2 mutually exclusive emotions (love and hatred, affection and disgust). In mental illness, ambivalence causes significant suffering to patients, disorganizes their behavior, and leads to contradictory, inconsistent actions ( ambition). Swiss psychiatrist E. Bleuler (1857-1939) considered ambivalence as one of the most typical manifestations of schizophrenia. Currently, most psychiatrists consider this condition to be a nonspecific symptom, observed, in addition to schizophrenia, in schizoid psychopathy and (in a less pronounced form) in healthy people prone to introspection (reflection).

Apathy- absence or sharp decrease in the expression of emotions, indifference, indifference. Patients lose interest in loved ones and friends, are indifferent to events in the world, and are indifferent to their health and appearance. The patients' speech becomes boring and monotonous, they do not show any interest in the conversation, their facial expressions are monotonous. The words of others do not cause them any offense, embarrassment, or surprise. They may claim that they feel love for their parents, but when meeting with loved ones they remain indifferent, do not ask questions and silently eat the food brought to them. The unemotionality of patients is especially pronounced in a situation that requires an emotional choice (“What food do you like best?”, “Who do you love more: dad or mom?”). Lack of feelings prevents them from expressing any preference.

Apathy refers to negative (deficit) symptoms. It often serves as a manifestation of final states in schizophrenia. It should be taken into account that apathy in patients with schizophrenia is constantly increasing, going through a number of stages that differ in the degree of severity of the emotional defect: smoothness (leveling) of emotional reactions, emotional coldness, emotional dullness. Another cause of apathy is damage to the frontal lobes of the brain (trauma, tumors, partial atrophy).

A symptom should be distinguished from apathy painful mental insensibility(anaesthesiapsychicadolorosa, mournful insensibility). The main manifestation of this symptom is not considered to be the absence of emotions as such, but a painful feeling of one’s own immersion in selfish experiences, the consciousness of the inability to think about anyone else, often combined with delusions of self-blame. The phenomenon of hypoesthesia often occurs (see section 4.1). Patients complain that they have become “like a piece of wood”, that they “don’t have a heart, but an empty tin can”; They lament that they do not feel worried about their young children and are not interested in their successes at school. The vivid emotion of suffering indicates the severity of the condition, the reversible productive nature of the disorders. Anaesthesiapsychicadolorosa is a typical manifestation of the depressive syndrome.

Symptoms of disturbances in the dynamics of emotions include emotional lability and emotional rigidity.

Emotional lability- this is extreme mobility, instability, ease of emergence and change of emotions. Patients easily move from tears to laughter, from fussiness to carefree relaxation. Emotional lability is one of the important characteristics patients with hysterical neurosis and hysterical psychopathy. A similar condition can also be observed in syndromes of stupefaction (delirium, oneiroid).

One of the options for emotional lability is weakness (emotional weakness). This symptom is characterized not only by rapid changes in mood, but also by the inability to control external manifestations of emotions. This leads to the fact that every (even insignificant) event is experienced vividly, often causing tears that arise not only from sad experiences, but also express tenderness and delight. Weakness is a typical manifestation of vascular diseases of the brain ( cerebral atherosclerosis), but it can also occur as personality trait(sensitivity, vulnerability).

Patient 69 years old, with diabetes mellitus and severe memory disorders, he vividly experiences his helplessness: “Oh, doctor, I was a teacher. The students listened to me with their mouths open. And now kneading kneading. Whatever my daughter says, I don’t remember anything, I have to write everything down. My legs can’t walk at all, I can barely crawl around the apartment. " The patient says all this while constantly wiping her eyes. When the doctor asks who else lives in the apartment with her, he answers: “Oh, our house is full of people! It's a pity my dead husband didn't live long enough. My son-in-law is hard-working and caring. The granddaughter is smart: she dances, and draws, and speaks English. And my grandson will go to college next year - his school is so special!” The patient pronounces the last phrases with a triumphant face, but the tears continue to flow, and she constantly wipes them with her hand.

Emotional rigidity- stiffness, stuckness of emotions, tendency to experience feelings for a long time (especially emotionally unpleasant ones). Expressions of emotional rigidity are vindictiveness, stubbornness, and perseverance. In speech, emotional rigidity is manifested by thoroughness (viscosity). The patient cannot move on to discussing another topic until he fully speaks out about the issue that interests him. Emotional rigidity is a manifestation of the general torpidity of mental processes observed in epilepsy. There are also psychopathic characters with a tendency to get stuck (paranoid, epileptoid).

8.2. Symptoms of disorders of will and desires

Disorders of will and drives manifest themselves in clinical practice as behavioral disorders. It is necessary to take into account that the statements of patients do not always accurately reflect the nature of existing disorders, since patients often hide their pathological desires and are ashamed to admit to others, for example, their laziness. Therefore, the conclusion about the presence of violations of the will and drives should be made not on the basis of declared intentions, but based on an analysis of the actions performed. Thus, a patient’s statement about his desire to get a job looks unfounded if he has not worked for several years and has not attempted to find a job. A patient’s statement that he likes to read should not be taken as adequate if he read the last book several years ago.

Quantitative changes and distortions of drives are distinguished.

Hyperbulia- a general increase in will and drives, affecting all the basic drives of a person. An increase in appetite leads to the fact that patients, while in the department, immediately eat the food brought to them and sometimes cannot resist taking food from someone else’s nightstand. Hypersexuality is manifested by increased attention to opposite sex, courtship, immodest compliments. Patients try to attract attention with bright cosmetics, flashy clothes, stand for a long time in front of the Mirror, tidying up their hair, and can engage in numerous casual sexual relationships. There is a pronounced desire to communicate: every conversation of others becomes interesting for patients, they try to join in the conversations of strangers. Such people strive to provide patronage to any person, give away their things and money, make expensive gifts, get involved in a fight, wanting to protect the weak (in their opinion). It is important to take into account that the simultaneous increase in drives and will, as a rule, does not allow patients to commit obviously dangerous and grossly illegal actions, sexual violence. Although such people usually do not pose a danger, they can disturb others with their intrusiveness, fussiness, behave carelessly, and misuse property. Hyperbulia is a characteristic manifestation manic syndrome.

Tipobulia- general decrease in will and drives. It should be borne in mind that in patients with hypobulia, all basic drives are suppressed, including physiological ones. There is a decrease in appetite. The doctor can convince the patient of the need to eat, but he takes food reluctantly and in small quantities. A decrease in sexual desire is manifested not only by a drop in interest in the opposite sex, but also by a lack of attention to one’s own appearance. Patients do not feel the need to communicate, are burdened by the presence of strangers and the need to maintain a conversation, and ask to be left alone. Patients are immersed in a world of their own suffering and cannot take care of loved ones (the behavior of a mother with postpartum depression, who is unable to bring herself to care for her newborn, is especially surprising). Suppression of the instinct of self-preservation is expressed in suicidal attempts. Characteristic is a feeling of shame for one’s inaction and helplessness. Hypobulia is a manifestation depressive syndrome. Suppression of impulses in depression is a temporary, transient disorder. Relieving an attack of depression leads to renewed interest in life and activity.

At abulia Usually there is no suppression of physiological drives; the disorder is limited to a sharp decrease in will. The laziness and lack of initiative of people with abulia are combined with a normal need for food and a clear sexual desire, which are satisfied in the simplest, not always socially acceptable, ways. Thus, a patient who is hungry, instead of going to the store and buying the food he needs, asks his neighbors to feed him. The patient satisfies her sexual desire with continuous masturbation or makes absurd demands on her mother and sister. In patients suffering from abulia, higher social needs disappear, they do not need communication or entertainment, they can spend all their days inactive, and are not interested in events in the family and in the world. In the department, they do not communicate with their ward neighbors for months, do not know their names, the names of doctors and nurses.

Abulia is a persistent negative disorder, together with apathy it forms a single apathetic-abulic syndrome, characteristic of final states in schizophrenia. With progressive diseases, doctors can observe an increase in the phenomena of abulia - from mild laziness, lack of initiative, inability to overcome obstacles to gross passivity.

A 31-year-old patient, a turner by profession, after suffering an attack of schizophrenia, left work in the workshop because he considered it too difficult for himself. He asked to be hired as a photographer for the city newspaper, since he had done a lot of photography before. One day, on behalf of the editors, I had to write a report about the work of collective farmers. I arrived in the village in city shoes and, in order not to get my shoes dirty, did not approach the tractors in the field, but only took a few pictures from the car. He was fired from the editorial office for laziness and lack of initiative. I didn’t apply for another job. At home he refused to do any household chores. I stopped caring for the aquarium that I had built with my own hands before I got sick. All day long I lay in bed dressed and dreamed of moving to America, where everything was easy and accessible. He did not object when his relatives turned to psychiatrists with a request to register him as disabled.

Many symptoms described perversions of drives (parabulia). Manifestations of mental disorders may include perversion of appetite, sexual desire, desire for antisocial behavior (theft, alcoholism, vagrancy), and self-harm. Table 8.1 shows the main terms denoting impulse disorders according to ICD-10.

Parabulia is not considered as an independent disease, but is only a symptom. The reasons arose

Table 8.1. Clinical variants of impulse disorders

The concept of emotional regulation and emotional norms, individual psychological characteristics of the manifestation of emotions and feelings. Classification of emotional disorders. Emotional disorders in various pathological processes and conditions. Methods and techniques for studying emotions (Lüscher's MCV, Sondi's MPV, questionnaire for assessing emotional state, drawing projective techniques).

Pathopsychological classification of volitional disorders: disorders at the level of the motivational component of the volitional act (suppression and strengthening of motives for activity, perversion of impulses), pathology at the level of the implementation of the volitional act (suppression and strengthening of motor functions, parakinesia). Study of volitional qualities of personality.

Emotions- this is the mental process of subjective reflection of a person’s most general attitude towards objects and phenomena of reality, towards other people and himself in relation to the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of his needs, goals and intentions.

Individual psychological characteristics – depend on a person’s age, temperament and personality as a whole. Emotions as complex systemic psychological formations that make up the emotional sphere of the individual are characterized by many parameters: sign(positive or negative) and modality(quality of emotion), duration and intensity(by force) mobility(speed of change of emotional states) and reactivity(speed of occurrence, severity and adequacy of the emotional response to external and internal stimuli), as well as the degree awareness emotions and their degree voluntary control.

Classification of emotional disorders:

- emotional lability(weakness) – excessive mobility, ease of change of emotions.

- emotional rigidity(inertia, stiffness) – the experience of emotions remains long time, although the event that caused it has long passed.

- emotional excitability is determined by the minimum strength, intensity of external or internal stimuli that can cause a person’s emotional reaction.

- explosiveness(explosiveness)

- emotional monotony(cold)

- emotional paralysis– acute, short-term shutdown of emotions.

- apathy(indifference)

Emotional instability(emotions are less susceptible to conscious control).

Emotional incontinence is the inability to control and master your emotions.

Pathology of the emotional sphere

Symptoms of emotional disorders are varied and numerous, but five main types of pathological emotional response can be distinguished:

catathymic type- usually occurs in stressful situations, pathological emotional reactions are relatively short-term, changeable, psychogenic (neuroses and reactive psychoses);

holothymic type- characterized by endogenous conditioning (primacy) of mood disorders, which is manifested by the polarity of emotional states, their stability and frequency of occurrence (manic-depressive and involutional psychosis, schizophrenia);

parathymic type- characterized by dissociation, a violation of unity in the emotional sphere between emotional manifestations and other components of mental activity (schizophrenia);

explosive type- characterized by a combination of inertia of emotional manifestations with their explosiveness, impulsiveness (signs of paroxysmality), dominated by an angry-sad or ecstatically elated mood (epilepsy, organic brain diseases);

dementia type- combined with increasing signs of dementia, uncriticality, disinhibition of lower drives against a background of complacency, euphoria or apathy, indifference, aspontaneity (senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type, atherosclerotic dementia, progressive paralysis and other diseases).

In pathology, the following are of practical importance: hypothymia(pathological decrease in background mood), hyperthymia(pathological increase in background mood) and parathymia(perverted emotionality).

Methods for studying emotions MCV Luscher, MPV Sondi, questionnaire for assessing emotional state, drawing projective techniques

Luscher Test (Color Choice Method)). Includes a set of eight cards - four with primary colors (blue, green, red, yellow) and four with additional colors (purple, brown, black, gray). The choice of color in order of preference reflects the subject’s focus on a certain activity, his mood, functional state, as well as the most stable personality traits. The Luscher test cannot be used as an independent technique in the practice of examination, professional selection, and personnel assessment.

Questionnaire for assessing emotional state- this technique is effective if it is necessary to identify changes in a person’s emotional state over a certain period of time. The following indicators are determined:
I1– “Calmness – anxiety” (individual self-esteem - I1- equals the number of the judgment selected by the subject from this scale. Individual values for indicators are obtained similarly I2-I4).
AND 2– “Energy – fatigue.”
FROM- "Elation - depression."
I4- “A feeling of self-confidence is a feeling of helplessness.”
I5– Total (on four scales) assessment of condition

Volitional violations.

Will is a mental process of conscious control and regulation of one’s behavior, ensuring overcoming difficulties and obstacles on the way to the goal.

Pathology of volitional and voluntary regulation

1) Violations at the level of the motivational component of the volitional act - three groups: oppression, strengthening and distortion of motives of activity and drives.

A) Suppression of motives for activity

Hypobulia- reduction in intensity and reduction in the number of incentives for activity with regression. Extreme severity – abulimia - complete absence of desires, aspirations and motivations for activity.

B) Strengthening motives for activity

Hyperbulia- pathological increase in the intensity and number of impulses and motives for activity. Hyperbulia usually makes the patient's behavior inappropriate. Excessive activity and an increase in the number of impulses are also found in painfully elevated moods (manic states) and intoxication. A very characteristic feature of hyperbulia is decreased fatigue of patients.

C) Perversion of motives and motives of activity

Parabulia- qualitative changes, distortion of both the motivational and intellectual components of the volitional act, can manifest themselves in three main forms:

1. They resemble rituals and are more common in neurotic disorders. Usually, only those obsessive actions are performed that do not threaten the life of the patient himself or those around him, and also do not contradict his moral and ethical principles.

2. Compulsive actions - realized compulsive drives. In most cases, compulsive drives are monothematic and manifest themselves as peculiar repeated irresistible paroxysms of behavioral disorders. Quite often they are stereotypically repeated, acquiring the character of a kind of morbid obsession (“monomania”) with arson, senseless theft, gambling, etc.

3. Impulsive actions are manifested in absurd actions and actions that last seconds or minutes, are committed by patients without thinking and are unexpected for others. The motives for these behavioral reactions are little understood and incomprehensible even to the patient himself.

4. Violent actions, i.e. movements and actions that arise against the will and desire. These include violent crying and laughter, grimaces, coughing, smacking, spitting, rubbing hands and others. Violent actions are most often found in organic brain diseases.