Formation mechanisms of non-psychotic mental disorders in injured combatants as a basis of psychotherapy

Abstract

Today 16.2% of the world’s population suffers from the consequences of military conflicts. In 80% of people affected by hostilities, the consequences of combat trauma are non-psychotic mental disorders. According to the data obtained during the study, the following non-psychotic disorders were found in examined combatants: acute stress reaction (F43.0) in 36.2% of subjects, PTSD (F43.1) in 32.1%, prolonged depressive adjustment reaction (F43.21) in 11.3%, adjustment disorder with anxiety (F43.22) in 12.2%, depressive episode (F32.1, F32.2) in 8.2% of subjects. 145 male injured combatants aged 20 – 55 y. o. were examined at the MilitaryMedicalClinicalCenterof the Northern Region. Methods: clinical psychopathological, clinical anamnestic, psychodiagnostic, catamnestic, statistical. According to the results of Clinically administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), clinically pronounced manifestations of PTSD were noted in examined combatants (frequency of PTSD symptoms: 33.9 ± 3.6 points, intensity: 32.2 ± 5.5 points, and total severity of symptoms: 67.1 ± 6.9 points). According to the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) in the surveyed combatants, a high level of impact of the traumatic event was observed by scales of invasion (77.8% of surveyed), avoidance (62.9%) and physiological excitability (72.2%). Against the background of using the developed program there were a positive dynamics of mental state (86.9% of respondents), a decrease in anxiety (85.6%) and depression (82.2%), and a decrease level of PTSD symptoms by Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) (79.8%).

Keywords

• combatants
• injuries
• non-psychotic mental disorders
• psychotherapy
• psychoeducation