Effects of rational psychotherapy on emotional state and cognitive attitudes of patients with neurotic disorders

Abstract

Development of a neurotic disorder is a result of the formation of the non-adaptive cognitive structures. Each structure conceptualizes the particular nature of perception, gained experience, specific features of the experience understanding, as well as human behavior. As a result of such cognitive structures, automatic thoughts, cognitive biases, and inadequate emotional sufferings occur that determine the choice of maladaptive behavioral strategies. Unconscious nonrational attitudes exacerbate the emotional state resulting in crystallization of non-adaptive behavioral patterns and development of a neurotic disorder. Within the framework of this study, the special focus will be on the examination of the changes that were observed in emotional state and cognitive attitudes of the patients before and after taking treatment in a hospital. Enrolled set consisted of 60 people with different forms of a neurotic disorder aged 25-44 years (M = 35.8, SD = 5.8 (36.7% men)). The experimental group included 30 people. Unlike the control group, the standard regimen of drug treatment was supplemented with the rational psychotherapy for these patients.