Features of psychological adaptation and compensatory mechanisms in patients with severe chronic diseases

Abstract

The aim of the study was self-regulation of behavior and other psychological aspects of adaptive-compensatory mechanisms in patients with schizophrenia and myasthenia, in comparison with a group of healthy subjects.Materials and methods. The study involved 91 people: patients with schizophrenia (N=30); patients with moderate and severe myasthenia gravis (N=31); comparison group — conditionally healthy people (N=30). The participants were examined by experimental psychological methods: «The style of self-regulation of behavior», «Test of life-meaning orientations», «Semantic time differential».Results. Differences in the general level of self-regulation of behavior and its particular aspects in patients with schizophrenia and healthy were revealed, patients with myasthenia gravis don’t show differences from patients with schizophrenia and the control group. In terms of the general meaningfulness of life, patients with schizophrenia differ from healthy ones, while they don’t differ from those suffering from myasthenia gravis, which don’t have differences with the comparison group. In external internality, chronically ill patients don’t reveal differences, but differ from healthy ones. In the psychological perception of the present, patients with schizophrenia and myasthenia differ from healthy ones in assessing its activity and size. Patients with schizophrenia reveal differences with healthy ones in its emotional coloration and structure, not differing from those suffering from myasthenia gravis, which don’t show differences with the control group. Patients with schizophrenia differ from healthy patients in the sensibility of the future, but don’t differ from patients with myasthenia gravis who don’t reveal differences with healthy individuals.Conclusions. The targets of psychocorrectional effects are indicated. For patients with schizophrenia — the development of skills for differentiation and impulse control, behavioral flexibility and correlation of results with the original goals. For patients with myasthenia gravis — reliance on available classes in the cognitive and spiritual spheres that compensate for the appearance of physical limitations. Common to both nosologies are measures that increase the meaningfulness of life, highlighting the spheres of influence on the disease, rational acceptance of responsibility for what is happening. The skills to enjoy everyday activities are important.

Keywords

• paranoid schizophrenia
• myasthenia gravis
• adaptive and compensatory mechanisms
• self-regulation of behavior
• meaning-life orientations
• subjectively perceived psychological characteristics of time