Mental Health. 2025; Volume 20. Issue 9

Technological progress in the field of artificial intelligence contributes to the development of new approaches to the provision of psychotherapeutic assistance, among which gamification occupies a special place. The purpose of the study is to analyze the use of gamification in mobile applications and chatbots as a tool for increasing the accessibility and effectiveness of psychotherapy.

A bibliographic analysis of scientific publications on the topic of gamification in healthcare was conducted using the Internet resources of the National Library of Medicine PubMed, the scientific electronic library eLibrary and other sources.

Technological progress in the field of artificial intelligence has a significant impact on the field of psychotherapeutic assistance, making it more accessible and personalized. In the context of an accelerating pace of life and a growing need for psychological support, gamification is becoming one of the effective solutions. This approach, which includes game elements in psychotherapy processes, is actively used in mobile applications and chatbots. This study analyzes the use of gamification in digital tools for psychotherapy, considering its role in increasing motivation, engagement and effectiveness of psychological interventions.

Keywords: gamification, chatbot, psychotherapy, digital tools, artificial intelligence

The aim of this study was to identify behavioral models of university students in situations of health deterioration. A sociological survey was conducted among 526 students of Cherepovets State University using the «Attitudes toward Health» questionnaire (R.A. Berezovskaya). The results revealed a low level of preventive activity: students rarely visit doctors for preventive purposes and more often resort to self-medication and advice from peers. The most common health maintenance strategies include physical exercise and avoidance of harmful habits. At the same time, a significant proportion of respondents found it difficult to define effective behavioral practices in cases of malaise. These findings highlight the need to foster value-based attitudes toward health and disease prevention among young people, as well as to develop targeted programs in education, social policy, and healthcare.

Keywords: university students, health, behavioral strategies, disease prevention, stress, coping

Introduction. This work is a continuation of many years of research conducted at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychosomatics of KSMU, which is focused on the study psychopathological, dynamic and individual psychological aspects of somatized disorders. The presented article proposes a program of group psychotherapy, in which patients with somatized disorders after discharge from the hospital at the outpatient stage of treatment.

Aim: to develop and examine the effectiveness of a group psychotherapy program for patients with somatized disorders after discharge from the hospital.

Methods. The study used clinical-psychological (questioning, observation, semi-structured interview), psychometric (4DSQ) and static (descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon test) methods. Statistical processing of data was performed by using STATISTICA 10.0 software.

Results. The compared assessment of 4-dimensional questionnaire indicators in 60 examined women at the time of discharge from the psychiatric hospital (the beginning of group psychotherapy) and upon its completing showed that statistically significant differences in the dynamics of distress, depression, anxiety and somatization indicators were found. Also positive changes in the social adaptation of patients were described.

Discussion. The results of the study allow us to conclude that the program is sufficiently effective, which forms, first of all, the practical significance of the study. In future it becomes possible to further practical development of the program in order to improve the quality and effectiveness of psychotherapy work.

Conclusion. The developed and approved program of group psychotherapy has shown its effectiveness at the outpatient stage of treatment after the discharge of somatized disorder patients from the psychiatric hospital.

Keywords: somatization disorder, group psychotherapy, encounter groups

Introduction. In recent decades, there has been an increase in the incidence of cancer, which leads to an increase in the need for adequate rehabilitation of patients. An important part of this rehabilitation is the work of a clinical psychologist. The present study is devoted to the study of the role of a clinical psychologist in the rehabilitation of patients with oncopathology and its impact on the psychoemotional state of patients.

Methods. A prospective non-randomized study was conducted with the participation of 64 patients from the oncological dispensary No. 1 of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, a day hospital for antitumor drug therapy. A questionnaire was conducted using the «Bassa-Darki» and «Type of attitude to the disease (TOBOL)» questionnaires. An interview was also conducted with a clinical psychologist at an oncological dispensary for a part of the sample. Statistical analysis was performed using MS Excel 2019 and Statistica 10.0 programs.

Results. All patients were tested using the BDHI questionnaire and the TOBOL methodology. It was revealed that 36.4±1.8% of the participants demonstrated aggressive behavior, which hindered successful socialization and treatment. The predominant reactions to the disease were egocentric (23.3±0.6%), paranoid (15.6±1.2%) and dysphoric (20.8±1.5%), a harmonious reaction was rare (10.3±1.1%). After a month of psychotherapy, the experimental group (n=25) recorded a decrease in physical aggression by 79.1±3.2% (p<0.05), verbal and indirect aggression by 65.7±4.9% (p<0.05), negative manifestations persisted in 10.0±0.9% (p<0.05). The proportion of patients with a positive response to treatment increased from 9.8±1.2% to 38.0±2.9% (p<0.05). The control group (n=39) showed no changes.

Discussion. The high level of aggressive behavior in cancer patients negatively affects their social activity and treatment. Many of them do not receive the necessary psychological support, which underlines the importance of involving clinical psychologists. TOBOL testing revealed the predominance of destructive reactions to the disease. The psychotherapy of the experimental group has led to significant improvements, which confirms its effectiveness and the need for the participation of a clinical psychologist at all stages of treatment.

Conclusion. The study shows that a clinical psychologist plays a key role in the rehabilitation of cancer patients, improving their emotional state and contributing to successful adaptation. The integration of psychological care should become an obligatory component of the comprehensive treatment of oncological diseases.

Keywords: oncological patients, rehabilitation, clinical psychologist, psychoemotional state, Bass-Darkey questionnaire, TOBOL method

Introduction. The issue of maintaining the mental health of emergency medical care workers remains a pressing issue. In this study, the authors planned to establish the specifics and differences in the severity of burnout symptoms in emergency medical care workers of different levels of professional training.

Methods. An experimental study of a sample of emergency medical care workers of the Clinical Station of Emergency Medical Care was conducted from April to December 2023. Psychodiagnostics of employees was carried out using the method «Professional Burnout Questionnaire MBI» by K. Maslach (adapted by N.E. Vodopyanova and E.S. Starchenkova), which covers three main symptoms of emotional burnout: psychoemotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduction of professional achievements. Statistical analysis was carried out using licensed software IBM SPSS Statistics v.22.

Results. The study involved 312 emergency medical workers, including 86 doctors, 177 paramedics and 49 nurses of mobile emergency medical teams. The hypothesis about the possible difference in the severity of emotional burnout among emergency medical workers with different levels of professional training was confirmed. Paramedics have a higher level of reduction in professional achievements (38%) than doctors (15%) and nurses (14%). At the same time, the level of psychoemotional exhaustion in doctors (24%) is higher than in nurses (14%). The differences were statistically significant.

Discussion. The influence of unfavorable factors of the working environment, professional and social requirements determines the development of emotional burnout and differences in the severity of its manifestations in emergency medical workers with different levels of professional training.

Conclusion. The revealed differences in the severity of emotional burnout in emergency medical workers may be associated with the level of professional training, which imposes certain professional responsibilities and affects social expectations and attitudes towards representatives of various medical specialties.

Keywords: emotional burnout, medical workers, emergency medical care, psychoemotional exhaustion, depersonalization, reduction of professional achievements

Introduction. According to the World Health Organization, addictive behavior is one of the factors in the development of mental disorders, maladaptation in the social sphere and the growth of criminalization. A comprehensive study of the etiology and long -term consequences of drug addiction seems to be relevant, with an emphasis on the phenomenon of anosognosia – the lack of a critical perception of the disease in individuals with addictions. Empirical data confirm that a distorted perception of the disease associated with the denial of the problem determines a decrease in compliance. This study is aimed at systematizing theoretical and practical aspects of increasing patients’ awareness, which can optimize the prognosis in the treatment of drug addiction.

Methods. Pathopsychological experiment, as well as questionnaires: «Addictive attitudes test» McMallan-Gailhar, questionnaire «Alcohol anosognosia»

Results. The study was attended by 15 patients with drug addiction. In 10 people (67%), the average level of anosognosia was identified: they partially recognized the problem, but associated it with external circumstances. In 5 patients (33%), a high level of anosognosia was found: they completely denied the diagnosis, which complicated the treatment. A special emphasis in the work was on the study of the role of polynarkomania. In subjects who used several types of psychoactive substances, the level of anosognosia was 20-30% higher than in patients with mononarkomania. This is due to the presence of comorbide mental disorders (anxiety, depression) and cognitive deficiency. For example, participants with polynarkomania more often described their dependence as a «way to cope with emotions», denying its connection with health deterioration.

Discussion. The conducted study confirmed that anosognosia is a significant barrier in the treatment of drug addiction. Particular attention was paid to the role of polynarkomania. It was established that in patients who used several types of psychoactive substances, the level of anosognosia was significantly higher than in people with mononarkomania. This is due to a more complex clinical picture, including comorbid mental disorders and cognitive deficiency. Diagnosis of anosognosia demonstrated its importance to predict the effectiveness of treatment. Patients with an average level of anosognosia reacted better to motivational interventions, while people with a high level resisted therapy. Thus, the study emphasizes the need to include the diagnosis of anosognosia in standard drug treatment protocols. This will increase the awareness of patients, improve their involvement in therapy and reduce the risk of relapse.

Keywords: addictive behavior, drug addiction, anosognosia, compliance, polydrug addiction, comorbid mental disorders, cognitive deficit, motivational interventions, treatment prognosis

Emotional state, although it does not have a formal legal definition, plays a significant role in the legal assessment of acts falling under Articles 107 and 113 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This article presents an analysis of affect as a phenomenon considered within the framework of psychology and criminal law, with special attention to the differences in their interpretations.

In the context of criminal law, affect is considered as a sudden strong emotional excitement caused by the unlawful or immoral behavior of the victim. However, the psychological interpretation of affect is much broader and covers a wider range of emotional reactions to various stress factors. It is important to note that the legal assessment of affect requires a thorough analysis of the circumstances of the case and a psychological and psychiatric examination. The state of affect can significantly affect a person’s ability to understand the actual nature and social danger of their actions or to control them. In such cases, if there are sufficient grounds, the question of limited sanity may be raised. Recognizing a person as partially sane entails a mitigation of punishment, since it indicates a person’s reduced ability to control their behavior.

Long-term exposure to psychotraumatic circumstances can lead to cumulative affect, when emotional stress gradually increases and ultimately results in an uncontrolled explosion. In such situations, it is especially important to consider the degree to which a person understands their actions and the possibility of preventing them.

Thus, when considering criminal cases related to the commission of crimes in a state of affect, it is necessary to take into account both the psychological and legal aspects of this phenomenon. An integrated approach, including a thorough analysis of the circumstances of the case, psychological and psychiatric examination and taking into account the fact of limited sanity, allows for a fair and reasonable decision.

Keywords: criminal law, psychology, affect, prolonged psychotraumatic situation, emotional state, psychophysiological state, privileged composition, limited sanity, circumstance, mitigating punishment

Introduction. According to psychologists and teachers, it is the late teenage years that are the most «dangerous» in terms of susceptibility to a changing environment. Addiction is primarily caused by a breakdown in self-regulation and a weakening of the personality as a whole. This study planned to examine how the characteristics of relationships with parents, early maladaptive patterns, the ability to proactively cope, and a subjective understanding of the world around us are interconnected with the tendency to develop an addiction.

Methods. The following methods were selected for the study: «Young’s Schema Questionnaire», «Teenagers about Parents», «Tendency to Dependent Behavior», «Proactive Coping Behavior», as well as a questionnaire developed by ourselves.

Results. The study involved 50 older adolescents (average age 16.5 years), 20 of whom (40%) were found to have a tendency toward addictive behavior. It is likely that adolescents prone to addiction subjectively consider themselves to be freer and more independent than other peers, have an early maladaptive pattern of lack of self-control, are raised in a family with distant, indifferent parents, and also have a low capacity for proactive coping.

Discussion. Addictive behavior is formed on the basis of the deceptiveness of progress and the convenience of modern technology. With the advent of gadgets that simplify life, any need for one’s own tension disappears, and the inability to tense here and now predicts the inability to tense in supposed or remote situations. Teenagers who cannot independently solve their problems, develop a plan or assume the remote consequences of any actions are probably a risk group for the emergence of addictive behavior.

Conclusion. An early maladaptive pattern of lack of self-control, as well as a poorly developed ability for proactive coping, can be predictors of a tendency toward addictive behavior. For adolescents who do not have such a tendency, an emotionally involved family with stable rules and requirements, a developed ability for proactive coping behavior, as well as patterns of confusion, self-sacrifice, and punitiveness are more typical. In preventive and corrective work of a psychologist with adolescents, special attention should be paid to children brought up in a family with a hypo-protective type of relationship and who are not capable of preventive overcoming of any life difficulties.

Keywords: addictive behavior, adolescence, parenting styles, early maladaptive patterns, proactive coping

Introduction. The prerequisites for this study were the active study of metacognitive beliefs (MCB) in Russian and foreign science as a key factor in the psychological health (PH) of an individual. At the same time, scientists are becoming increasingly interested in studying the psychological health of an individual as a separate phenomenon. However, there are still no works devoted to the analysis of MCB in this context. The article presents the results of an empirical study on this issue.

Methods. An empirical study was conducted using psychodiagnostic methods: «Metacognitive Beliefs Questionnaire» (MCQ-30) by A. Wells, S. Cartwright-Hatton (2004), adapted by N. A. Sirota, D. V. Moskovchenko, V. M. Yaltonsky (2018), «Individual Model of Psychological Health» (IMPH) by A. V. Kozlov (2014). Statistical analysis was carried out using licensed IBM SPSS Statistics 23 software.

Results. The study involved 107 psychology students. The empirical analysis showed that the respondents had an average level of the overall MCB and PH. For individual components, a high level of attentiveness to thinking was revealed; a low level of cognitive inconsistency, as well as a high level of the prosocial vector and a low level of the family vector. The respondents had a lower level of the strategic, prosocial and humanistic PH vectors with a high level of MCB, but a high level of the family vector.

Discussion. The hypothesis about the presence of reliable differences in the level of MCB in relation to PH was confirmed: students with a low level of MCB have a higher level in the PH variables; there are significant relationships between the variables of MCB and PH. No significant differences and relationships with the spiritual vector of PH were revealed, and contradictory results were found in relation to the family vector, which requires further research.

Conclusion. The study of the relationship between the MCB and the PH is relevant and promising. The significant reliable differences and relationships established during the study indicate that the features of the MCB do play an important role in the state of the PH of the individual. The objectives of the study have been solved, the hypotheses have been mostly confirmed, the goal of the study has been achieved.

Keywords: metacognitive beliefs, psychological health of the individual, psychology students

Suicidal behavior among women with alcohol dependence who live with men abusing alcohol represents a significant public health issue. The aim of the study was to examine the characteristics of suicidal behavior in this group, focusing on socio-demographic factors, personality types, and marital satisfaction. The study included women hospitalized with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence. It was found that most participants exhibited dependent and submissive interpersonal behavior, low marital satisfaction, and high levels of suicidal tendencies. Analysis of variance confirmed a significant influence of marital satisfaction on the severity of suicidal behavior. The findings highlight the need for comprehensive psychosocial and family-oriented prevention measures.

Keywords: suicidal behavior, female alcoholism, personality traits, marital satisfaction

The article pays special attention to the role of compensation for moral harm in physical and moral recovery. Analyzing the legislation in force on the territory of the Russian Federation and the current law enforcement practice in the country, as well as scientific literature, the author notes not only the positive aspect of the impact of monetary compensation on the complex human condition, but also the negative one, and also suggests ways to overcome the existing polarity of the directions of this impact. The potential for improving the institution of compensation for moral damage as a legal means of protecting the rights and interests of citizens is outlined.

Keywords: moral damage, compensation, psychological state, suffering, stress