Mental Health. 2026; Volume 21. Issue 2

Based on statistical data from reporting forms approved by the Russian Ministry of Health, an analysis of the dynamics of the overall incidence of mental disorders in children aged 0-17 years from 2015 to 2024 was provided. The study results allowed us to establish a pattern of decline and increase in the studied indicators.

Keywords: overall childhood morbidity, dynamics of morbidity rates, mental disorders, psychotic disorders, non-psychotic disorders, mental retardation

Introduction. Increasing the total fertility rate is a key national development goal reflected in Russian legislation. This study aims to investigate the emotional characteristics of women with different reproductive attitudes. Reproductive attitudes, whether harmonious or uncertain, underlie reproductive behavior. Therefore, identifying the emotional components of these attitudes is essential to target psychological interventions for preventing negative and uncertain reproductive attitudes.

Methods. Sample: 60 women aged 24 to 27, including a control group with a focus on having 1-2 children, an experimental group with a focus on voluntarily giving up motherhood, and a comparison group with a focus on having many children. The following methods were used: The Technique for Measuring the Reproductive Attitude of Adults (O.A. Ashikhmina, D.O. Polovinko), TAS-20-R, Bass-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, BPAQ, Taylor Personality Anxiety Scale (Nemchin version), Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11). Statistical methods: H-Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, correlation analysis of C. Spearman’s test in Microsoft Excel and the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 statistical package.

Results. The hypothesis regarding the specificity of the emotional sphere in women with different reproductive attitudes has been confirmed. The control group was characterized by the most harmonious emotional response. In the experimental group, there was a negative correlation between the severity of reproductive attitude and personal anxiety (r=-0.453). A positive correlation was found with the general impulsivity indicator (r=0.460), and unplanned impulsivity/lack of planning (r=0.556). No significant correlations were found in the emotional response parameters among women from the comparison group. However, significant differences were observed compared to the control and experimental groups on all scales of the Bass-Perry Aggressiveness Questionnaire (p<0.05).

Conclusion. The study showed the relationship between the patterns of emotional response and the type of reproductive attitude of women. Women with the attitude of abandoning motherhood are characterized by a high level of inverse relationship with personal anxiety, a direct relationship with the general level of impulsivity and, to a maximum extent, with unplanned impulsivity. The reproductive attitudes of women with the intention of having many children are not related to their level of anxiety, alexithymia, aggressiveness and impulsivity. The data obtained can be used in programs for the psychological prevention of emotional disorders in women with a conscious rejection of motherhood.

Keywords: . Reproductive attitudes, emotional sphere, interrelation of emotional response patterns with the type of reproductive attitude of women

Relevance. Brief depressive episode (BDE) and recurrent brief depressive disorder (RBD) are understudied affective disorders, despite their significant prevalence (2–10% in the population) and the associated high suicidal risk. In clinical practice, these conditions often remain undiagnosed or are mistakenly considered as manifestations of other mental disorders.

Aim: to review the literature results of available studies on BDE and RBD.

Methods. The presented descriptive literature review was based on the following literature search strategy: the review included mainly data on the results of studies published over the past 20 years (2005–2024) from the PubMed database and the national bibliographic database elibrary. The key words used for the search included: «brief depression», «recurrent brief depression», «clinical and dynamic features of brief depression», «psychopharmacotherapy of brief depression».

Results. BDE and RBD, being a fairly common pattern of affective disorders, are characterized by a short duration of depressive episodes lasting less than 14 days, a high frequency of repeated episodes, and a significant suicidal risk. Diagnostics is complicated by the frequent combination of BDE with typical depressive disorders and bipolar affective disorder (BAD), limitations of existing classifications and the need for new diagnostic tools. Neurobiological mechanisms of brief depression remain unclear. Comorbidity with other mental disorders affects the course and treatment of brief DE. Therapy for these affective disorders remains undeveloped, the effectiveness of traditional antidepressant therapy remains limited, and some studies have shown positive results of mood stabilizers therapy.

Conclusion. BDE and RBD require further research to clarify the neurobiological mechanisms underlying them, improve diagnostics and optimize therapy. Brief depression is an important and clinically significant phenomenon, often present in the clinical dynamics of affective disorders and causing aggravation of the clinical and dynamic characteristics of these disorders and an increase in the risk of suicidal behavior.

Keywords: brief depressive episode, recurrent brief depressive disorder, brief depression, epidemiology, diagnosis, comorbidity, neurobiological mechanisms, therapy

Sarcasm is traditionally described as a rhetorical device or a variety of «intellectual humor,» yet clinical observation reveals a stable regulatory function: the redistribution of unbearable shame into an external field with a brief restoration of subjective control. An integrative psychoanalytic model of sarcasm is proposed at the intersection of relational theory, Bion’s concept of «attacks on linking,» the mentalization-based approach (MBT), and the framework of epistemic trust. Sarcasm is conceptualized as a rapidly enacted punitive operation of external addressing of the Superego, locally disrupting the links that sustain joint thinking and collapsing the intersubjective «third» into a complementary dyad of «doer» and «recipient of the impact.» On the basis of clinical process analysis and case vignettes, the microprocesses «shame → surge → jab → relief» are operationalized; pseudomentalization is distinguished from a mentalizing stance; and field markers of the event (verbal, paraverbal, and their effect on the field) are specified. Institutional and «algorithmic» reinforcements of punitive speech in contemporary media are discussed. A technique is proposed that aims to transform the internal «court» into a containing «witness»: maintaining the «third,» addressing the predictors of the utterance (micro-shame and a drop in mentalization), reconfiguring boundaries, calibrated sincerity, and restoration of epistemic trust as the infrastructure of change. The model explains the paradox «the most caustic is the most vulnerable» through narcissistic vulnerability and a perfectionistic ethic of flawlessness, and outlines a programme for empirical testing in longitudinal clinical process designs.

Keywords: sarcasm, Superego, shame, attacks on linking, «third» (mutual recognition), mentalization, pseudomentalization, epistemic trust, narcissistic vulnerability, perfectionism, intersubjective field

Introduction. Autism represents a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by a sustained increase in population prevalence. The contemporary understanding of its etiology is complex and encompasses the interaction of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental factors. The aim of this work was to conduct a systematic review of modern research dedicated to the neurobiological foundations of autism and its association with behavioral features.

Methods. An analytical review of scientific literature was performed. The inclusion criteria were publications in peer-reviewed journals from the period 2022–2025, focusing on the neurobiology and behavioral characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The final sample comprised 30 publications. The analysis was conducted using methods of comparative analysis, synthesis, and logical generalization.

Results. The review confirms the multidimensional nature of autism, which can be described as a syndrome uniting continuously varying traits across neurological, cognitive, and behavioral domains. A key finding is the shift in focus from an exclusively «frontal lobe» model — which explains symptoms through a deficit in the regulatory functions of the prefrontal cortex — towards a cascade model. According to the latter, primary anomalies are observed in low-level sensorimotor processes and basic neural networks, which secondarily lead to impairments in higher-order cognitive control. Neuroimaging studies reveal atypical, coordinated patterns of cerebral maturation, predominantly in sensorimotor regions, which have complex molecular-genetic correlates (transcriptional dysregulation, synaptic function genes).

Discussion. Core clinical features include deficits in social communication and repetitive behavior, which often lead to secondary impairments in affective regulation, anxiety, and challenging behaviors. Sensory anomalies, particularly in the auditory modality, and behavioral rigidity act as significant factors exacerbating anxiety and maladaptation. Special attention is given to comorbidity with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which forms the most unfavorable prognosis, leading to a cumulative effect and profound socio-educational maladjustment, as illustrated by clinical cases.

Conclusion. Contemporary data confirm the necessity of a comprehensive, integrative approach to understanding autism, uniting advances in genetics, neuroimaging, and clinical neuropsychology. Practical implications include the mandatory assessment of the sensorimotor domain within the diagnostic process, as well as the development of early interventions aimed at correcting sensory symptoms and rigidity to prevent secondary behavioral and emotional disturbances.

Keywords: neurobiology, autism, behavior, brain development, autism spectrum disorders

Introduction. Reading and engagement with «good books» are presented as a cultural and mental-health resource within care systems for older adults. Against the background of technologically mediated communication, mass consumer culture, and declining habits of sustained reading, the therapeutic relevance of literature and the quality of reader experience become increasingly important.

Aim. To outline the role of reading and bibliotherapy in maintaining psychological resilience, value orientation, and personal integrity in later life, and to highlight the risks of «consumptive» reading as well as the neurotic use of fiction as escapism.

Methods. The paper applies an analytical review of philosophical, literary, and psychological sources, supported by historical and cultural examples and interpreted through a clinical-psychological lens.

Results. Key functions of reading are identified: broadening understanding of human nature, fostering reflection and critical judgment, preserving personal dignity, and counteracting manipulative pseudo-cultural influences. The discussion suggests that the erosion of regular reading practices may contribute to impoverished inner life and reduced differentiation and verbalization of affective experience.

Conclusion. Bibliotherapy for older adults should rely on individualized book selection and guided reading focused on meaning-making rather than passive plot consumption, thereby strengthening adaptive coping and psychological well-being.

Keywords: bibliotherapy, reading, older adults, mass culture, critical thinking, values, alexithymia

The All-Russian Competition «For Contribution to Mental Health» named after Academician T.B. Dmitrieva of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences is a significant event in Russian psychiatry. It evaluates the achievements of professional and public organizations in the categories «psychosocial rehabilitation,» «innovative medical rehabilitation programs in narcology,» and «best psychological practices in psychiatric services,» drawing attention to the achievements of psychiatric science and practice.

Keywords: competition, organization of psychiatric care, psychosocial rehabilitation, psychological practices, medical and social rehabilitation in narcology