CLINICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF DISTRESS IN PERSONS WHO WERE FORCED TO MOVE DUE TO THE WAR

Abstract

Aim – to investigate and study the clinical and psychological characteristics of persons who were forced to move due to the war in 2022 to provide recommendations for medical and psychological care and support.Material and methods. Diagnostic interviews used in the study are based on screening methods for assessing mental status, in particular depression, anxiety states, the impact of traumatic events, and assessment of psycho-emotional distress in work and everyday activities. The study was supplemented with the SCL-90-R method, which contributed to a better generalization of data on the mental state, and the AAQ-II method, which made it possible to assess the tendency to emotional avoidance as a mechanism of mental adaptation disorders.Results. The presence of clinically significant anxiety-depressive symptoms associated with the impact of traumatic events and causing psycho-emotional distress in everyday life has been demonstrated. Predictor factors determining distress and psychosocial functioning in various areas are described and can be used as targets for medical and psychological interventions. An analysis of gender differences is presented.Conclusions. The main predictors of distress in work and everyday activities were found to be the impact of traumatic experience, tendency to emotional avoidance, and symptoms of depressive states. Men prevailed in the level of distress in significant areas related to work and household maintenance. Medical-psychological interventions for the development of conscious strategies for coping with distress and overcoming emotional avoidance are promising for further research and clinical practice.