Complex psychophysiological approach to the diagnostic of anxiety and depressive states for military personnel

Abstract

The specifics of military activity under certain environmental conditions can become an indicator of hidden anxiety disorders and depressive states of the personality. Timely detection of those states in military personnel is very important for providing them with appropriate professional assistance. In Ukraine today, given the military realities, this topic is quite relevant. The presence of anxiety and depression was studied in 48 male servicemen aged 19-22 years. Psychophysiological and psychological methods were used: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. To assess the adaptation potential, the method of determining the index of functional changes was used, which takes into account both functional reserves and the degree of tension of homeostasis regulatory mechanisms. The predominance of a certain department of the autonomic nervous system was determined by Kerdo’s Vegetative index. Ruffier functional test provides an opportunity to evaluate the functional capabilities of the cardiovascular system, and the Robinson index characterizes systolic work of the heart. The projective “House-Tree-Person” test provides an opportunity to find out the self-perception and stereotyped reactions of a person. To identify the relationship between the methods, the Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated. Correlations between psychophysiological and psychological research methods of anxiety and depression presence have been determined. It can be argued that the use of psychological projective methods in combination with psychophysiological research provides extensive information about the presence of conscious and unconscious symptom complexes and about the probability of the presence of such personality traits as insecurity, anxiety, aggressiveness, depression, difficulties in self-expression, etc. Early detection of these traits may prevent impairments of military activities in critical periods.