Individual-psychological characteristics and the state of psychosocial adaptation of combatants with non-psychotic mental disorders who have experienced COVID-19

Abstract

The relevance of the studied subject lies in the importance of investigating the individual-psychological characteristics, coping behaviour, and the state of psychosocial adaptation of combatants who have recovered from COVID-19, to develop personalised therapeutic and rehabilitation measures The purpose of the study was to determine the pathocharacterological characteristics, coping repertoire features, and psychosocial maladaptation in individuals who participated in combat operations, have non-psychotic mental disorders, and have experienced the coronavirus infection, in a comparative aspect. A total of 132 male combatants with non-psychotic mental disorders who did not have COVID-19 and 120 military personnel with the same mental disorders who had experienced the coronavirus infection were examined using Standardised Multifactor Personality Inventory, questionnaire “Methods of coping behavior”, and the Social-Psychological Adaptation Diagnostic Method. It was found that combatants who had experienced COVID-19 exhibited specific personality characteristics that can be considered pathocharacterological transformations and signs of neuroticism. The core pathocharacterological changes included stable anxious-depressive and hyposthenic traits, while the auxiliary psychopathological constructs included stable emotionally labile, asthenic, hypochondriacal, and dysphoric manifestations. They also exhibited changes in coping repertoire with a predominance of non-constructive strategies of escape-avoidance and confrontation, along with a deactualisation of constructive coping strategies such as problem-solving planning, seeking social support, self-control, and positive reappraisal. Furthermore, pronounced manifestations of psychosocial maladaptation were observed in all key domains. COVID-19 acts as a complicating factor, exacerbating psychopathological symptoms, contributing to the formation of pathocharacterological traits, and deepening the psychosocial maladaptation of combatants with non-psychotic mental disorders. The obtained data provide an opportunity to personalise therapeutic, rehabilitation, and preventive measures, considering the pathocharacterological individual-psychological characteristics and coping behaviour, and to improve existing programmes of social-psychological adaptation for combatants