Psychometric study of civilians that exposed to psychosocial stress in conditions of military conflict

Abstract

The aim of the work was to conduct a psychometric study of civilians that experienced psychosocial stress in a military conflict to assess the patterns of clinical and psychopathological signs of adjustment disorders. 109 persons with diagnosed mental disorders of cluster F43.2 — adjustment disorders have been examined the participants have been divided into three groups: widows of military personnel (6 persons), relatives of combatants who returned to peaceful life (71 persons), and internally displaced persons (IDP) — 32 persons. To assess the severity of psychopathological symptoms, the Symptom Check List-90‑Revised L. R. Derogatis (SCL‑90-R), adapted by N. Tarabrina and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HRSD) were used. The study has revealed a low level of symptomatic disorders in all participants, but with higher indicators on the scales of somatization, obsessive- compulsive disorder, anxiety and phobic anxiety in the IDP group, on the scale of depression — in the group of relatives of combatants who returned to a peaceful life. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression has revealed mild depression in widows of military personnel and IDP; in relatives of combatants who returned to a peaceful life, the quantitative value of the indicator has corresponded to the absence of depression signs. Discrepancy at the objective and subjective assessment of the level of depression in the participants has been established. The identified patterns of clinical and psychopathological characteristics of adjustment disorders should be taken into account while developing therapeutic, rehabilitation and preventive measures for civilians that exposed to psychosocial stress in a military conflict.