The influence of premorbid personality traits on the formation of borderline mental and psychosomatic disorders in retired combatants

Abstract

To identify the influence of premorbid personality traits on the borderline mental (BMD) and psychosomatic disorders formation in combatant pensioners of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Russia. The study included 186 male MIA pensioners in the Kirov region aged 34-64 years (mean 46.5±5.8 years). The participants were divided into two groups depending on their participation in combat operations: 106 retired combatants of the main group (MG) and 80 people who were not participants in combat operations during their service (the comparison group (CG)). We used a clinical/psychological method with the study of medical documentation, including acts of the military medical commission, protocols of the Center for psychophysiological diagnostics and outpatient patient records, experimental psychological method with the use of a standardized multi-factor method of personality research in L.Sobchik's adaptation. The stressful conditions of official activity associated with participation in local armed conflicts combined with premorbid neurotic overcontrol of behavior, rigid attitudes, pessimism and social introversion contribute to BMD and psychosomatic disorders formation in retired MIA combatants. MG combatants had a 5.2 - fold higher chance of developing a mental disorder according to the Cochran Q-test (95% CI: 2.7-10) than retired CG who did not participate in combat operations. There was an average correlation between the compared features (V=0.377). The results indicate the need to improve the approach to the professional psychological selection of candidates for service, taking into account the initial personality characteristics and functional characteristics of the proposed position. It is required to develop personality-oriented programs and psychocorrectional measures when sending employees of the Russian Interior Ministry units on business trips to emergency zones with subsequent targeted rehabilitation of all combatants.