Relevance is determined by the need to solve one of the most difficult methodological problems in evidence-based psychotherapy - assessment of clinical, medical- and clinical-psychological changes in patients during psychotherapy in order to increase its effectiveness and simultaneously reduce its duration.

Intention: Comparative analysis of clinical and psychological characteristics of patients with neurotic disorders who actively choose psychotherapeutic treatment and passively participate in psychotherapy.

Methodology. Clinical and clinical-psychological methods were used. The dynamics of clinical and psychological characteristics of 82 patients with neurotic disorders aged 18 to 55 years is presented. Forty five persons (54.9%) actively chose psychotherapy and 37 persons (45.1%) – passively. These groups were homogeneous in terms of gender, age and other socio-demographic characteristics. Here Part 1 of the article is presented revealing the treatment effectiveness in patients who have actively chosen psychotherapy.

Results and Discussion. Psychotherapeutic treatment was effective in both groups, which, in particular, is confirmed by a decrease in the severity of neurotic symptoms. Psychotherapy was more effective for patients in the active choice psychotherapy group. They not only reduced the severity of neurotic symptoms, but also changed their behavior – they became more sociable, formulated their own goals, demonstrated adequate behavior strategies in accordance with the changing actual situation.

Conclusion. The data obtained indicate the specificity of the dynamics of clinical and clinical and psychological characteristics and give reason to assume positive effects of the active choice of psychotherapy on the effectiveness of psychotherapy.

Intention – To evaluate the possibility of objectifying the effectiveness of reassessment of events (cognitions) that cause anxiety by monitoring blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR).

Methodology. We examined 107 patients with an established diagnosis: “Anxiety disorder” (F41 according to ICD-10). There were 38 men (35.5%) and 69 women (64.5%). Before the start of the study, blood pressure and heart rate were measured in patients. The comparison groups included only those patients in whom the presentation of activating events that caused the most pronounced symptom (more often it was anxiety) resulted in deviations of physiological parameters by more than 5% from baseline. As a result, 104 out of 107 persons were selected. Further, a psychotherapeutic intervention was carried out to change assessment (cognition) of activating events and check how the new assessment was able to prevent BP and HR deviations when activating events were presented. It was found that new assessments prevented and did not prevent BP and HR deviations in 87 persons (Group 1) and 17 persons (Group 2, controls), respectively. After that, patients were asked to independently apply these skills in everyday life and carry out training in reassessment of activating events for 5 days. Mental status was recorded before and after independent work using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to assess severity of the most disturbing symptom, the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI-S) , and the Neuroticism Scale (NS).

Results and Discussion. When comparing the mental state of Group 1 patients before and after psychotherapeutic intervention, there was a statistically significant decrease in the subjective severity of the main symptom according to VAS, disease severity according to CGI-S and the level of neuroticism according to NS, while in Group 2 indicators improved, but without statistically significant difference compared to baseline. Group 1 patients showed an improvement of (2.2 ± 0.8) according to CGI-I scale of CGI-S, i.e. quite a strong improvement.

Conclusion. The results indicate the possibility of using physiological indicators to assess the psychotherapy impact and can be used to predict its effectiveness. It seems promising to develop automated methods, such as gadget-control by physiological indicators, to assess the effectiveness of psychotherapy.

Relevance. Psychological aspects of coronary heart disease (CHD) are the subject of increased research interest. However, available scientific data are ambiguous. From a practical point of view, especially important are studies not only identifing targets of psychological intervention but also creating meaningful recommendations for the therapeutic work with patients and determining the most effective methods of intervention. To optimize psychological studies, several aspects should be considered: 1) promising areas in accordance with the current objectives of studies; 2) the current problems of studies on the psychological characteristics of patients, taking into account the organization and methodological basis.

Intention of the study is to identify promising areas of research on psychological characteristics of patients with CHD. The analysis of scientific literature was carried out, taking into account the methodological and organizational aspects of psychological studies conducted with cardiological patients.

Results and Discussion. This article provides information on the methodological principles and methods of psychological research. It was noted that studies of anxiety/depression in patients with CHD are numerous but still remain relevant because of negative impact of these disorders on prognosis, quality of life, and treatment adherence. Cognitive disorders also should be studied, given the prevalence of neurocognitive deficit in patients after coronary bypass surgery. Adaptation processes and personality characteristics of patients are also promising areas of research. Data on the personal characteristics of patients with coronary artery disease are ambiguous. When analyzing the issues of psychological studies conducted with cardiological patients, one should take into account such an organizational aspect as short periods of inpatient treatment. The organization of psychological diagnostics and intervention in a hospital should be optimized. The diagnostic procedure of personality traits can be carried out, for example, through a structured interview or brief tests. When examining patients, a psychologist needs to focus on modeling an integral structural and functional organization of mental status. The results of psychological diagnostics are important for development of psychological intervention. One of the most significant characteristics of clinical and psychological intervention is the study of its effectiveness. Many scientific studies are exploring either the emotional states of СHD patients in the context of psychopharmacotherapy or the psychological characteristics to identify intervention targets. Particularly important and promising are the psychological studies of the effectiveness of specific intervention methods for patients with СHD. Psychological screening of patients with CHD is often carried out during hospitalization. However, obtaining information about the patient’s condition after discharge is also significant. It is important to find a scientifically sound solution to the problem of the organization of such studies (screening can be carried out during outpatient visits to a doctor or a psychologist, or remotely).

Conclusion. Promising areas of study of the psychological characteristics of patients with CHD are the study of anxiety/depression, cognitive functions, the process of adaptation to the disease, personality traits; also, a promising area is the study of the effectiveness of psychological intervention methods. In a hospital, it is important to optimize the process of psychological diagnostics, taking into account the short period of treatment. A likely solution may be a) a reduction of psychodiagnostic procedures in favor of psychological intervention; b) the use of compact methods to identify characteristics important for intervention. If necessary, the diagnostics of personal characteristics in a limited time is possible with a structured interview and brief questionnaires. It is crucially important to consider the significance of psychological screening of patients after discharge. It is necessary to find a scientifically based solution: to conduct a screening during an outpatient appointment with a cardiologist and a psychologist, or remotely, using digital technologies.

Relevance. The consequences of prenatal exposure of a fetus to alcohol pose significant public health problems, as they are associated with congenital developmental anomalies, cognitive, behavioral and adaptive disorders. Early detection and prevention of maladaptive behavior are necessary practical tasks for specialists of educational institutions in order to prevent or compensate for manifestations of mental and behavioral disorders in children with perinatal exposure to ethanol.

Intention was to study the relationship between maladaptive behaviors in primary school children with prenatal ethanol exposure.

Methodology. 77 children of primary school age (57 boys, 20 girls) with delayed physical development, various dysmorphological disorders, structural and functional disorders of the central nervous system due to prenatal ethanol exposure were examined. The average age of the participants was (8.6 ± 1.0) years. They were students or inhabitants of municipal educational institutions (boarding schools) for orphans and children left without parental care; special (correctional) orphanages for children left without parental care; centers of social assistance; social rehabilitation centers for minors; secondary general education and correctional schools of one of the Russian Federation administrative centers. Maladaptive behavior was studied using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS), with parents or legal guardians as experts assessing the level of adaptive behavior of their children or pupils. The results were checked for the normality of distribution. The article presents the means and standard deviations (M ± SD); in case of non-normal distribution, medians (Me), the upper and lower quartiles [Q1; Q3] are presented.

Results and Discussion. According to the results of the study, the average score on the VABS scale was (14.2 ± 7.9) points, which exceeds the average for primary schoolchildren with normo-typical development. The following manifestations of maladaptive behavior were most common: attention deficit, hyperactivity, biting nails, fears and anxiety, negativity and disobedience, susceptibility to outbursts of anger, excessive codependence. Correlation analysis of the results of the VABS scale in children with prenatal ethanol exposure showed the following results: codependent behavior, especially deprivation of communication with significant people in primary school age, is closely associated with decreased cognition and mood. Disorders with psychological and social impact on the development of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are common in nature. Predictors of deviant behavior in children, probabilistic indicators of impaired social functioning and high risks of self-destructive behavior, signs of normotypic social behavior combined with deep personality problems and body image distortions are targets of psychotherapy and psychological correction.

Conclusion. In most cases the revealed maladaptive behaviors in children of primary school age with prenatal ethanol exposure require socio-psychological correction and support.

Relevance. Chronic back pain is a complex phenomenon that arises as a result of the dynamic interaction of biological, psychological and socio-cultural determinants and requires special attention from specialists of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation team. Intense and prolonged pain experience leads to a decrease in the ability to perceive the information and introspection, the forms of a pathological pattern of pain behavior, which reduces the effectiveness of the generally recognized method of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy and draws the attention of specialists to the use of scholastic approaches, in particular, work with the figurative sphere of a person. At the same time, the multivariance and the possibility of choosing among various techniques, including modern high-tech tools, require a detailed study of indications and contraindications for their reasonable and safe use.

Intention. To evaluate effectiveness of inclusion of various types of psychocorrection in the comprehensive rehabilitation of patients with chronic back pain.

Methodology. Using the psychodiagnostic «McGill Pain Questionnaire», the subjective perception of pain was studied in 166 patients who were at the second, inpatient, stage of medical rehabilitation. The duration of moderate intensity pain was (10.9 ± 9.0) years. For psychocorrection, patients were randomized into four groups: two main groups, a comparison group and a control group. Patients of the main groups and comparison group attended classes with a medical psychologist at the «Patient’s School», patients of the main groups additionally attended art therapy classes or procedures using a «Virtual reality Helmet»; patients of the control group were involved only in psychodiagnostic activities with the possibility of receiving psychocorrective services after completion of the inpatient medical rehabilitation.

Results and Discussion. Based on a differential approach to determining the qualitative characteristics of pain (nociceptive or mixed), it was shown that in 58.4% of patients the pain was nociceptive, in 41.6% – mixed (neuropathic and dysfunctional). Analysis of the significance of differences in the magnitude of the shift in pain intensity in groups of patients with nociceptive pain, depending on the nature of rehabilitation measures, demonstrated maximum improvements only with art therapy sessions. In the patients with mixed pain, significant shifts resulted from rehabilitation measures including psychocorrection with a high-tech virtual reality (VR) helmet and in the group attending «Patient’s School». The results obtained can be explained taking into account psychological mechanisms of sensory processing in patients with mixed pain and indicate lower effectiveness of complex psychocorrection in comparison with single-component exposure when working with mixed modality pain.

Conclusion. The results of the study showed that the specificity of intrapsychic processing of sensory information in patients with chronic back pain makes it feasible to construct a program of differentiated psychocorrection depending on the nature of pain.

Relevance. In modern conditions, medical and psychological support measures are an important condition for ensuring the reliability of the activities of military drivers. One of the main tasks of medical and psychological support in the process of performing professional activities should be timely diagnosis of disorders and restoration of the functional state and working capacity of military personnel. To date, there has been no practical algorithm for a psychologist to assess the condition of a military driver in real conditions of daily activity and performance of combat training tasks.

Intention. Approbation of a set of methods for assessing psychological readiness at the stage of pre-trip inspection of a military driver.

Methodology. Specialists of the Military Medical Academy have proposed a set of methods for assessing the current psychophysiological state of military drivers at the stage of pre-trip inspection. The proposed set of techniques allows you to quickly assess the level of psychological readiness of a military driver to perform the task and reflects the assessment of the state of the individual’s physiological reserves, the level of functioning of psychomotor, cognitive processes and the actual mental state.

Results and Discussion. During the study, the proposed set of techniques was tested. Its competitive validity in relation to the measurement of indicators of psychomotor activity, attention and thinking has been experimentally proved. The normative values of the indicators of the methods are determined. An algorithm has been developed for making a conclusion on the admission of a military driver to driving a vehicle based on the calculation of linear discriminant functions.

Conclusion. The use of the considered set of techniques will allow timely and prompt detection of violations of the functional state and will ensure an increase in the professional reliability of the military driver.

Relevance. The period of awareness by a teenager of his gender identity is accompanied by a high psychological sensitivity to the reaction of others about their appearance. Acne in adolescents causes a high risk of developing anxiety disorders and a decrease in the quality of life. Given the crisis periods accompanying puberty, acne in adolescents may further contribute to the development of negative personality changes.

Intention. The goal is to determine the quality of life, the level of depression in adolescents suffering from acne.

Methodology. The self-assessment of the quality of life and the level of depression was analyzed in 294 adolescents aged 13-17 years, 149 of them had acne, and 145 were in the control group. To assess the level of manifestations of depression and quality of life, valid generally accepted methods were used: the Pediatric Qualityof Life Inventory questionnaire (PedsQL 4.0), The Pediatric Dermatological Quality of Life Index (DLQI) and The Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) questionnaire.

Results and Discussion.. According to all scales of the PedsQL 4.0 questionnaire, a decrease in the quality of life was determined in adolescents suffering from acne compared to adolescents in the control group (p < 0.01). The results of the DLQI methodology indicators indicate that in adolescents with acne, the pediatric dermatological quality of life index is statistically significantly lower (p < 0.01) than in the control group. According to the CDI questionnaire, subdepressive states were detected in 11 % of boys and 35 % of girls suffering from acne, in the control group of such persons there were 1 and 7 %, respectively. In addition, 5 % of 15–17-year-old girls have verified a depressive state, which requires close attention from parents, school doctors, psychologists and teachers.

Conclusion. Adolescents suffering from acne are characterized by a decrease in the quality of life and a high risk of developing depressive disorders.

Relevance. The results of innovation activity are usually judged by expert assessments and data from scientometric analysis of scientific documents. For these purposes, articles published in scientific journals, materials of conferences, congresses, patents for inventions, monographs are used. As a rule, in foreign scientometrics dissertations are referred to a low level of evidence, and in a number of scientific journals it is not recommended to make references to dissertations. This probably applies to foreign dissertations. On the contrary, in Russia, main dissertation provisions must be published in scientific peer-reviewed journals, for example, for applicants for candidate’s degree in psychology, there must be at least 3 such articles, and 15 for doctor’s degree. Besides, a socalled preliminary defense (i.e. public review of the work) is conducted at the relevant institution and a conclusion is made about possibility of submitting the dissertation to the dissertation council. In addition to dissertations issued in a limited number, dissertation abstracts are sent to the leading libraries of the country and some institutions according to the list. Dissertation research is widely accessible on websites of the relevant institutions. Opponents are appointed in the dissertation council, and public hearings of applicants for scientific degrees are held. Conclusions of dissertation councils are approved by the Presidium of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. Thus, in Russia, a dissertation research undergoes a multi-level detailed examination compared to articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Intention: Analysis of the structure and development of innovations in psychology in Russia based on abstracts of dissertations on psychological specialties for 20 years (2002–2021).

Methodology. The analysis of innovations was carried out based on abstracts of dissertations in the collections of the Russian State Library (RSL). Of note, the RSL registers dissertations by the year of publication, and the Higher Attestation Commission of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia – by the date of dissertation defense; hence, annual flows may differ. Arrays of abstracts were grouped by psychological specialties of the Nomenclature of specialties of scientific workers (order of the Ministry of Education and Science No. 1027 of October 23, 2017).

Results and Discussion. In 2002–2021, 9687 abstracts of dissertations on psychological specialties were found in the RSL. The average annual number of papers was 484 ± 62. Psychological dissertations accounted for about 2 % of all approved dissertations in Russia. With a high coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.86), the polynomial trend of psychological abstracts shows a decrease; papers in all psychological specialties also decreased. In the structure of psychological innovations (according to the abstracts of dissertations in Russia), studies in general psychology, personality psychology and the history of psychology comprised 20.4 %; psychophysiology – 4.2 %, labor psychology, engineering psychology and ergonomics – 6.5 %, medical (clinical) psychology – 7.4 %, social psychology – 16.4 %, legal psychology – 2.6 %, educational psychology -–23.6 %, correctional psychology – 2.7 %, political psychology – 0.9 %, development psychology and acmeology – 15.6 %.

Conclusion. The analysis of innovative directions in psychological science based on dissertation research made it possible to identify the structure and dynamics of innovations in psychology in Russia. These data can serve as the initial analytical array for scientometric analysis of publications in psychology in the future, for example, in 5–10 years or more.