Contemporary typology of stress-associated disorders in volunteers residing in the frontline regions

Abstract

Background. A volunteer is a person who voluntarily joins socially oriented non-profit activities, carried out by providing free assistance in various areas of the population’s life. Volunteering is usually associated with the specifics of contact with human losses and suffering, and in the event of an armed conflict, it can be accompanied by additional psychological, physical and emotional stress. During armed conflicts, volunteers are faced with a significant change in the rhythm of life for a large number of the country’s population, and in some cases, a risk to the life of the volunteer himself. In general, volunteering is characterized as highly stressful. Aim of the study wis to analyze of the clinical picture of stress-related disorders in volunteers living in the front-line regions. Materials & Methods. In the course of work, a comprehensive clinical-psychopathological and pathopsychological examination of 76 patients suffering from stress-related disorders and living in the front-line regions was conducted. Results & Conclusions. The study involved the patients of both genders (40 women and 36 men), aged 25–65. The clinical structure of stress-related disorders in the examined patients was represented by post-traumatic stress disorder; adjustment disorders, anxiety disorders. The nosological structure of anxiety disorders is represented by episodic paroxysmal anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder. According to the results of the psychodiagnostic study based on the traumatic stress expressiveness scale, 63.1% of the examined men and 66.8% of the women have a partial manifestation, 36.9% and 33.2% of the examined, respectively, a full manifestation of stress disorder. In 55.6% of the examined men and 57.1% of the women, the presence of an extremely high level was noted, in 33.4% and 41.1% of the examined, respectively, an increased level of social frustration, which is due to the specificity of the psychotraumatic situation. Based on the data obtained during the research, a comprehensive personalized system was developed for the correction of stress-related disorders in the examined volunteers. Conclusions. It can be concluded that the clinical structure of stress-related disorders in the exa­mined volunteers is represented by post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorders, anxiety disorders. Keywords: anxiety, depression, stress disorders, stress.