About mental and physical health in the journal "Clinical Psychology and Special Education"
The latest issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology and Special Education, No. 1-2025, has been released.
The issue begins with the heading "Theoretical Research", which is represented by two papers. One of them, "The Problem of Diagnosis in a Cultural and Historical Context", written by N.E. Veraksa, A.N. Veraksa, N.N. Veresov and V.S. Sobkin, discusses the theoretical basis for developing multidimensional tools that take into account various aspects of child development and the formation of child consciousness structure in different cultures and at different ages. This paper also proposes a "Planning and Evaluation Matrix", which allows for identifying the current level of a child's development, recognizing their opportunities arising from social interactions, planning possible changes, and assessing the sustainability of these changes. Another paper, by S.A. Govorov, is a theoretical review of hostile and subversive humor and its potential in destigmatizing mental disorders.
The "Empirical Research" section contains four articles. One of them, written by A.G. Faustova and M.A. Kravchenko, raises the issue of the consequences of childhood abuse, which manifests itself in disorders of higher mental functions in adulthood. These disorders include problems with attention, memory, thinking, and spatial and dynamic praxis. The authors present empirical evidence to support their claims.
The article written by R.V. Alexandrova and T.A. Meshkova discusses the results of a study on physical characteristics, dietary habits, and psychological and social factors that contribute to eating disorders among adolescent girls. The analysis of data collected over several years shows that there is an earlier onset and greater severity of these risk factors among modern girls aged 12–14 compared to their peers in the past.
Significant data were obtained in the study of cognitive functions in schoolchildren who had undergone treatment for cerebellar tumors. The authors, S.A. Mironets, A.A. Devyaterikova, M.A. Shurupova and S.B. Malykh, found that the presence of a tumor and its treatment led to a decrease in cognitive abilities in children. Specifically, they noticed a deterioration in short-term memory and attention, which made the learning process more difficult. These findings may be useful in developing cognitive rehabilitation programs for these children.
Another study by A.A. Zolotareva, N.V. Maltseva and L.A. Sarapultseva explored the challenges of early adulthood. They described this period as one of great opportunity but also instability, making individuals more vulnerable to mental health issues. They found that positive expectations about the future played a significant role in helping individuals cope with stress, anxiety and depression during this time.
The article by V.B. Nikishina, E.A. Petrash, N.Y. Yunina-Pakulova, and I.A. Kucheryavenko emphasizes the importance of considering the future perspective. They demonstrate the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of the event reconstruction technique using a sample of combat veterans. The authors' proposed method is supported by indicators such as the expansion of chronological time perspective, increase in event content, reduction in traumatic experience intensity through loss of traumatic event's system-forming role, and transformation of inter-event relationship system.
The heading "Methods and Techniques" also includes two articles. In the works of O.V. Almazova and K.O. Mostynets, a comparison was made of existing methods for diagnosing children's attachment to their mothers. It was revealed that both tests for joint activity and the projective technique of N. Kaplan are effective tools for diagnosing attachment at the older preschool age.
The article by Z.A. Abramyan, Yu.A. Timbukhtina, A.M. Runov, I.V. Bakradze, and K.D. Khlomov focuses on the problem of diagnosing the quality of life in patients with genetic immune disorders — primary immunodeficiency. The authors propose a quality of life questionnaire for this group of patients, which allows for the assessment of the main health issues, psychosomatic, and social aspects of the disease course.
The heading "Applied Research" in this issue features an article by V.M. Ruzinova, M.G. Kiseleva, B.A. Volel, and Z.R. Kushu. The authors have tested a program for treating anxiety disorders through awareness formation using biofeedback. They compared different treatment strategies for anxiety and found that using biofeedback alone reduces symptoms more effectively than drug treatment, but the most stable results are achieved when combining both approaches.
The issue concludes with a column on "Wonderful People", dedicated this time to Elena Borisovna Fantalova, who recently celebrated her anniversary. The journal's editorial board joins in congratulating Elena Borisovna on her anniversary and wishes her continued success, good health, and many more years of contributing to the field of psychology.