PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE AND TYPOLOGICAL PERSONALITY FEATURES OF CHILDREN RESIDENTS OF RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED TERRITORIES IN THE REMOTE PERIOD OF CHORNOBYL СATASTROPHE

Abstract

Objective. To evaluate the psycho-emotional state of children-residents of radioactively contaminated territories and to characterize the typological features of their personality in the remote period of the Chornobyl catastrophe. Materials and methods. Psycho-emotional status and typological personality traits were determined in 96 children aged 12 to 17 years, who resided in radioactively contaminated territories with a soil contamination density of 137Cs above 185 kBq/m-2, and were admitted for examination and treatment in the pediatric departments of the NRCRM clinic. Psycho-emotional state of children was determined using the test «non-existent animal», which was assessed in points on symptom complexes: anxiety, aggression and neuro-mental exhaustion. The questionnaire of A. Bass and A. Darkey was used to discriminate various aspects of the aggression symptom complex. In all children, the content of incorporated 137Cs was determined using a whole body counter. Results. The results of the evaluation of the psycho-emotional state of children – residents of radioactively contaminated territories in the remote period of the Chornobyl catastrophe according to the test «non-existent animal» showed, that the state of anxiety was registered in all 96 children (100 %); state of aggression – in 60 children (62.5 %); exhaustion – in 57 children (59.37 %). Depending on the prevalence of the one or another symptom complexes, or their combination, 5 groups of observations were formed and the personality traits of children characteristic for each group were determined. In the largest group I with the predominance of anxiety symptom complex (45,83 % of the total sample) were noted: stable tendency to perceive many life-threatening situations and environment, pessimistic assessment of one’s own life perspective, constant high level of anxiety. Girls were in majority in this group. For group II, which showed a combination of high rates of two symptom complexes – anxiety and aggression (18.75 % of the total sample), the characteristic personality traits were a constant high level of emotional tension, a tendency to perceive the environment with distrust and a sense of guilt that arouses. In group III of children (14.58 % of the total sample), the symptom complex of aggression with feelings of alienation, isolation and hostile attitude towards the environment prevailed. Group IV of children (16.67 % of the total sample), with the combination of signs of exhaustion and anxiety, had poor ability to concentrate, memory and attention deficit disorders, decreased learning ability, constant fatigue and irritability, apathy, inactivity, and inertia. Group V (only 4.17 % of the total sample) was characterized by low (less than 2 points) indices of all three symptom complexes. Girls were much more prone to anxiety, boys were more aggressive, sometimes accompanied by anxiety. Symptom complex of exhaustion was determined with the same frequency in both boys and girls. Conclusion. Assessment of psycho-emotional sphere of children – residents of radioactively contaminated territories in the remote period of the Chornobyl catastrophe according to the «non-existent animal» test revealed in of 100 % of children the presence of anxiety signs, in the vast majority – the state of aggression and exhaustion. There were no probable associations between the content of incorporated 137Cs (in the range from 111 to 7024 Bq) and the peculiarities of the psycho-emotional state of children. Key words: Chornobyl catastrophe, psycho-emotional state, typological personality traits.