European Psychiatry is the official journal of EPA, the largest international association of psychiatrists in Europe.
The aim of the European Psychiatric Association is to improve the lives of patients with mental disorders and to promote professional excellence through education and research. The EPA Congress is held annually, the materials of which are published in the journal European Psychiatry.
In 2019, the European Congress of Psychiatry was held in Warsaw under the motto “Psychiatry in Transition: Toward New Models, Goals and Challenges”. The congress was also attended by scientists from the Institute of Psychology and Education of Kazan University.
According to Albert Chernov, associate professor at the Department of General Psychology at the Institute of Psychology and Education of Kazan Federal University, the introduction of mental health systems in many countries, attention to personality-oriented research and care, the availability of scientific data confirming the biopsychosocial model, the clinical significance of the diachronic perspective and effectiveness were the most significant examples of activities held in the field of mental health in the world:
"The Congress was held in the best traditions of the EPA. A special place was given to updating evidence-based medicine in psychopharmacology, introducing community-based mental health systems, e-mental health applications and prevention programs. We presented the results of two of our studies at the congress. Congress organizers selected our articles for publications in European Psychiatry. "
The first article, “Dynamics of mental states of performance under experimental influence,” was written in collaboration with scientists at Kazan Federal University A. Prokhorov, A. Chernov, M. Yusupov, M. Valiullina, A. Khalfieva.
The aim of the study was to study changes in mental representations of mental states.
“Mental representations of mental states, which are understood as internal structures formed in the process of a person’s life, are not sufficiently studied from the point of view of their stability and change,” explained A. Chernov, co-author of the article. “Understanding them is a prerequisite for effective consultation therapy."
The experiment, which lasted six months, was attended by 27 students aged 18-19 years. The associative, evaluative and figurative characteristics of mental representations were studied using an implicit associative test and a method of alleviating the mental state developed by KFU professor A. Prokhorov.
Scientists have found that the results of relaxation or activation of the influence on the idea of mental states may depend on the nature of the technique used, as well as the individual characteristics of the participants.
"The neuromuscular relaxation technique of Everly-Rosenfeld used in the study had a greater impact on physiological manifestations, while autogenous immersion only affected sensations, perceptions, and memory. After conducting meditations, the intensity of mental representations among students reached optimal values."
The results obtained indicate that the detected changes are a definite tendency that allows us to describe the invariant and unstable characteristics of the mental representation.
The second article, “The Dynamics of Cognitive State of Students with Different Levels of Reflection,” was the result of a study to identify the dynamics of cognitive state during classes for students with different levels and focus of reflection.
Three groups of students were formed with different (high, medium and low) levels of reflection. Let me remind you that reflection acts as a mechanism of self-knowledge, self-organization, self-determination and as a basis for independent student activity. During the seminars, we studied precisely the cognitive state of students. The most commonly tested cognitive conditions have been identified.