Emotional-volitional disorders in children and adolescents. Characteristics of the main disorders of the emotional-volitional sphere

For normal life and development in society great importance It has emotional-volitional sphere personality. Emotions and feelings play important role In human life.

Will of a person is responsible for the ability that manifests itself during the regulation of its activities. From birth, a person does not possess it, since, basically, all his actions are based on intuition. As you accumulate life experience volitional actions begin to appear, which become more and more complex. The important thing is that a person not only gets to know the world, but also tries to somehow adapt it to himself. This is precisely what volitional actions are, which are very important indicators in life.

The volitional sphere of personality most often manifests itself when life path There are various difficulties and trials. The last stage in the formation of will is the actions that must be taken to overcome external and internal obstacles. If we talk about history, then volitional decisions in different time formed through a certain work activity.

What diseases does it occur in? disturbance of emotional volitional sphere :

Schizophrenia

Manic syndrome

Depressive syndrome

Obsessive-phobic syndrome

Psychopathy

Alcoholism

Addiction

TO external stimuli can be attributed to certain social conditions, and to internal ones, heredity. Development occurs starting from early age and until adolescence.

Characteristics of the volitional sphere of personality

Volitional actions can be divided into two groups:

Simple actions (do not require the expenditure of certain forces and additional organization).

Complex actions (require a certain concentration, persistence and skill).

In order to understand the essence of such actions, it is necessary to understand the structure. An act of will consists of the following elements:

• method and means of activity;

  decision-making;

  execution of the decision.

Violations of the emotional-volitional sphere

Hyperbulia, general increase will and drives, affecting all the basic drives of a person. For example, an increase in appetite leads to the fact that patients, while in the department, immediately eat the food brought to them. Hyperbulia is characteristic manifestation manic syndrome.

Hypobulia characterized by a general decrease in will and drives. Patients do not feel the need to communicate, are burdened by the presence of strangers and the need to maintain a conversation, and ask to be left alone. Patients are immersed in a world of their own suffering and cannot take care of loved ones.

Abulia This is a disorder limited to a sharp decrease in will. Abulia is a persistent negative disorder; together with apathy, it forms a single apathetic-abulia syndrome, characteristic of the final conditions of schizophrenia.

Obsessive (obsessive) attraction involves the emergence of desires that the patient can control in accordance with the situation. Refusal to satisfy an instinct gives rise to strong feelings in the patient, and thoughts of an unsatisfied need constantly persist. So, a person with obsessive fear contamination will curb the urge to wash hands on a short time, however, he will definitely wash them thoroughly when strangers are not looking at him, because all the time he endures, he constantly painfully thinks about his need. Obsessive drives are included in the structure of obsessive-phobic syndrome.

Compulsive drive a very powerful feeling, since its strength is comparable to instincts. The pathological need occupies such a dominant position that the person quickly stops internal struggle and satisfies his desire, even if it involves rough antisocial behavior and the possibility of subsequent punishment.

Of course, all loving parents care about the health of their children. However, often mothers and fathers pay attention exclusively to physical development child, for some reason not paying due care to the emotional state of the baby. But emotions play a significant role in a person’s life. Emotions appear from the first days of a baby’s life; with their help, the child communicates with his parents, making it clear that he is upset, in pain, or feels good.

As the child develops, his emotions also undergo changes and it is important to prevent emotional disturbances in children during this period. The baby learns not only to speak, walk or run, but also to feel. From the simple emotions that he experiences in infancy, he moves on to a more complex sensory perception, and begins to get acquainted with the entire emotional palette.

As a child gets older, he not only tells his parents that he is feeling uncomfortable because he is hungry or has a stomach ache, but he also begins to show more complex emotions.

Like an adult, a baby learns to be happy, delighted, sad, surprised or angry. True, the main difference between a five-year-old child and a one-year-old baby is not only that he knows how to feel “widely,” but also that he knows how to control his emotions.

IN modern society Experts are increasingly trying to draw attention to such a serious problem as emotional disorders in children.

Causes and consequences of emotional disorders in children

According to medical statistics in 50% of cases, disturbances in the emotional sphere in children who have completed primary school are expressed in the development of nervous diseases. This is a very alarming result, especially considering the fact that we are talking about nervous diseases children who have not yet reached 16 years of age.

Child psychologists believe that the main causes of emotional disorders in children can be:

• illnesses and stress suffered in childhood;
• features of the child’s physical and psycho-emotional development, including delays, impairments or retardation in intellectual development;
• microclimate in the family, as well as the characteristics of upbringing;
• social and living conditions of the child, his close environment.

Emotional disorders in children can be caused by other factors. For example, psychological trauma children's body can be caused by the films he watches or the computer games he plays. Emotional disorders in children most often appear during critical periods of development.

A striking example of such mentally unstable behavior is the so-called “ transitional age" Young people always rebel, but this is especially noticeable in adolescence when the child begins to decide on his desires and evaluates his own capabilities.

The most common manifestations of emotional disorders in children are:

• general anxiety of the child, as well as the presence of fears and excessive timidity;
• emotional exhaustion;
• aggression, sometimes without cause;
• problems communicating and interacting with other children or adults;
• depression.

Correction of emotional-volitional disorders in children

Before talking about methods for correcting emotional-volitional disorders in children, it is worth defining this problem. The emotional-volitional sphere, or in other words, the psycho-emotional state of a person represents the dynamics of the development of his feelings, as well as emotions. Therefore, emotional-volitional disorders in children are nothing more than mental state disorders.

When the emotional sphere is disturbed, children develop a feeling of severe anxiety or apathy, the mood becomes gloomy and the child withdraws into himself, begins to show aggression or become depressed. In order to improve the condition of a child suffering from emotional disturbances, you should contact a specialized specialist. He, in turn, will begin individual or group work with the child, and will also tell parents how to behave correctly if the child is mentally unstable.

Psycho-emotional disorders are susceptible to successful treatment in case of early detection and a competent approach to their correction.

Some tips for parents who are faced with emotional disturbances in children:

• When communicating with an injured child, try to remain absolutely calm and show your friendly attitude;
• communicate with your child more often, question him, empathize, in general, be interested in what he feels;
• play or do physical labor together, draw, pay more attention to the child;
• be sure to monitor your children’s daily routine;
• try not to expose your child to stress and unnecessary worries;
• monitor what your child watches, violence on TV or in computer game will only worsen emotional disturbances;
• support the child, help build self-confidence.

A child psychologist will help eliminate emotional disturbances in children, who, with the help of special educational games, will explain to the child how to correctly respond to emerging problems. stressful situations and control your feelings. However, no one can replace the participation of parents in the treatment of psycho-emotional disorders of children, since children trust their parents and, of course, follow their example.

Therefore, if in the future you want to avoid developing severe mental illness in a child, then immediately begin to take an active part in his treatment.

The decisive factor in the correction of psycho-emotional disorders is attention from adults. Learn to pay more attention to your child, help him understand his feelings and emotions. You should not demand that your child stop worrying, but you should support him in any worries and help him understand difficult emotions. Patience, care and boundless parental love will help preserve mental health your children.

Intellectual deficiency manifests itself in the following features: intellectual regulation of emotions, inadequacy, difficulties in the development of higher (intellectual, moral, aesthetic) feelings, low level development of means of emotional expressiveness. Along with this, when mental retardation Painful sensory disorders are not uncommon: irritability, euphoria, dysphonia, apathy.

The formation of the emotional-volitional sphere is one of the most important conditions formation of the child’s personality, whose experience is continuously enriched.

The development of the emotional sphere is facilitated by family, school, and all the life that surrounds and constantly influences the child.
http://www.eurolab.ua/symptoms/disorders/79/ - source
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Psychological correction of the emotional-volitional sphere
Nikishina V.B. Practical psychology in working with children with mental retardation: A manual for psychologists and teachers. - M.: VLADOS, 2003
http://rudocs.exdat.com/docs/index-16786.html?page=79
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Emotions relentlessly accompany us throughout our lives, from birth—there’s no escape from them. But one cannot act solely under the influence of emotions: a person must be able to consciously manage them. Therefore, in addition to emotions, he is characterized by will. Together they make up the emotional-volitional sphere of a person. Development of the emotional-volitional sphere- one of important aspects raising a child.

A small child does not yet know how to control his emotions and expresses them openly, without any embarrassment to others. But often parents forget that none of us are born with already formed skills of behavior in society, and instead of calmly explaining to the child that he cannot behave this way, they reprimand him, shout, and punish him. But this has no effect: the child does not understand why he cannot scream, but parents can.

Parents must understand: the child screams, fights and is capricious not because he is bad, but because he does not understand that this should not be done. The development of the emotional-volitional sphere is a gradual process, and instead of punishing the child, it is necessary teach him to express negative emotions in acceptable ways, regulate your emotional state, relieve emotional stress. Moreover, it is best to do this with the help of a game, because a game is not only a fun pastime, but also a powerful educational tool.

Games for the development of the emotional-volitional sphere of the child

Games for the development of the emotional-volitional sphere will help the child learn to throw out negative emotions and help relieve muscle and emotional tension. Please note that for all of these games (especially those involving two or more children) adult participation required— he will monitor the emotional state of the children. All games are intended for children aged four years and older.

Stubborn lambs

This game requires two or more participants. Children are divided into pairs. The presenter (adult) says: “Early in the morning, two sheep met on the bridge.” Children spread their legs wide, lean forward and rest their foreheads and palms against each other. The player's task is to stay in place while forcing the opponent to move. At the same time, you can bleat like lambs.

This game allows you to direct the child’s energy in the right direction, throw out aggression and relieve muscle and emotional tension. But the leader must ensure that the “lambs” do not overdo it and harm each other.

I don't want to

This game was developed by teacher L.I. Petrova. It will help you throw out aggression and relieve muscle and emotional tension. In addition, it allows children to relax and develop a sense of humor. In addition, it is safer than the previous game. It is very simple to play: the presenter recites poems and accompanies his movements, the children’s task is to repeat them.

If the game turns into antics and self-indulgence, you need to stop it. It is important to explain to the children that it was a game - we were fooling around, and now it’s time to become ordinary children again and do other things.

Flower and sun

This game, unlike the previous ones, is aimed at relaxation and stabilization emotional state. Children squat down and clasp their hands around their knees. The presenter begins to tell a story about a flower and the sun, and the children perform expressive movements that illustrate the story. You can turn on calm, quiet music in the background.

Emotional-volitional disorders can manifest themselves in different ways:

1. Increased excitability. Children of this type are restless, fussy, irritable, and prone to unmotivated aggression. They are characterized by sharp changes mood: they are either overly cheerful, or suddenly begin to be capricious, seem tired and irritable.

Affective arousal can occur even under the influence of ordinary tactile, visual and auditory stimuli, especially intensifying in an unusual environment for the child.

2. Passivity, lack of initiative, excessive shyness. Any situation of choice puts them at a dead end. Their actions are characterized by lethargy and slowness. Such children have great difficulty adapting to new conditions and have difficulty making contact with strangers. This syndrome, as well as a joyful, elated mood with a decrease in criticism (euphoria), is noted with lesions frontal lobes brain

Phobic syndrome, or fear syndrome, is typical for many children with cerebral palsy. Increased impressionability combined with emotional excitability and affective inertia creates a favorable background for the emergence of fear neurosis. Fear can arise even under the influence of minor psychogenic factors - an unfamiliar situation, short-term separation from loved ones, the appearance of new faces and even new toys, loud sounds etc. In some children it manifests itself as motor agitation, screaming, in others – physical inactivity, general lethargy and in both cases is accompanied by pronounced vegetative-vascular reactions – paleness or redness of the skin, hyperhidrosis, increased heart rate and breathing, sometimes chills, increased temperature . When fear arises in a child, salivation and movement disorders(spasticity, hyperkinesis, ataxia). Possibly psychogenic obsessive phobias in the form of fear of loneliness, heights, movement; in adolescence - fear of illness and death.

Fears that arise spontaneously, without connection with any psychogenic factors, are called neurosis-like; they are conditioned organic damage brain. These include undifferentiated night terrors that appear sporadically during sleep and are accompanied by screaming, crying, general agitation, autonomic disorders. They are typical for children with hypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome and often occur against the background of hyperthermia. If fears appear suddenly, against the background of somatic well-being, at a certain time of night sleep, at regular intervals, and are accompanied by motor automatisms, they should be distinguished from paroxysms of epileptic origin, which can also be observed in cerebral palsy.

3. But there are a number of qualities characteristic of both types of development. In particular, sleep disorders can often be observed in children suffering from musculoskeletal disorders. They are tormented by nightmares, they sleep anxiously, and have difficulty falling asleep.

4. Increased impressionability. This can be partly explained by the compensation effect: physical activity the child is limited, and against the background of this, the senses, on the contrary, receive high development. Thanks to this, they are sensitive to the behavior of others and are able to detect even minor changes in their mood. However, this impressionability is often painful; Completely neutral situations and innocent statements can cause a negative reaction in them.

5. Increased fatigue- another one distinctive feature, characteristic of almost all children with cerebral palsy. In the process of correction and academic work, even with high interest in the task, the child quickly gets tired, becomes whiny, irritable, and refuses to work. Some children become restless as a result of fatigue: the rate of speech accelerates, and it becomes less intelligible; there is an increase in hyperkinesis; manifests itself aggressive behavior– the child may throw nearby objects and toys.

6. Another area in which parents may encounter serious problems is the child’s volitional activity. Any activity that requires composure, organization and purposefulness causes him difficulties. Mental infantilism, characteristic of most children with cerebral palsy, leaves a significant imprint on the child’s behavior. For example, if the proposed task has lost its attractiveness for him, it is very difficult for him to make an effort and finish the work he has started.

Children suffering from cerebral palsy more often experience negative emotions, such as fear, anger, shame, suffering, etc., than children without of this disease. The dominance of negative emotions over positive ones leads to frequent experiences of states of sadness, sadness with frequent overstrain of all body systems.

Quite often, parental care is mainly focused on physical health your child, while the emotional component remains virtually unattended. This is due to the fact that most parents consider early symptoms of emotional disorders to be temporary and therefore harmless.

The place of emotional disturbances in mental development a child’s life seems to be one of the key aspects of his life, due to the fact that these violations affect his attitude towards his parents and the environment in general. Today there is a tendency towards an increase in emotional disorders in children, in the form of decreased social adaptation and a tendency towards aggressive behavior.

There are many reasons for the occurrence of emotional disorders in a child, so parents should be especially attentive to the manifestation of various pathological signs. As a rule, specialists make a final diagnosis when registering 3 signs of emotional instability.

The most common causes of emotional disturbances are:

• Physical features, taking into account past diseases in infancy;
• Inhibition of mental and mental development;
• Improper upbringing of a child in the preschool period;
• Poor nutrition, namely insufficient intake necessary substances, which significantly affects the development of the baby;

Also, these above reasons are divided into two large groups:

1. Biological.

This causal group includes characteristic type nervous system. For example, if attention deficit disorder is present, the child may subsequently experience pathological process in the brain, formed as a result of severe pregnancy and childbirth of his mother.

1. Social

This group determines the process of interaction of the child with other people and the environment. For example, if a child already has experience communicating with age group people, his peers and the primary group for him - his family, then in some cases such socialization can also harm him.

If a child is constantly subjected to denial by adults, then he unconsciously begins to repress the received information that comes from environment.

The emergence of new experiences that do not coincide with his conceptual structure begins to be perceived negatively by him, which ultimately creates a certain stress for him.

In the absence of understanding from peers, the child develops emotional experiences (rage, resentment, disappointment), which are characterized by severity and duration. Also, constant conflicts in the family, demands on the child, lack of understanding of his interests, also cause emotional disturbances in the mental development of the child.

Classifications of emotional disorders and their symptoms

The difficulty in identifying emotional-volitional disorders has resulted in the fact that a number of psychologists have formed different views on these types of disorders. For example, the scientist-psychologist G. Sukhareva noted that emotional disturbances in the younger school age, are often observed in children suffering from neurasthenia, which was distinguished by its excessive excitability.

Psychologist J. Milanich had a different idea about these disorders. He found that emotional-volitional disorders include 3 groups of emotional disorders;

• Acute emotional reactions, which are characterized by the coloring of certain conflict situations, which manifested themselves in aggression, hysteria, reactions of fear or resentment;
• A state of increased tension – anxiety, fearfulness, decreased mood.
• Dysfunction of the emotional state, which manifested itself in a sharp transition from positive emotional phenomena to negative ones and also in the reverse order.

However, the most detailed clinical picture emotional disorders were N.I. Kosterina. She subdivides emotional disorders into 2 large groups, which are characterized by an increase in the level of emotionality and, accordingly, its decrease.

The first group includes such conditions as:

• Euphoria, which is characterized by an inadequate increase in mood. child in this state, as a rule, has increased impulsiveness, impatience and a desire for dominance.
• Dysphoria is the opposite form of euphoria, characterized by the manifestation of such emotions as anger, irritability, aggressiveness. It is a type of depressive syndrome.
• Depression – pathological condition characterized by the manifestation negative emotions and behavioral passivity. A child in this state feels depressed and sad.
• Anxiety syndrome is a condition in which a child feels unreasonably worried and expressed nervous tension. Expressed in permanent shift mood, tearfulness, lack of appetite, hypersensitivity. Often this syndrome develops into a phobia.
• Apathy – serious condition, in which the child feels indifferent to everything that happens around him, and is also characterized by a sharp decrease in initiative functions. Most psychologists argue that the loss of emotional reactions is combined with a decrease or complete loss of volitional impulses.
• Paratamia is a characteristic disorder of the emotional background, in which the experience of one specific emotion is accompanied by external manifestations absolutely opposite emotions. Often observed in children suffering from schizophrenia.

The second group includes:

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is characterized by symptoms such as motor disorientation and impulsivity. It follows that key features This syndrome is characterized by distractibility and excessive physical activity.
• Aggression. This emotional manifestation is formed as part of a character trait or as a reaction to environmental influences. In any case, the above violations need correction. However, before adjusting pathological manifestations, first of all it is revealed main reasons diseases.

Diagnosis of disorders

For subsequent therapy of disorders and its effectiveness, it is very important timely diagnosis emotional development of the child and its disorders. There are many special techniques and tests that evaluate the development and psychological condition child, taking into account his age characteristics.

Diagnostics of children preschool age includes:

• Diagnosis of anxiety level and its assessment;
• Study of psycho-emotional state;
• Luscher color test;
• Studying the child’s self-esteem and personality characteristics;
• Study of the development of volitional qualities.

Appeal for psychological help necessary if the child experiences certain difficulties in learning, communicating with peers, behavior, or has certain phobias.

Parents should also pay attention if the child experiences any emotional experiences, feelings, and also if his condition is characterized as depressed.

Methods for correcting emotional disorders

A number of domestic and foreign scientists in the field of psychology identify a number of techniques that make it possible to correct emotional-volitional disorders in children. These methods are usually divided into 2 main groups: individual and group, but such a division does not reflect the main goal of correcting mental disorders.

Mental correction affective disorders in children it is an organized system of psychological influences. This correction is mainly aimed at:

• Alleviating emotional discomfort
• Promotion active work and independence
• Suppression of secondary personal reactions (aggression, excessive excitability, anxiety, etc.).
• Correction of self-esteem;
• Formation of emotional stability.

World psychology includes 2 main approaches to psychological correction child, namely:

• Psychodynamic approach. Advocates for the creation of conditions that make it possible to suppress external social barriers, using methods such as psychoanalysis, play therapy and art therapy.
• Behavioral approach. This approach allows you to stimulate the child to assimilate new reactions aimed at the formation of adaptive behavioral forms and, conversely, suppresses non-adaptive forms of behavior, if any. Includes such methods of influence as behavioral and psychoregulatory training, which allow the child to consolidate learned reactions.

When choosing a method of psychological correction of emotional disorders, one should proceed from the specifics of the disorder, which determines the deterioration of the emotional state. If a child has intrapersonal disorders, then an excellent way would be to use play therapy (not computer therapy), and the method of family psychocorrection has also proven itself well.

If there is a predominance interpersonal conflicts group psychocorrection is used, which allows optimizing interpersonal relationships. When choosing any method, the severity of the child’s emotional instability must be taken into account.

Methods of psychological correction such as game therapy, fairytale therapy, etc. work effectively if they comply mental characteristics child and therapist.

The age of a child up to 6 years (preschool period) is the most important period of his development, since it is during this period that the child’s personal foundations are formed, strong-willed qualities, and the emotional sphere is also rapidly developing.

Volitional qualities develop mainly due to conscious control over behavior, while maintaining certain behavioral rules in memory.

The development of these qualities is characterized as general development personality, that is, mainly by shaping the will, emotions and feelings.

Consequently, for the successful emotional-volitional upbringing of a child, parents and teachers need to especially pay attention to creating a positive atmosphere of mutual understanding. Therefore, many experts recommend that parents form following criteria for your child:

• When communicating with a child, you must maintain absolute calm and show your goodwill in every possible way;
• You should try to communicate with your child more often, ask him about anything, empathize, and be interested in his hobbies;
• Joint physical labor, games, drawing, etc. will have a positive effect on the child’s condition, so try to pay him as much attention as possible.
• It is necessary to ensure that the child does not watch films or play games with elements of violence, as this will only aggravate his emotional state;
• Support your child in every possible way and help him build confidence in himself and his abilities.