Peculiarity of protective-adaptive system of patients with schizophrenia and schizotypal disorders

The article considers the problem ofadaptation of patients with schizotypal disorder within the theory of protective-adaptive system and the interrelated substructures, composingit. The study of adaptation of patients with schizotypal disorder, based on the model of clinical personology, theory of open systemsand model of stress-diathesis, reflects the systematic approach to the problem and takes into account the integrity of biological,psychological and social factors. The leading role in the adaptation and preservation of mental health is played by the consciously appliedsystem of constructive strategies of overcoming the problem situations being subordinate with a certain psychological defence. Inthe historical aspect the definition of psychological defence is changing, transforming. Investigations on psychological defences of recenttime move from negative perception and are oriented at revealing adaptive abilities of psychological defence. According to contemporaryviewpoints of ego-psychology, successful adaptation requires the safety of functions of attitude towards reality, regulationand control of instinctive impulses, objective relations, intellectual processes and psychological defences, functions of autonomy. Ofspecial value is the comparison of structure, peculiarities of manifestations of psychological defences in various nosological groups.Mutual influence of psychological defences and coping-strategies is stressed during the formation of coping styles, as well as the role ofconscious and unconscious components in the formation of defensive adaptive systems. Peculiarities of psychological defences are highlightedin patients with schizotypal disorder, revealed in the process of the observation of psychiatry and clinical psychological examination.Primitive, initial variants of defences such as splitting, primitive isolation, omnipotence, denial fulfil the adaptive function but differby rigidity, tend to stereotypisation and base on the distorted perception of the reality. Meanwhile, the coping-strategies of patientswith schizotypal disorder remain little studied. Traits of emotional-volitional, cognitive, personality areas are considered as factors ableto influence adaptation of patients with schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder. The integrity of these factors determines the specifics ofcoping styles, coping-strategies and psychological defences linked with them in such patients, promoting increase of contribution ofmaladaptive and relatively adaptive variants of response and decreasing the efficacy of self-organization and the level of adaptation.

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