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IntroductionThe uncertainty of COVID-pandemia, vital danger and disruptions in the habitual social contacts can be paralleled to the experiences of severe emotional stress and violence, usually found in the people with Borderline Personality Disorder. Both can be regarded as hampering the ability to categorize and express thoughts, feelings and experiences. The implementation of distant forms of psychological counseling may accentuate the mentalization deficiency.ObjectivesTo develop a theoretical framework for an empirical typology of impairments of mentalization.MethodsThe model of consciousness proposed by L.S. Vygotsky was used for theoretical generalization of the levels of categorical structures of mentalization observed in previous empirical studies.ResultsThe following structures were identified: (1) the syncretic type of mentalization with low differentiation and complexity of object representations, their negative affective tone, autistic, chaotically mutable motivation and low emotional investment in relationships were described in patients with schizotypal disorders; (2) the “complex” type, with literal, non-generalized, field-dependent and rigid, or unstable, representation of the self, others and relationships as a result of the “fusion” of cognitive representations with the current emotional states. Similar types of mentalization were previously described in people with BPD and self-harming behavior (Sokolova, Laisheva, 2017).ConclusionsThe ’syncretic’ and ’complex’ types of mentalization produce affective-cognitive distortions of the image of a psychotherapist, hamper the understanding of the conditional and metaphorical character of the therapeutic process, render difficult the de-traumatization of the unbearable experiences, and lessen the effectiveness of consultations of people with BPD.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

IntroductionThe COVID-pandemic context is characterized by a global ambiguity, reflecting the unexpected onset of pandemic, unpredictability and amplitude of the related dangers, questionability and the side effects of the policy measures used to protect people.ObjectivesThe development of theoretical framework for understanding variability in the reactions to COVID situation and self-regulatory mechanisms.MethodsConceptualization and analysis of individual psychotherapy cases in the framework of psychodynamic approach.ResultsFive typical patterns of anxiety, defensive functioning and mentalization structures were identified: Paranoial pattern is marked by flooding with persecutory anxiety, exaggerated subjective uncertainty. reflected in chaotic boundlessness, incoherence, fantasies of hostility, splitting and polarization of self and others. Depressive pattern reflects inability to sustain ambiguity due to deficiency of internal supports, overly dependence on others, conformity, obedience to authority and denial of personal standards and individuality. Noogenic pattern refers to negative affective states, generated by the ambiguity, contradictions and ambivalence of information. The means to regulate it include the lowering of the level of psychical functioning, with cognitive simplification, preference for order, routine and predictability. Transgression pattern suggests maniacal fascination with the dissipation of limits, normative restraints and rules, and the triumph of the narcissistic-perfectionist permissiveness. Constructivity pattern consists of the pleasure from explorations and insights, creation of new meanings, creative reappraisal and reconstruction of ambiguous situations.ConclusionsThe typical patterns of experiencing ambiguity that were singled out may have diagnostic and prognostic significance in evaluating the individual resource potential in situations of COVID related dangers and isolation.

IntroductionThe formation of thinking in ontogenesis follows the line of progressive differentiation and integration of the representations of objects, events, and relationships. The same is true for the development of mentalization ability, conceived as a thought process in the area of social interactions.ObjectivesThe purpose of the study was to compare the particularities of thought processes when dealing with different types of material: physical objects (operational thinking) and social situations (mentalization).Methods40 inpatients with schizotypal personality disorder, 40 inpatients with paranoid schizophrenia and 40 controls took part in the study. The Objects Sorting Test was used to assess operational thinking. The mentalization ability was assessed using two SCOR-S scales for Thematic Apperception Test: Complexity of representations of people and Understanding of social causality.ResultsThe results of correlation analysis support the existence of the reverse links between the impairments of operational thinking and both the complexity of representations of people (r=-.36, р<.001) and the understanding of social causality (r=-.38, р<.001). It is supported by the qualitative analysis, where inpatients with thought distortions, characterized by arbitrary generalizations, are inclined to make similar errors in the reasoning about the mental states, ignoring the conventional explanations and relying on their own emotional impression and etc.ConclusionsThe limitations of the operational thinking as reflected in the inability to form adequate generalizations on the basis of socially predefined attributes of meaning are closely related to the ability of differentiation, integration and causal explanation of meaningful aspects or social situations.

IntroductionThe uncertainty of contemporary social contexts fosters suspiciousness and anaclitic anxieties. In the context of interpersonal relationships this manifests in cognitive distortions and magical thinking, specially in the vulnerable populations.ObjectivesTo study the ability of understanding social causality and its relation to magical thinking and ambiguity intolerance in schizophrenia and controls.MethodsParticipants were 40 inpatients with paranoid schizophrenia and 40 controls. Understanding of social causality was measured by corresponding SCORS-S scale for Thematic Apperception Test, Magical thinking was measured by SPQ-74 and intolerance to ambiguity by the New Tolerance-Intolerance to ambiguity questionnaires.ResultsThe understanding of social causality was less developed in schizophrenia group (mean values 2.28 and 3.28, p<.001). They manifest omissions of psychological aspects, logical faults and inconsistencies in depicting social relationships. Magical thinking was higher in clinical group (4.32 and 2.33, p<0.001). Two measures were significantly (p<0.05) correlated in both groups. Regression analysis indicates that 37.7% of variance of dependent variable ‘understanding of social causality’ (R2=0,377) was predicted by ‘magical thinking’ (-0,398, p<0,001) and ‘tolerance to ambiguity’ (0,412, p<0,001). The overal level of tolerance of ambiguity was higher in control group (52.2 and 61.0, p<0.002).ConclusionsTolerance of ambiguity, being more characteristic for normal population, underlies the understanding of social causality. In contrast, the intolerance to interpersonal ambiguity is related to increment of anxiety, failures in cognitive elaboration of interpersonal relationships and leads to superstition and illogical beliefs. This relationship has a heuristic value for understanding what is happening to vulnerable individuals in the context of current COVID pandemic.

IntroductionIn contemporary context the difficulties of making sense of social ambiguity becomes one of the most important appeals for seeking the psychological help. This grounds the importance of studying the mechanism underlying the quality of mentalization and its individual variations.ObjectivesThe objective of the study was to find empirical relations between the quality of mentalization and its cognitive, emotional and expressive mediating factors.Methods(1) The Adult Attachment Interview, scored using Social Cognition and Object Relations-Global rating method for mentalization ability. (2) Group embedded figures test. (3) New Tolerance-Intolerance to ambiguity and (4) Toronto alexithymia scale questionnaires. Twenty participants, aged 18-38, looking for psychological consultation, took part in the study.ResultsCorrelation analysis suggests positive relation between field-independency and tolerance to ambiguity (r = .47; p < .05). The complexity of representations of the mind positively correlates with the understanding of social causality (r = .92; p < .01). The affective quality of relationships’ representations positively correlates with the ability to emotionally invest into relationships (r = .66; p < .01), and with the understanding of social causality (r = .47; p < .05). The ability of emotional investment into relationships also positively correlates with the understanding of social causality (r = .93; p < .01). There is a negative link between the severity of alexithymia and the presence of long-term relationships with a partner (r = -.53; p < .05).ConclusionsMentalization should be understood as a system, with underplaying cognitive, expressive and emotional factors.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

We theoretically describe a driven two-electron four-level double-quantum dot (DQD) tunnel coupled to a fermionic sea using the rate-equation formalism. This approach allows to find occupation probabilities of each DQD energy level in a relatively simple way, compared to other methods. Calculated dependencies are compared with the experimental results. The system under study is irradiated by a strong driving signal, and as a result, one can observe Landau–Zener–Stückelberg–Majorana (LZSM) interferometry patterns which are successfully described by the considered formalism. The system operation regime depends on the amplitude of the excitation signal and the energy detuning, so one can transfer the system to the necessary quantum state in the most efficient way by setting these parameters. Obtained results give insights about initializing, characterizing, and controlling the quantum system states.

IntroductionThe links between body image disturbances and distorted relationships with parents were supposed since the early conceptualizations of AN by Hilde Bruch. The empirical studies however were concerned with perceptual aspects of body image and much less is known about how the attitudinal aspects and the body-related behaviors are affected.ObjectivesTo study the attitudinal and behavioral aspects of body image in adolescents with AN in relation to perceived parental care and the attachments to close people.MethodsThe Body Investment Scale (BSI), Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) were used. 53 girls with Anorexia Nervosa were compared to 63 controls (adjusted by age).ResultsGirls with AN scored significantly higher on BIS Body attitude (p<.001) and Protection scales (p<.01), while displayed equal results on Body Care scale. They displayed lower Confidence in relationships (p<.01), higher Need for approval, Discomfort and preoccupation in close relationships (p<.05). No differences were found on PBI, excerpt for AN group perceiving less paternal control (p<.05). The correlation analysis, while showing a number of similar correlations within groups, suggests that in AN group positive Body image was more closely linked to perceived early care, especially from father (r=.6), in contrast with controls. In current relationships negative Body image for AN is stronger related to Discomfort and Need for approval (r>0.6), while Discomfort with Touch is less linked to problems in relationships than in controls.ConclusionsResults suggest the importance of studying the father’s mediating role in the formation of body attitudes in AN.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

IntroductionBoth theoretical conceptualizations (M.&E. Laufers, E. Furman, J. Maltsberger, etc. ) and empirical studies (I. Orbach) suggest an important role body image plays in the dynamics of adolescent suicidal attempts.ObjectivesTo study the relationships between body image vulnerability and attachment attitudes concerning early care and current relationships.MethodsParticipants were 100 adolescents with suicidal behavior (46 with suicidal ideation only, 54 with suicide attempts) compared to 100 controls (12-17 years). Body attitudes were assessed with Body Investment Scale (BIS), perceived early care was assessed by Parental Bonding Inventory (PBI), current attachments experiences were assessed with Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ).ResultsAdolescents with suicidal manifestations scored significantly lower on BIS Body Care (p<.001) , but higher on Comfort with Touch scales (p=.05). They did not differ significantly on Body Image and Body Protection scales. With regard to perceived early care, suicidal adolescents did score lower on all Care and Control PBI scales, in both paternal and maternal forms. For current attachments suicidal adolescents scored lower on Confidence (p<.001) and higher on Approval Need (p<0.05) ASQ scales. Correlation analysis suggests, for both groups, stronger relationships of body attitude dimensions to current relationships than to perceived parental care, the former being more marked in clinical group, with Body Image scale being related to all ASQ scales ranging from r=-.32 to r=-.63.ConclusionsIn current study only weaker tendency to care for body in suicidal adolescents was noted. However, in suicidal group the relationship between body image vulnerability and negative experiences of current attachments was stronger.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

IntroductionMany studies point to cognitive beliefs, attitudes and other psychologicalt traits involved in particularities of reactions to pandemic situation, but the differences in life events are often overlooked.ObjectivesA study of subjective evaluation of life events during the pandemics.MethodsThe modified Lifeline technique was used to elicit life events. In semistructured interview, using a timeline, subjects were asked to indicate and describe events that had an impact on their attitudes, behaviors and feelings since the start of pandemic. Then they evaluated with direct assessment scales each event as to what extent it was anxious, difficult to cope, changed the beliefs concerning COVID-19, fostered the changes of behavior and habits, and led to reappraisal of own values. The events were coded using dichotomous categories: COVID-related vs directly unrelated, universal vs individual, personally involved vs noninvolved, and also were further qualitatively evaluated. 25 young Azerbaijani residents took part in the study.ResultsFrom 191 events named, 72% were COVID-related, 62% - universal, 62% - with personal involvement. 46% of events were unique (mentioned once). Universal events were more likely to be assessed as anxiogenic, while personal ones as leading to rethink own values and priorities (U, p<.01 and p<.05). Surprisingly, life events in total were assessed as less challenging the beliefs about pandemics while more frequently leading to rethink own values (T, p<.05). Individual events involved more conflict meanings and implications.ConclusionsLifeline technique may provide important insights on the impact of life events in complex social transitions and may be used in counseling.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

IntroductionBody attitudes may serve as both vulnerability and protective factors for various forms of emotional and behavioral disorders, including suicidal and self-harm behaviors in adolescent and youth populations. Body Investment Scale (BIS, Orbach & Mikulincer, 1998) is an instrument specially designed to account for body attitudes in suicide assessment.ObjectivesThe study was aimed to provide a preliminary evidence for using the BIS translation in the assessment of suicide risk factors in Russian-speaking student population in Azerbaijan.MethodsThe common recommendations for test translation were used. The factor structure, inter-item consistency of scales, and retest reliability were assessed. The participants were 100 students (18-23 years, 40 females, 60 males), 50 of them completed the retest.ResultsThe exploratory factor analysis with fixed number of factors reveals a homologous structure to the original BIS scales, explaining 48.2% of variance (in comparison to 55% of original measure). Inter-item reliability coefficients were lower: .989 for Body attitude, .696 for comfort with touch, .65 for Care and .61 for Protection scales. Pearson’s r for retest reliability (in a month) were above 0.9. Three items that could be excluded for enhancing the consistency of scales address physical contact and self-harm issues and might be culturally inappropriate.ConclusionsBIS is a promising instrument due to its grounded factor structure, but refinement of some items of the Russian translation is desired, as well as further study of applicability for adolescent population. BIS could fill the gap in scarcity of instruments for suicide assessment for Russian speaking population.DisclosureNo significant relationships.