Test for mental abnormality. Clinical tests to determine the level of depression and anxiety online

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Sometimes it seems that a loved one has gone crazy.

Or it starts to go away. How to determine that “the roof has gone crazy” and it’s not your imagination?

In this article, you will learn about the 10 main symptoms of mental disorders.

There is a joke among people: “There are no mentally healthy people, there are underexamined ones.” This means that individual signs of mental disorders can be found in the behavior of any person, and the main thing is not to fall into a manic search for corresponding symptoms in others.

And the point is not even that a person can become dangerous to society or himself. Some mental disorders arise as a consequence of organic brain damage, which requires immediate treatment. Delay can cost a person not only mental health, but also life.

Some symptoms, on the contrary, are sometimes regarded by others as manifestations of bad character, promiscuity or laziness, when in fact they are manifestations of illness.

In particular, depression is not considered by many to be a disease requiring serious treatment. “Pull yourself together! Stop whining! You are a weakling, you should be ashamed! Stop digging into yourself and everything will pass!” - this is how relatives and friends exhort the patient. But he needs the help of a specialist and long-term treatment, otherwise he won’t get out.

The onset of senile dementia or early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease can also be mistaken for age-related decline in intelligence or bad character, but in fact it's time to start looking for a caregiver to look after the patient.

How can you determine whether you should worry about a relative, colleague, or friend?

Signs of a mental disorder

This condition can accompany any mental disorder and many somatic diseases. Asthenia is expressed in weakness, low performance, mood swings, and increased sensitivity. A person begins to cry easily, becomes instantly irritated and loses self-control. Asthenia is often accompanied by sleep disturbances.

Obsessive states

The wide range of obsessions includes many manifestations: from constant doubts, fears that a person is not able to cope with, to an irresistible desire for cleanliness or the performance of certain actions.

Under the power of an obsessive state, a person may return home several times to check whether he has turned off the iron, gas, water, or whether he has locked the door. An obsessive fear of an accident may force the patient to perform certain rituals, which, according to the sufferer, can ward off trouble. If you notice that your friend or relative washes their hands for hours, has become overly squeamish and is always afraid of getting infected with something, this is also an obsession. The desire to avoid stepping on cracks in asphalt, tile joints, avoiding certain types of transport or people wearing clothes of a certain color or type is also an obsessive state.

Mood changes

Melancholy, depression, a desire for self-recrimination, talk about one’s own worthlessness or sinfulness, and about death can also be symptoms of the disease. You should also pay attention to other manifestations of inadequacy:

• Unnatural frivolity, carelessness.
• Foolishness, not typical of age and character.
• A euphoric state, optimism that has no basis.
• Fussiness, talkativeness, inability to concentrate, chaotic thinking.
• Heightened self-esteem.
• Projecting.
• Increased sexuality, extinction of natural shyness, inability to restrain sexual desires.

You have cause for concern if your loved one begins to complain of unusual sensations in the body. They can be extremely unpleasant or downright annoying. These are sensations of squeezing, burning, moving “something inside”, “rustling in the head”. Sometimes such sensations can be a consequence of very real somatic diseases, but often senestopathies indicate the presence of hypochondriacal syndrome.

Hypochondria

Expressed in manic preoccupation with the state of one’s own health. Examinations and test results may indicate the absence of diseases, but the patient does not believe it and requires more and more examinations and serious treatment. A person talks almost exclusively about his well-being, does not leave clinics and demands to be treated as a patient. Hypochondria often goes hand in hand with depression.

Illusions

There is no need to confuse illusions and hallucinations. Illusions force a person to perceive real objects and phenomena in a distorted form, while with hallucinations a person perceives something that does not really exist.

Examples of illusions:

• the pattern on the wallpaper seems to be a tangle of snakes or worms;
• the size of objects is perceived in a distorted form;
• the patter of raindrops on the windowsill seems like the careful steps of someone scary;
• the shadows of the trees turn into terrible creatures creeping up with frightening intentions, etc.

If outsiders may not be aware of the presence of illusions, then the susceptibility to hallucinations may manifest itself more noticeably.

Hallucinations can affect all senses, that is, be visual and auditory, tactile and gustatory, olfactory and general, and also be combined in any combination. To the patient, everything he sees, hears and feels seems completely real. He may not believe that those around him do not feel, hear, or see all this. He may perceive their bewilderment as a conspiracy, deception, mockery, and become annoyed that he is not understood.

With auditory hallucinations, a person hears various kinds of noise, fragments of words or coherent phrases. “Voices” can give commands or comment on the patient’s every action, laugh at him or discuss his thoughts.

Gustatory and olfactory hallucinations often cause the sensation of an unpleasant property: a disgusting taste or smell.

With tactile hallucinations, the patient thinks that someone is biting, touching, strangling him, that insects are crawling on him, that some creatures are inserting themselves into his body and moving there or eating the body from the inside.

Externally, susceptibility to hallucinations is expressed in conversations with an invisible interlocutor, sudden laughter or constant intense listening to something. The patient may constantly shake something off himself, scream, look around himself with a worried look, or ask others if they see something on his body or in the surrounding space.

Rave

Delusional states often accompany psychosis. Delusion is based on erroneous judgments, and the patient stubbornly maintains his false belief, even if there are obvious contradictions with reality. Delusional ideas acquire super-value, significance that determines all behavior.

Delusional disorders can be expressed in erotic form, or in conviction of one's great mission, in descent from a noble family or aliens. The patient may feel that someone is trying to kill or poison him, rob or kidnap him. Sometimes the development of a delusional state is preceded by a feeling of unreality of the surrounding world or one’s own personality.

Hoarding or excessive generosity

Yes, any collector can be under suspicion. Especially in cases where collecting becomes an obsession and subjugates a person’s entire life. This can be expressed in the desire to drag things found in garbage dumps into the house, hoard food without paying attention to expiration dates, or pick up stray animals in quantities that exceed the ability to provide them with normal care and proper maintenance.

The desire to give away all your property and excessive spending can also be regarded as a suspicious symptom. Especially in the case when a person has not previously been distinguished by generosity or altruism.

There are people who are unsociable and unsociable due to their character. This is normal and should not raise suspicions of schizophrenia or other mental disorders. But if a born cheerful person, the life of the party, a family man and a good friend suddenly begins to destroy social ties, becomes unsociable, shows coldness towards those who were recently dear to him - this is a reason to worry about his mental health.

A person becomes sloppy, stops taking care of himself, and in society can begin to behave shockingly - commit acts that are considered indecent and unacceptable.

What to do?

It is very difficult to make the right decision when there are suspicions of a mental disorder in someone close to you. Perhaps the person is simply going through a difficult period in his life, and that is why his behavior has changed. Things will get better - and everything will return to normal.

But it may turn out that the symptoms you notice are a manifestation of a serious illness that needs to be treated. In particular, brain cancer in most cases leads to certain mental disorders. Delay in starting treatment can be fatal in this case.

Other diseases also need to be treated in a timely manner, but the patient himself may not notice the changes happening to him, and only those close to him will be able to influence the state of affairs.

However, there is another option: the tendency to see everyone around as potential patients of a psychiatric clinic may also turn out to be a mental disorder. Before calling emergency psychiatric help for a neighbor or relative, try to analyze your own condition. What if you have to start with yourself? Remember the joke about the under-examined?

“Every joke has some humor in it” ©

Mental health is understood as the coherence and adequate functioning of a person’s mental functions. A person can be considered mentally healthy when all his cognitive processes are within normal limits.

Mental norm is understood as the average statistical indicator of assessment of cognitive functions, characteristic of most people. Mental pathology is considered a deviation from the norm, in which thinking, imagination, intellectual sphere, memory and other processes suffer. According to statistics, every fifth person suffers from a mental illness, a third of them are unaware of their illness.

The most common mental disorders include phobias, panic attacks, depression, alcohol and psychotropic addictions, pathologies of food cravings and sleep disorders. To diagnose probable psychopathological abnormalities, there are special tests for identifying mental disorders. These techniques determine a person’s susceptibility to a particular mental illness. A reliable diagnosis is made by a psychiatrist based on anamnesis, pathopsychological observation and screening of possible mental disorders.

Diagnosis of mental disorders

In order to diagnose a mental illness, a psychotherapist needs to study a person’s appearance, his behavior, collect an objective history, examine cognitive processes and somatoneurological state. Among the most common tests for mental disorders, certain specifics of the study are distinguished:

• depressive disorders;
• level of anxiety, fears, panic attacks;
• obsessive states;
• eating disorders.

The following methods are used to assess depressive states:

• Zang Self-Rating Depression Scale;
• Beck Depression Inventory.

The Zang scale for self-assessment of depression allows you to determine the severity of depressive conditions and the presence of the depressive syndrome itself. The test consists of 20 statements that must be scored from 1 to 4, depending on the conditions encountered. The technique assesses the level of depression from mild to severe depressive states. This diagnostic method is quite effective and reliable; it is actively used by many psychiatrists and psychotherapists to confirm the diagnosis.

The Beck Depression Inventory also assesses the presence of depressive conditions and symptoms. The questionnaire consists of 21 items, with 4 statements each. The test questions describe the symptoms and conditions of depression. Interpretation determines the severity of the depressive state or its complete absence. There is a special teenage version of this technique.

When assessing the level of anxiety, phobias and fears, the following questionnaires are used:

• Zang Self-Rating Anxiety Scale,
• Questionnaire on the structure of current personal fears;
• Spielberger Reactive Anxiety Self-Rating Scale.

The Zang Self-Rating Anxiety Scale allows you to determine the fears and level of anxiety of the respondent. The test consists of 20 questions, which are distributed on two scales - affective and somatic symptoms. Each statement question must be assigned a level of symptoms encountered, from 1 to 4. The questionnaire reveals the level of anxiety or its absence.

The questionnaire on the structure of current personal fears, proposed by Yu. Shcherbatykh and E. Ivleva, determines the presence of fears and phobias in a person. The technique consists of 24 questions that must be assessed according to the severity of a particular characteristic. Each question corresponds to a scale with a specific phobia, for example, fear of spiders, darkness, death. If a subject scores more than 8 points on one of the scales, this may indicate that he has a certain phobia.

The Spielberger Reactive Anxiety Self-Assessment Scale identifies patients with neuroses, somatic diseases and anxiety syndromes. The questionnaire consists of 20 judgments that must be rated from 1 to 4. When interpreting test results, one should not miss the fact that the level of anxiety increases significantly before an important, significant life situation, for example, when defending a thesis among students.

As a test for identifying a mental disorder such as obsessive neurosis, the following is used:

• Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale.

This method for diagnosing obsessions consists of 10 questions and two scales. The first scale characterizes the severity of obsessive thoughts, and the second - actions. The Yale-Brown scale is effectively used by psychiatrists to determine patient compulsions. In psychiatric clinics, this technique is carried out every week to track the dynamics of the development of the disorder. The results of the questionnaire determine the severity of the obsessive state from subclinical manifestations to severe stages.

When making a diagnosis of eating disorders, use:

• Eating attitude test.

In 1979, Canadian scientists developed. The technique consists of 31 questions, 5 of which are additional. The subject answers direct questions and assigns each a rank from 1 to 3. If, as a result of the study, the total score exceeds 20, then the patient is at high risk of developing an eating disorder.

Among the methods that determine the tendency to a particular mental illness and psychopathization, there are:

• G. Ammon's self-structural test;
• Character accentuation test;
• Questionnaire for determining the level of neuroticism and psychopathization;

Gunter Ammon's self-structural test is used to identify neuroses, aggressiveness and anxiety, phobias and borderline states. The test includes 220 questions and 18 scales. The questionnaire helps to determine constructive or destructive traits and functions.

The Character Accentuation Test is presented in several modifications; the most popular option is the method proposed by A.E. Lichko, domestic psychiatrist and doctor of medical sciences. Character accentuation is understood as a pronounced character trait, the extreme limit of the mental norm. The questionnaire consists of 143 questions that determine the type of accentuated personality. This diagnostic technique is not a test for mental disorders; it determines psychopathy and accentuation. In mentally healthy people, accentuations smooth out with age, but with psychopathology they intensify and develop into disorders, for example, the psychoasthenic type of accentuations often manifests itself in schizoid disorder, and the sensitive type - in obsessive neurosis.

The questionnaire for determining the level of neuroticism and psychopathization examines the level of aggressiveness, susceptibility to neuroses and other mental disorders. The technique consists of 90 questions and two scales (neurotization and psychopathology). This test is often used by psychiatrists to confirm the diagnosis of neuroses.

The Rorschach inkblot test is aimed at studying the cognitive sphere, conflicts and personality traits. The technique consists of 10 cards depicting symmetrical ink blots. The subject must describe what he sees in the pictures, what associations he has, whether the image moves, etc. The meaning of the test is that a mentally healthy person examines and includes in the work of imagination the entire inkblot, while a person with a mental disorder operates with parts of the drawing, often illogically and absurdly. A reliable analysis of this technique is carried out by a psychotherapist due to the complexity of interpretation and the diversity of the theoretical foundations of the Rorschach technique.

However, none of the above methods can fully diagnose mental illness. A reliable diagnosis is made by a psychiatrist based on clinical observations, individual studies, anamnesis and psychodiagnostic techniques.

Test for psychopathy (mental disorders)

This test was created in the 20th century by the Hungarian psychiatrist Leopold Szondy. His main goal was to identify the deepest internal impulses that are under the yoke of the individual. The test is based on disgust or, conversely, sympathy for people in specially selected photos. Szondi believed that we tend to project the traits that irritate us in ourselves or, conversely, attract us, onto others.

Instructions:

Look at the portraits of these 8 people and choose the person you would never want to meet in a dark alley in the evening, because his appearance disgusts or frightens you. Now you can find out the characteristics of the selected portrait.

IMPORTANT!

Please do not misinterpret the test results. They in no way mean that you have a mental disorder. The only reason it is needed and why it was created is to identify the prerequisites for suppressed internal impulses and impulses in accordance with psychoanalytic theory.

In the original, the test consists of 6 series (sets) of 8 portraits, each of which presents: a homosexual, a sadist, an epileptic, a catatonic, a schizophrenic, a person with depression and a maniac. A shorter and therefore perhaps less accurate version is presented here.

Test transcript:

1. Sadist

Most likely, as a child you suppressed manifestations of authoritarianism in your own behavior, cravings for dominance and bad inclinations. If you have chosen a portrait of this teacher, in your subconscious you suppress offensive and humiliating impulses towards others.

In general, you are a peaceful and harmless person, always ready to help others. If you work in an office, your boss may find it difficult to manage you. When you don’t want to do something, you artificially create obstacles (for example, deliberately being late for work or walking around showing that you’re not in the mood). In the face of difficulties or bullies, you adopt an attitude of passive resistance and ignorance, which eventually exhausts the source of your problems.

2. Epileptic

Speaking about personality disorders that relate to brain disorders (as in the case of epilepsy), it is necessary to note the characteristic features of this diagnosis, such as: impulsivity, irritability, sudden outbursts of anger and aggression. If this plump, round-headed man gives you a feeling of fear or disgust, then most likely, as a child you suppressed precisely such manifestations of feelings.

Most likely, you are a kind, peace-loving person. By being peaceful and friendly, you come across as a responsible person who is capable of self-control. You are firm and stable in your feelings and easily connect with people, ideas and events.

3. Catatonic

The characteristic features of this mental disorder are excessive stimulation of the imagination, which makes it sick, and negativism. If this man has caused you negative feelings, you are most likely suppressing mental hyperactivity, which (if not sent deep into the subconscious) makes you lose touch with reality.

You are by nature a conservative, suspicious of all kinds of changes and innovations. You are a distrustful, timid person who has difficulty adapting to new things. Your greatest fear is losing self-control. You are touchy, uptight and very reserved. Never deviate from your “code of conduct.”

4. Schizophrenic

The personality of a schizophrenic is characterized by severe apathy, distortion of thoughts and the manifestation of incompatible emotions. If the sight of this stone “poker face” gives you goosebumps, it means that as a child you suppressed indifference towards others and were afraid to abstract yourself from things and events.

As a person, you are a fairly sociable person. You believe in the power of communication and truly enjoy being around people. At the same time, this very “sociability” can be deceptive, and behind it a secretive and withdrawn person can hide. Your relationships with people are often superficial, as if they lack real feelings. And deep down, you feel that you don’t need those around you at all, just as you don’t need interaction with them.

For the visual series, Szondi selected 48 photographs of mentally ill people and grouped them on six cards. Each card has portraits that help identify people suffering from one or another psychological illness.

If the patient's choice is confirmed on four or more cards, the likelihood that the diagnosis is correct increases. We are publishing a shortened version of the Szondi test, which simply draws an emotional portrait of a person and is designed to reveal his hidden qualities.

Look at the picture below and choose the person who scares or disgusts you.

1. Sadist

If this portrait of a teacher scares you, it means that as a child you suppressed authoritarian tendencies in yourself.

People around you know you as a harmless and peaceful person who is always ready to help. At the same time, it is difficult for your superiors to manage you. If you don't want to do something, then you deliberately create obstacles in the way of completing the task. When faced with difficulties, you choose a passive position, which ultimately tires the offenders.

2. Epileptic

People with this disorder are characterized by impulsivity and irritability. You may experience uncontrollable outbursts of anger or aggression, but you try your best to control yourself and control your emotions.

In everyday life you are very kind and friendly, and those around you consider you a responsible person. You easily establish contact with people and are constant in your feelings.

3. Catatonic

This mental disorder is characterized by excessive stimulation of the imagination, causing the person to become painfully agitated. Most likely, you are forced to suppress your mental hyperactivity, because otherwise you may begin to lose touch with reality.

You are a conservative, so you are extremely cautious and even suspicious of innovation and innovation. By nature you are timid and distrustful, and your greatest fear is losing self-control. You are quite touchy, constrained and reserved, and in life you try not to deviate from your principles.

4. Schizophrenic

If, when you look at a person with an impenetrable poker face, goosebumps run down your skin, this means that as a child you suppressed your indifference to others, and were also afraid to abstract yourself from things and events.

In general, the personality of a schizophrenic is characterized by severe apathy, the manifestation of inappropriate emotions, and distortion of thoughts. At the same time, others consider you sociable and cheerful, however, this opinion can be deceptive.

Your relationships with others are often superficial, and deep down you feel that you could do just fine without the people around you, and most of these people you don’t need at all.

5. Hysterical

The main features of a hysteric are emotional instability, strong narcissism and superficiality. If the woman in the picture causes you an irresistible fear, this means that inside you lies a desire to attract everyone's attention and assert yourself.

Outwardly, you give the impression of a quiet and modest person with a rich inner world, but in fact, behind the appearance of a quiet person lies a personality who wants to charm others at all costs.

Appearance is of great importance to you. You always try to look brand new, always complementing your wardrobe with stylish accessories. You have a penchant for choosing unusual professions and have an original hobby.

6. Depressed person

The main symptoms of depression are an inferiority complex and feelings of guilt. And if the person in picture #6 scares you, it means that you may have the problems listed below, even if you try to hold on.

To those around you, you seem to be a carefree person who is extremely easy-going. You literally glow with optimism and exude unshakable self-confidence. However, sometimes sadness comes over you, and then you become withdrawn and suspicious. Because you try to hide the depression deep inside, you try to be everyone's psychologist, solving other people's problems.

7. Maniac

Overexcitement, extroversion, a tendency to waste money and overestimation of one’s own strengths are the hallmarks of a maniac. Such people have a risk that the state of delight will develop into exaltation.

In life, you are a model of prudence and integrity. Those around you know you as a person with iron restraint. You are practical and reasonable, always monitoring your behavior. But if you go off the rails, no one will care...

8. Split personality

Scientifically it is called dissociative identity disorder. With this disorder, two or more personalities coexist in one person, each of which has its own special worldview. If you are frightened by the image of a pale youth, this may mean that you have problems with self-determination.

In life, such persons strive at all costs to emphasize their heterosexuality. Men with a split personality tend to appear macho, and women - fatal seductresses.

It’s amazing how closely our subconscious is connected to visual images! And if the test results accurately described your character, share the article with your friends, let them also learn more about their hidden demons.