Psychic Reaction

PSYCHIC REACTION, or psychopathological reaction, pathological features in the structure of the psyche, episodically manifesting under the influence of traumatic experiences. They are characterized by quantitative or qualitative mismatch between psychological irritation and reaction. Often, psychic reactions are identified with psychogenies and situational psychoses, as the distinction between them is only theoretical. Since the clinical forms associated with these concepts are still being developed, methodological and terminological disagreements among authors still significantly affect them. The identification of separate types of psychic reactions and interest in them have only appeared recently in connection with the doctrine of psychic constitutions, character, and personality development, and the need to operate with individual types of responding (Reactienstypus). Unlike exogenous and endogenous types, the psychogenic type of responding is emphasized in them. The concept of psychic reaction was first introduced by the psychologist Jaspers in his famous "General Psychopathology," and then it became part of clinical practice in more specific forms. Based on the peculiarities of psychic dynamics and psychogenic mechanisms, constitutional, characterogenic, primitive, and situational psychic reactions are currently described. The concept of constitutional type of responding was proposed in our country by Gannushkin. He describes this type of psychic reaction as "a reaction whose occurrence is due to the presence in the patient of some constitutional peculiarity predisposing him to react to one or another factor precisely in this way." In these reactions, it is not always possible to establish a psychological connection between the causing trauma and the clinical picture of the reaction. Such is the schizophrenic reaction (schizoid type of responding) described by Gannushkin in 1914, an acute and favorably progressing schizophreniform outbreak in individuals with schizoid constitution. This type of psychic reaction was later distinguished by several authors (Popper, Mayer-Gross, etc.) on military material. On a more or less pronounced epileptoid predisposition, there occurs the epileptoid type of constitutional reaction, also described by Gannushkin (acute epileptoid state). The reaction that arises after prolonged repeated experiences and failures is characterized by disturbance of mood with irritability, anger, and melancholy. In it, the patient reveals all the negative traits of his psyche. The epileptoid reaction can last up to a year. Reiss, Lange distinguish the cycloid type of responding, expressed in melancholy, which in form and course is sometimes difficult to distinguish from circular depression. The doctrine of characterogenic psychic reactions was proposed by Kretschmer. According to him, they are not only specific to a particular personality but also arise only with suitable ("like a key to a lock") irritations for a given character. This is most expressed in the paranoiac reactions he described in sensitive (often on the basis of sexual conflict) and expansive (typically querulous) personalities. In addition, he distinguishes the asthenic type of reaction (asthenic reactive depression). Fantastic delusion formations of pseudologians are also included in this group of psychic reactions. From characterogenic reactions, which are "the purest and clearest expression of the whole personality," Kretschmer separates primitive reactions, which are not specific to any character. Here, psychic irritation without any internal processing directly manifests in instantaneous actions. These are explosive reactions (rage), short-circuit reactions, hypobulbar and hyponoic reactions (hysterical), simulation, and repression. They are usually observed in immature or undeveloped people, in whom the expression of will and the expression of affect are not yet sufficiently differentiated. However, Kretschmer's concept of higher and lower psychic mechanisms is considered in many respects controversial and abstract. Situational psychic reactions depend on psychic trauma not only in their occurrence but also in their content and course. Of all psychic reactions, they most correspond to Jaspers' concept of purely psychogenic reaction (echte Reaction), as in them the so-called understandable connections between trauma and reaction are most expressed. Depression after loss, paranoid ideas of reference after arrest are examples of this type of reaction. They are distinguished by their close dependence on the situation. This does not exhaust all types of psychic reactions. Thus, Gannushkin distinguishes shock psychic reactions, characterized primarily by damage to the endocrine-sympathetic system—the intermediate link between trauma and the psychic response. There is a whole series of psychic reactions depending on psychopathic instability due to various developmental delays, endocrinopathies, etc. At present, it is difficult to attribute them to any specific types of psychic reactions. The degree of participation of individual aspects of personality in each psychic reaction is far from uniform. The somatic components of reactions are most accessible and most studied. Sphygmo-plethysmo-pneumographic records, although they do not give characteristic curves in different psychic reactions, nevertheless sufficiently reflect the state of the autonomic nervous system. Psychomotor research is equally valuable in different psychic reactions (gait, gestures, facial expressions, handwriting, etc.). Even greater importance is attached to experimental psychological research. In addition to usual test research, research according to Rorschach, associative experiment, psychogalvanic phenomenon, research of the time of psychic reaction by Hipp's chronoscope, etc., are important.