Types of deprivation are usually distinguished depending on what need is not satisfied.

J. Langmeyer and Z. Mateychek analyze four types of mental deprivation.

1. Stimulus (sensory) deprivation: a reduced number of sensory stimuli or their limited variability and modality.

2. Deprivation of meanings (cognitive): too changeable, chaotic structure of the external world without a clear order and meaning, which makes it impossible to understand, anticipate and regulate what is happening from the outside.

3. Deprivation of an emotional relationship (emotional): insufficient opportunity to establish an intimate emotional relationship with any person or the rupture of such an emotional connection, if one has already been created.

4. Identity deprivation (social): limited opportunity for assimilation of an autonomous social role.

sensory deprivation sometimes described by the concept of "depleted environment", that is, an environment in which a person does not receive a sufficient amount of visual, auditory, tactile and other stimuli. Such an environment can accompany the development of the child, as well as be included in the life situations of an adult.

cognitive(informational) deprivation hinders the creation of adequate models of the surrounding world. If there is no necessary information, ideas about the connections between objects and phenomena, a person creates “imaginary connections” (according to I.P. Pavlov), he develops false beliefs.

FROM emotional deprivation can be encountered by both children and adults. In relation to children, the concept of "maternal deprivation" is sometimes used, emphasizing the important role of the emotional connection between the child and the mother; the rupture or deficiency of this connection leads to a number of disorders in the mental health of the child.

social deprivation widely interpreted in the literature. It is also faced by children living or studying in closed institutions, and adults who, for one reason or another, are isolated from society or have limited contact with other people, older people after retirement, etc.

In life, different types of deprivation are intricately intertwined. Some of them may be combined, one may be a consequence of another, and so on.

In addition to those mentioned above, there are other types of deprivation. For example, with motor A person experiences deprivation when there are restrictions in movement (as a result of injury, illness, or in other cases). Such deprivation, not being directly mental, nevertheless has a strong impact on the mental state of a person. This fact was repeatedly recorded during the corresponding experiments. Motor deprivation also affects mental development. In particular, in developmental psychology, data have been obtained that the development of movements in childhood is one of the factors in the formation of the “image of the Self”.

In modern psychology and related humanities, some types of deprivation are distinguished, which are of a generalized nature or are associated with certain aspects of a person's existence in society: educational, economic, ethical deprivation, etc.

In addition to species, there are various forms manifestations of deprivation, which in form can be explicit or hidden.

Explicit deprivation is obvious: a person's stay in conditions of social isolation, prolonged loneliness, raising a child in an orphanage, etc. This is a visible deviation from the norm (in the cultural sense).

Latent deprivation(it is also partial, according to J. Bowlby; masked, according to G. Harlow) is not so obvious. It arises under externally favorable conditions, which, however, do not make it possible to satisfy the needs that are significant for a person. So, J. Bowlby writes that partial deprivation can be observed where there was no direct separation of the mother from the child, but their relationship for some reason is unsatisfactory for the child.

Hidden deprivation is currently attracting special attention of researchers. Its source may be in the family, school, various social institutions, society as a whole.

Thus, deprivation is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon related to various spheres of human life.

When discussing the problem of mental deprivation in childhood, we are talking about the dissatisfaction of the child's needs for maternal love, motor activity, impressions and culture in the broad sense of the word. Psychologists believe that the realization of the needs of a small child in impressions is more important than satisfying hunger or thirst. The mental development of children inevitably suffers if the child does not leave the room or ward (in case of illness), if his movements are limited or the baby does not have enough toys and contacts with peers.

It is known that children who, due to illness, cannot move for a long time, often suffer from depression, increased excitability and aggressiveness. Babies show anxiety when they are swaddled tightly. Forced restriction of movements always negatively affects the health of the child. This is due to a deficiency of sensations from muscles, joints, and tendons that are very important for the state of the nervous system. The child's body subconsciously tries to overcome limited mobility, the state of motor limitation by habitual pathological actions - sucking fingers, biting nails, twisting hair, etc.

It is absolutely necessary for a small child to be rocked, hugged, stroked, etc. for his full development. At the same time, he feels protected, calm and confident. The full development of the child is possible only in contact with the mother, otherwise the baby experiences fear and anxiety with every new stimulus. The activity of the child in the knowledge of the environment is based on the feeling of love for the mother. Trust in the world, openness to the perception of the new is possible with a feeling of constant maternal care. The lack of emotional warmth that a child experiences in infancy is difficult to compensate for in the future.

Any age is important in the accumulation of knowledge about the world, the formation of the child's personality. But the period from 2 to 6 years is especially significant. However, in life one should strive to ensure that at any age the child is in a diverse, rich, sensory rich environment. A dull, monotonous environment does not contribute to the formation of a bright human individuality.

No less dangerous is the lack of attention and affection from parents - the so-called maternal deprivation . For the full development of the child, it is important that care and warmth about him be concentrated in one person. Most often they are concentrated in the biological mother, but another adult can replace her if he treats the child with love. Multiple and constantly changing contacts with adults do not contribute to the effective development of the emotionality of the baby. This is exactly the situation in children's institutions for orphans. The fact is that a small child is not able to restore interrupted emotional contact with different people for a long time, he becomes indifferent to them.

A study by psychiatrists of the state of children who were in extreme conditions (during bombing, earthquake, in a war zone) shows that their mental trauma is not catastrophic if their parents were present nearby. Being close to them makes the child feel safe. On the contrary, separation from loved ones quickly leads to profound changes in the psyche of children. At the same time, mental retardation increases in babies, and in older children, gross behavioral disorders. The guys become suspicious, incredulous, pugnacious, vengeful.

Children who grow “like grass”, without proper attention and care from their parents, are a rather ordinary phenomenon. If a child, especially at an early age, is not told fairy tales, is not read books, is not taught drawing, sculpting, is not given basic information about counting, space, seasons, etc., then the serious consequences of such an attitude will not be slow to affect. Indifference to the mental development of a child, even if he was born with good inclinations, over the years leads to a state indistinguishable from true mental retardation.

In one of the classic experiments of the American scientist H. Harlow, a newborn monkey was separated from its mother and placed in a cage containing two stuffed mother monkeys. Moreover, one surrogate mother was made of wire and could feed the cub through the nipple, and the second was not able to feed, but her body was pleasantly soft and warm. Long-term observations of the little monkey showed that she spent 16–18 hours with the “soft mother”, and approached the wire mother only to satisfy her hunger. Harlow explains that the emotional comfort experienced by the monkey around the "soft mother" plays a leading role in the formation of love and attachment to the mother. Moreover, deep love is possible only with close bodily contact, and, as experiments show, a monkey retains a sense of affection all his life. The scientist tells how, many years later, a “soft mother” was placed in a cage with an adult animal, and what a strong impression this made on the monkey, who, it would seem, had long forgotten the events of early childhood.

This phenomenon was described by Ya.A. Comenius, later - by J. Itard (teacher of the "wild boy from Aveyron"), in the twentieth century - by A. Gesell, who analyzed modern attempts to raise children, due to extreme circumstances, for a long time cut off from society. World-wide fame was gained by those held in the 40s
XX century studies of children in adverse conditions of residential institutions (J. Bowlby, R. Spitz); the effect of slowing down and distorting their development is called hospitalism.

A frequent circumstance that causes deprivation is the absence of a father (the so-called " paternal deprivation "). It may concern many children living with their unmarried or otherwise single mothers. A child growing up without a father is deprived of an important male example, which is especially significant for older boys in regulating their behavior, but also important for girls as a model of their future partner. A child without a father also suffers from a lack of authority, discipline and order, which in normal conditions are personified by the father. While the mother provides the child with the opportunity to experience the intimacy of human love, the father paves the way for the child to relate to human society. Finally, the father also represents for children the most natural source of knowledge about the world, labor, technology, contributing both to their orientation towards their future profession and the creation of socially useful goals and ideals. If there is no father, then it has another indirect deprivation impact . The fact is that if a mother alone has to bear all the economic and educational concerns of the family, then she, as a rule, is so busy that she does not have much time for the child and even her interest in him weakens. The child in such cases is left most of the day to himself; if he is not taken care of otherwise, it can easily happen that he begins to wander, he has more opportunities for offenses, and he can more easily go astray. If the place of the father in the family is taken by the stepfather, and sometimes by the grandfather, then deprivation influences are suppressed, but here there is more favorable ground for the development of various conflicts, and the neurotic disorders that arise on this basis are very frequent.

According to Langmeyer and Mateychek, for the full development of the child, the following are necessary: ​​1) diverse stimuli of different modalities (visual, auditory, etc., their lack causes sensory deprivation ; 2) satisfactory conditions for learning and acquiring various skills; the chaotic structure of the external environment, which makes it impossible to understand, anticipate and regulate what is happening from the outside, causes cognitive deprivation ; 3) social contacts (with adults, primarily with the mother), which ensure the formation of personality, their lack leads to emotional deprivation ; 4) the possibility of social self-realization through the assimilation of social roles, familiarization with social goals and values; limiting this possibility social deprivation .

The clinical picture of any form of mental deprivation is manifested by the poverty of the vocabulary, limited by the framework of everyday vocabulary, the use of mostly simple, non-expanded phrases in speech. Fragmentation, fragmentation of the semantic structure and linear sequence of statements, loss of the thread of presentation are observed. Often there are violations of sound pronunciation and agrammatism in speech. These speech disorders, as a rule, are combined with insufficient formation of higher mental functions. The intellectual potential of children does not correspond to their age. The degree of reduction can be from mild to significant.

Prevention of deprivation.

Comprehensive psychological, medical and pedagogical activities with deprived children are carried out in children's specialized institutions. The joint work of specialists of different profiles is expected: a speech therapist, a psychologist, a psychotherapist, a psychiatrist. Of decisive importance in the development and formation of speech and other higher mental functions in this contingent of children is the creation of a favorable socio-psychological climate in the environment of the child. Equally important are the organization of general recreational activities and the conduct of remedial training against the background of the intensification of intellectual and creative activity.

Complex psychological and pedagogical measures, in addition to choosing the profile of an educational institution, include:

1. Conducting a course of speech therapy classes (mainly in a group form). Classes should be aimed at developing the child's speech (including pronunciation correction, grammatical design of speech structures and teaching coherent utterance), expanding vocabulary, forming ideas and figurative-logical thinking. Children with speech development delays due to social deprivation and pedagogical neglect are recommended from 45 to 180 lessons.

2. Logo-rhythm and psycho-gymnastics - 20-45 lessons per course.

3. Lesson with a psychologist - 20–45 lessons per course.

4. Psychotherapeutic impact in the form of individual and group psychotherapy.

The duration of the course of corrective measures depends on the level of learning of the child, the possibility of activating speech activity, on the degree of improvement in the general somatic status and changes in social and living conditions, and is determined by the maximum achievement of results.

Expected results of the correction: development of speech, other higher mental functions and intellectual abilities to the age level, expansion of vocabulary and abilities for coherent and consistent utterance, strengthening of somatic and psychological status.

Conclusion.

In my work, I tried to talk about different types of mental deprivation. Of course, each of these types of deprivation can be singled out in its pure form only in special experiments. In life, they exist in a rather complex interweaving. It is especially difficult to understand how individual deprivation factors operate in childhood, when they are superimposed on the development process, which includes physical growth, the maturation of the nervous system, and the formation of the psyche. It is all the more difficult in conditions of upbringing in a children's institution, when various types of deprivation are associated with or even a consequence of maternal deprivation that occurs as a result of depriving a child from an early age of mother's care, her warmth.

We can talk about such deprivation not only in relation to abandoned children, orphans, sick children placed in clinics for a long time, but also when the mother is emotionally cold or too busy at work. Maternal deprivation is today an important social problem throughout the world, and our country is no exception.

1. Landgmeyer J., Mateychik Z. Psychological deprivation in childhood., 1984

2. Pashina "Psychological Journal" No. 2 1995

3. Buyanov M. I. Conversations about child psychiatry. M., 1994

4. Vygotsky L. S. Fundamentals of defectology. SPb., 2003

5. Kovalev VV Psychiatry of childhood: A guide for doctors. M., 1995

Deprivation is a psycho-emotional state that is described in psychology as arising from a limitation or prolonged deprivation of the ability to meet the basic needs of an individual.

There are many types of deprivation in psychology, but they all have similar manifestations. A person who does not have the opportunity to fully satisfy his needs becomes anxious, fears begin to disturb her. She becomes passive, loses interest in life. This state may be accompanied by unexpected outbursts of aggression.

The level of deprivation for each individual may be different. The "degree of damage" depends on several factors:

1. A variant of the impact of a deprivation stimulus, the degree of its "rigidity".
2. The stability of a particular individual, the experience of overcoming similar conditions.

A partial restriction of a basic need does not have such a negative impact on a person as its complete absence. How quickly a person copes with this condition also depends on the extent to which his other needs are satisfied.

Deprivation and frustration are 2 related concepts. Their main difference is the level of influence on the individual. Deprivation causes more harm to it, often leads to complete destruction.

With deprivation, a person is deprived of what he was not yet familiar with: material values, communication experience, etc. But with frustration, a person is deprived of what she had, what she is well acquainted with and what she urgently needs: food, social benefits, physical health, etc.

Causes of deprivation

Deprivation doesn't just happen. Moreover, it can appear only in people who are internally predisposed to it. First of all, it manifests itself in people with an internal "vacuum" of values. In psychology, this is described as follows. If a person has been deprived of something for a long time, then over time he loses the ability to follow the rules, norms and values ​​that take place in society. In order to exist normally, an individual must be able to adapt to the conditions of the environment in which he finds himself. If he does not know how to do this, he feels inner discomfort. The way out of the situation is the formation of new ideals and values.

Types of deprivation

There are several criteria for classifying the concept of "deprivation". According to the degree of damage, 2 types of deprivation are distinguished:

1. Absolute deprivation. This is a complete lack of access to various benefits and the ability to meet basic needs.
2. Relative deprivation. By this concept, a subjective experience of a discrepancy between value possibilities and personal expectations is implied.

According to the nature of the unmet need, the following types of deprivation are distinguished:

1. sensory deprivation. With this type of deprivation, a person is deprived of the opportunity to satisfy his needs associated with the senses. Sensory deprivation is also divided into visual, auditory, tactile, tactile. Scientists also distinguish sexual deprivation when a person has no intimate relationship for a long time.
2. paternal. Deprivation is typical for children who grow up in an inferior family.
3. Social. This type of deprivation is typical for people who are in places of deprivation of liberty, are on treatment for a long time, orphans, etc.
4. Motor. Deprivation develops as a result of restriction of movements. This may be due to disability, illness, specific living conditions. Motor deprivation leads not only to mental, but also to physical disorders.

Sensory and social deprivation requires separate consideration.

sensory deprivation

This concept means the complete or partial deprivation of the sense organs of the ability to respond to external influences. The easiest option is to use a blindfold or earplugs, which limit the capabilities of the visual and auditory analyzer. In complex cases of this deprivation, several analyzers are "switched off" at once. For example, gustatory, olfactory, visual and tactile.

Sensory deprivation brings the body not only harm, but also benefits. It is often used in alternative medicine, psychological experiments, in psychology. Short periods of deprivation improve the work of the subconscious, stabilize the work of the psyche.

Prolonged limitation of the work of sensory analyzers often provokes anxiety, anxiety, hallucinations, antisocial behavior, depression - these are the consequences of deprivation.

Touch camera experiment

In the last century, scientists decided to conduct an interesting experiment to study sensory deprivation. They invented a special chamber that protected the subjects from the effects of the external environment. The participants of the experiment were placed horizontally in the chamber. After being placed, they were blocked from access to all sounds. This was done with the help of a kind of the same type of noise. The eyes were covered with a dark bandage, and the hands were placed in cardboard sleeves. The duration of the experiment was not predetermined, but after conducting a series of studies, scientists found that a person cannot be in such conditions for more than three days. Such restrictions provoke hallucinations, reduce mental abilities.

food deprivation

A special type of sensory deprivation is food deprivation. Unlike other disorders of this kind, it does not always cause negative emotions and feelings. Unpleasant sensations appear only in those who are deprived of food against their will. People who practice therapeutic fasting feel better every day, they have lightness in the body, and their vital activity increases.

Sensory deprivation in children

In childhood, sensory deprivation manifests itself in the form of restriction or deprivation of the possibility of emotional contact with loved ones. If the baby is in a hospital or boarding school, he often experiences sensory hunger. Such changes adversely affect any child, but young children are especially sensitive to them. Kids should receive enough bright and positive impressions. This contributes to the formation of the ability to analyze information coming from outside, the training of the corresponding structures of the brain, development in psychology.

social deprivation

If a person is deprived of the opportunity to fully contact with society, this provokes a certain state of the psyche, which later can cause the development of pathogenic symptoms and syndromes. Social deprivation can be caused by various factors. In psychology, there are several forms of this condition:

• voluntary deprivation;
• forced deprivation;
• forced deprivation;
• voluntary-forced deprivation.

Forced deprivation occurs when a person or group of people finds themselves in conditions that are cut off from society. These circumstances do not depend on the will or desire of the individual. An example of such deprivation can be a tragedy at sea, after which the ship's crew finds themselves on a desert island.

Forced deprivation occurs when a person is isolated against his wishes. An example of such a situation is people who are in places of deprivation of liberty, pupils of boarding schools, conscripts. Voluntary deprivation occurs in those cases when a person limits the satisfaction of the need for communication at his own request. These people include sectarians, monks. An example of voluntary-forced deprivation is the pupils of a sports school.

For an adult, the consequences of social deprivation are not as catastrophic as for children. Restriction in communication negatively affects the effectiveness of the child's life and his mental development.

In a separate group, scientists distinguish emotional, maternal, paternal deprivation and sleep deprivation. Let's consider them in more detail.

emotional deprivation

Emotions and feelings play an important role in human life. Under their influence, the formation of personality occurs. The emotional sphere helps a person to adapt to various life changes. Thanks to emotions, a person realizes his place in life. They influence the cognitive sphere, form perception, thinking, memory, develop consciousness.

If a person is deprived of the opportunity to satisfy the emotional sphere, then his cognitive area becomes poor and limited as a result of deprivation. This negatively affects normal mental development. Thanks to psychological research, it was revealed that the desire of parents to have a baby in the family has a significant impact on the child's attitude to life.

The next important stage in the development of the personal sphere is early childhood. If at this time the baby is surrounded by attention, receives a sufficient amount of positive emotions, then he is unlikely to experience emotional deprivation, and there will be no changes in psychology. But if the opposite is true, then the child is prone to deprivation disorders. There is a risk of such deviations in the event that the baby is constantly in an emotionally volatile environment.

A person who was deprived of positive emotions in childhood, in adulthood often experiences a feeling of loneliness, longing, she develops an inferiority complex in psychology.

The lack of emotions also affects physical development - the baby develops late, his medical indicators do not reach the norm. But if the child enters a normal environment, the indicators change dramatically in a positive direction. A vivid example of such “healing” is children from orphanages who are brought up in full-fledged families.

Normal, full sleep is the key to good health and health. If for some reason a person is deprived of the opportunity to get enough sleep, this affects his physical and mental state. When it comes to a single case, it will not have a negative impact on health. But when a person is deprived of proper sleep regularly, then he develops deprivation disorders.

During the night's rest, the hormone of joy is produced. If a person does not get enough sleep, the work of his endocrine system is disrupted, metabolic processes slow down. This type of deprivation leads to weight gain, depression, headaches.

What else happens to a person who is deprived of proper sleep?

• 1 day without sleep - deterioration of reaction, loss of strength;
• 2 days without sleep - impaired motor activity, decreased mental reactions;
• 3 days without sleep - the appearance of unbearable headaches;
• 4 days without sleep - suppression of the will, the occurrence of hallucinations. This is the most dangerous form of deprivation, after which serious and irreversible processes occur in the body. There is a threat to human life.

Interesting fact. Scientists have proven that sleep deprivation can bring him not only harm, but also benefit. As a result of numerous studies, it was found that depriving a person of a certain phase of sleep helps him get rid of a protracted depressive state. Although paradoxical, this phenomenon has a simple explanation.

Sleep deprivation is stressful for the body. In this state, the production of catecholamines, special hormones responsible for emotional tone, begins. Thanks to shock psychotherapy, an interest in life appears, a person begins to be active. Doctors do not recommend resorting to such methods of treatment on their own. It must be under the supervision of a physician.

maternal deprivation

The loss of a mother or prolonged deprivation of communication with her leads to the emergence of maternal deprivation, which negatively affects the personal development of the baby. Negatively affect the mental development of the child and such situations:

1. Woman goes to work too early
2. Mother leaves for a long business trip, session
3. Separation from mother after difficult birth
4. The child is sent to kindergarten very early
5. Mother and child are separated due to illness

These situations are related to open deprivation. There is also a hidden form, in which, in fact, the mother is with her child, but there is psychological tension between them. What are the reasons for this deprivation? In psychology, there are such reasons:

1. Mother's excessive enthusiasm for scientific literature and the "correct" methods of education. A woman absolutely does not pay attention to the individual characteristics of the baby, does not listen to her intuition.
2. Hostile or tense relationship between father and mother.
3. The mother has health problems, as a result of which she cannot allocate sufficient time and fully care for the baby.
4. The birth of children in the family. The mother is in constant tension, so she cannot provide full-fledged care for the baby.

The risk group includes children born as a result of unwanted pregnancy. This negatively affects the mother's attitude towards the child, who always subconsciously feels it. An important period in the development of the baby is an early age - from 0 to 3 years. At this time, contact with the mother is important for the full development of the child's psyche. Otherwise, there is internal aggression, a depressive state. In adulthood, such a child will not be able to build normal relationships with people around him. There is a theory that maternal mental deprivation is the cause of autism.

paternal deprivation

The father should take care of the upbringing of the child no less than the mother. Depriving the baby of emotional contact with the father leads to the emergence of paternal deprivation. What situations can lead to its occurrence?

• the absence of a positive emotional relationship between father and child, despite the physical presence of a man in the house;
• father's departure from the family;
• realization of ambitions by the father of the child;
• violation of role positions in the family. In this case, the father takes over maternal functions and vice versa.

How does paternal deprivation affect child development? The child incorrectly identifies his gender, becomes insolvent and emotionally vulnerable. This also affects the ability to properly build relationships with people, the inability to correctly and competently build relationships with their own children.

Depriving a child of the opportunity to satisfy basic needs negatively affects the development of the brain, the formation of cognitive functions. The kid grows unassembled, unsure of himself. He rarely smiles, expresses his emotions. His physical and mental development slows down, dissatisfaction with himself and his own life is formed.

As a result of psychological research, it was revealed that for the normal, full development of the baby, you need to hug and kiss at least 8 times a day.

In adults, deprivation occurs against the background of a deprivation state experienced in childhood, this leaves an imprint in psychology. He feels unnecessary, cannot find his place in life, experiences depression, a constant feeling of anxiety. It is possible to get out of this state, but long-term psychotherapeutic work with specialists is necessary.

Help for people who have suffered deprivation

Correctional and psychotherapeutic work has several stages and directions. Only a thorough and consistent study of each stage will help to cope with the negative consequences that arise as a result of deprivation.

Areas of work:

1. Working with self-esteem, improving relationships with people. A person learns to see the positive aspects of life situations, carefully analyze them and adequately evaluate them.
2. Dealing with personal vulnerability. A person learns to perceive the situation without unnecessary emotions, learns to be reasonable, to see cause-and-effect relationships.
3. Working with the identification of feelings. A person learns to interact with other people, to express emotions, to understand the feelings of other people.

Working with a person who has experienced deprivation can take place individually or in a group. The psychotherapist selects techniques and methods of work, focusing on what kind of deprivation took place in a person's life, its duration and the degree of influence on the psyche. It is undesirable to correct the consequences on your own so that the situation does not worsen even more.

Currently, the term "deprivation" is actively used in the psychological and medical literature. However, there is no unity in the definition of the content of this concept.

The term "deprivation" is derived from the English word deprivation, which literally means deprivation, loss. It is based on the Latin root privare, which means "to separate". The prefix de conveys an increase in the meaning of the root (it can be compared: Latin pressare - “press”, “pressure” and English depression - “depression”, “suppression”).

In English literature, the concept of "deprivation" means the loss of something, deprivation due to insufficient satisfaction of any important need, which occurs as a result of a person's separation from the necessary sources of their satisfaction and has detrimental consequences. At the same time, we are not talking about physical deprivation, but about the insufficient satisfaction of precisely mental needs, therefore, mental deprivation. It is the psychological side of these consequences that is significant because, regardless of whether a person’s motor activity is limited, whether he is excommunicated from culture or society, whether he is deprived of maternal love from early childhood, the manifestations of deprivation are psychologically similar. They can cover a wide range of personality changes from mild oddities that do not go beyond the normal emotional picture, up to very gross defeats in the development of intelligence and character.

Deprivation is all the more pathogenic the younger the child and the more needs it covers.

The most complete and detailed definition of mental deprivation was given by J. Langmeyer and Z. Mateychek: for quite a long time."

At the same time, among the “basic (life)” needs, which are recognized as approximately the same in all human cultures, the authors include:

1) the need for a certain amount, variability and type of incentives;

2) the need for basic conditions for effective learning;

3) the need for primary social relations (especially with the mother or a person replacing her), which provide the possibility of effective basic integration of the personality;

4) the need for social self-realization, which provides an opportunity to master separate social roles and value goals.

The term "hospitalism" is used as a synonym for mental deprivation. Hospitalism is limited to describing the situation in which deprivation occurs in institutions - in most cases this is a hospital environment, however, the hospital situation can be accompanied by other influences in addition to deprivation (greater possibility of infection, regime change, lack of sleep, increased opportunity for conflict during life in a team and etc.). But it is worth noting that under favorable conditions, deprivation in institutions may not occur at all.

In addition to the term "hospitalism", the concepts of "separation" and "isolation" are used, which are used as equivalent. But they can rather be defined as a condition of deprivation itself or as a condition that contributes to the emergence of a deprivation situation, that is, such a life situation where there is no possibility of satisfying important mental needs.

Also noteworthy is the definition of deprivation given by sociologists: deprivation is any condition that generates or can generate in an individual or group a sense of their own deprivation in comparison with other individuals (or groups), or with an internalized set of standards. The feeling of deprivation can be conscious when individuals and groups experiencing deprivation can understand the causes of their condition. But such a development of the situation is also possible, when deprivation is experienced as something else, that is, individuals and groups perceive their state in a transformed form, not realizing its true causes. In both cases, however, the deprivation is accompanied by a strong desire to overcome it.

Quite close to the concept of deprivation is the concept of frustration, but they cannot be used as identical.

Frustration is defined as a mental state caused by failure to satisfy a need and is accompanied by various negative experiences: disappointment, irritation, anxiety, despair, etc. about this.

One of the most important differences between frustration and deprivation lies in the awareness by the subject of the impossibility of satisfying the need. Deprivation may be partially or even completely not realized for some time. Therefore, its consequences can be associated with a variety of causes. It is also a much more serious and difficult condition than frustration. J. Langmeyer and Z. Matejczek give the following example: frustration occurs if a child is deprived of his favorite toy and he is given the opportunity to play with something that he likes less. Deprivation occurs if the child is not given the opportunity to play at all.

A. Maslow, in the context of comparing the concepts of threat, frustration and deprivation, identifies two varieties of the latter: deprivation of non-basic needs and threatening deprivation. Deprivation of non-basic needs is insignificant for the organism, easily replaced and does not cause serious consequences. Threatening deprivation can be defined as a threat to the personality, it threatens the life goals of the individual, his defense systems, self-esteem, prevents his self-actualization, that is, makes it impossible to satisfy basic needs.

The meaning of the object-goal for the individual is dual: it can be a true or internal meaning, or it can be symbolic. A. Maslow gives the following example: two children wanted ice cream, but did not get it. The first child, having heard his mother's refusal to buy ice cream, felt that he had simply lost the pleasure of eating ice cream, while the second child perceived the refusal to a greater extent as the inability to satisfy his need to be loved, for him ice cream became a symbol of maternal love, it acquired psychological value. So, in the first case, deprivation can hardly be considered threatening and have serious consequences. If the refusal is perceived by the child as a refusal of love (the second case), then such deprivation is regarded as frustrating.

Thus, deprivation can have serious consequences for the individual if the target is a symbol of love, prestige, respect, or some other basic need. Children who constantly feel the love and care of their parents, children who have a basic sense of trust in the world, can quite easily endure cases of deprivation, a disciplined regime, etc., they do not perceive them as a fundamental threat, as a threat to their main, basic needs .

Some researchers, when defining the concept of deprivation, draw an analogy between mental and biological insufficiency. Serious disturbances in the development and functioning of the body occur both with nutritional deficiency, lack of vitamins, oxygen, and in the case of mental deficiency - lack of social contacts, sensory stimulation, etc. So, D. Hebb defines deprivation as a biologically adequate, but psychologically limited environment.

So, having considered the main approaches to the definition of the concept of deprivation, it should be noted that they are all similar in one central point: deprivation is deprivation or limitation of opportunities to satisfy needs. Depending on what exactly a person is deprived of, its various types are distinguished. So J. Langmeyer and Z. Mateychek distinguish four main types of mental deprivation.

1) Deprivation stimulus (sensory): a reduced number of sensory stimuli or their limited variability and modality.

2) Deprivation of meanings (cognitive): too changeable, chaotic structure of the external world without a clear order and meaning, which makes it impossible to understand, anticipate and regulate what is happening from the outside.

3) Deprivation of an emotional relationship (emotional): insufficient opportunity to establish an intimate emotional relationship with any person or break such an emotional connection, if one has already been created.

4) Identity deprivation (social): limited opportunity for assimilation of an autonomous social role.

Disclosing in more detail the above types of deprivation, the following points should be noted.

Sensory deprivation is sometimes described by the concept of "impoverished environment", that is, an environment in which a person does not receive enough visual, auditory, tactile and other stimuli. This concept was used in his works by D. Hebb, who put forward and empirically proved the hypothesis that if a highly limited environment leads to disturbances in the development and normal functioning of the body, then an environment rich in sensory stimuli, on the contrary, stimulates development. Therefore, a complex sensory environment is an important condition for the favorable development of a young child.

Well-known domestic psychologist L.I. Bozhovich put forward the thesis that in the transition from the neonatal period to infancy, children have a special need, namely the need for new impressions. It is expressed in the appearance in children of visual concentration, which in turn changes all their behavior and the nature of their emotional experiences. This need is the basis for the formation of other social needs, including the inherently social need for communication between the child and his mother.

Cognitive (informational) deprivation prevents the creation of adequate models of the surrounding world. If there is no necessary information, ideas about the connections between objects and phenomena, a person creates “imaginary connections” (according to I.P. Pavlov), he develops false beliefs. The lack of information in professional activities leads to errors, hinders the adoption of productive decisions. The influence of information hunger on the psyche is especially pronounced in extreme conditions of activity.

Emotional deprivation can affect both children and adults. The first, most important emotional bond is established between the infant and the mother or caretaker. By establishing this connection, the need for love and recognition is satisfied. A pronounced lack of communication between the child and the mother, that is, maternal deprivation, leads to a number of mental health disorders in the child. For example, children who are potentially capable of establishing emotional contact, but deprived of it in the early period of development (due to neutrality or even emotional hostility of others), lose the ability to make such contact in the future. The most vivid expression of the consequences of this type of deprivation is observed in children in residential institutions, as well as in socially unprotected and single-parent families, when a child is brought up with one of the parents who does not pay him due attention and does not provide him with the necessary things in life. Also, the situation of emotional deprivation contributes to the development of the phenomenon of alienation, and this is what produces the lack of love, warmth in relation to the second, third generation in the family (as a kind of sequential chain of generations, which can be quite difficult to interrupt).

Social deprivation in the literature is interpreted quite broadly. It is also faced by children living or studying in closed institutions, and adults who, for one reason or another, are isolated from society or have limited contact with other people.

A classic example here is the so-called Mowgli children, who from early childhood are deprived of contact with society and do not have the opportunity to develop culturally.

In addition to the above types of deprivation, there are others. For example, when there is a sharp restriction of movement (as a result of illness, injury, etc.), one can speak of motor deprivation. Its consequences for children are especially severe: there is a delay not only in motor development, but also in the development of speech, social skills and emotional expression. Children whose motor activity has been severely limited for a long time due to medical reasons are prone to depressive states, which can be replaced by outbursts of rage and aggressiveness.

In modern psychology and related humanities, certain types of deprivation are distinguished, which are of a generalized nature or are associated with certain aspects of a person's existence in society: educational, economic, ethical deprivation, etc.

In addition to types, there are various forms of manifestation of deprivations - explicit or hidden.

Explicit deprivation has an obvious character: a person's long stay in isolation from society, raising a child in an orphanage, etc.

Hidden deprivation (according to G. Harlow), or partial deprivation (according to J. Bowlby) occurs when, even under externally favorable conditions, it is not possible to satisfy needs that are significant for a person. J. Bowlby speaks of partial deprivation where there has not been a direct separation of the mother from the child, but their relationship, for whatever reason, is impoverished and unsatisfactory. In addition to this, G. Harlow distinguishes between a disturbed and an insufficient mother-to-child relationship.

There is also existential deprivation, which can be understood as the deprivation of existential needs. Existential needs include the needs associated with an attempt to understand the meaning of human existence, to understand the issues of life and death, freedom and responsibility, communication and loneliness, to understand one's destiny, etc.

Sociologists Yu.G. Volkov and V.I. Dobrenkov initially considered deprivation not only as a mental phenomenon, that is, the basis for distinguishing its types for them was the concept of not mental deprivation, but deprivation in general.

1) economic deprivation stems from the uneven distribution of income in society and the limited satisfaction of the needs of some individuals and groups;

2) social deprivation is explained by the tendency of society to evaluate the qualities and abilities of some individuals and groups higher than others, expressing this assessment in the distribution of such social rewards as prestige, power, high status in society and the corresponding opportunities for participation in social life;

3) organismic deprivation is associated with congenital or acquired individual deficiencies of a person - physical deformities, disability, dementia, etc.;

4) ethical deprivation is associated with a value conflict that arises when the ideals of individual individuals or groups do not coincide with the ideals of society;

5) mental deprivation occurs as a result of the formation of a value vacuum in an individual or group, that is, the absence of a significant value system in accordance with which they could build their lives.

Thus, deprivation is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon related to various spheres of human life, and in it, various types of deprivation usually do not occur in isolation from each other, but form rather complex interweavings. Some of them may be combined, one may be the result of another, but they all involve a frustrating situation that requires a person to be patient and patient.

The impact of any type of deprivation entails negative consequences for the human psyche, but depending on its innate qualities (for example, the type of nervous system), the degree of impact is different.

Conclusions on the first chapter

The beginning of the study of the problem of mental deprivation can be attributed to classical psychoanalysis, but there is still no most complete disclosure of the essence, causes and consequences of this phenomenon.

Representatives of the psychoanalytic direction see the cause of deprivation mainly in the lack of communication with the mother. In the theory of learning, the main factor in mental retardation is the limited motor and exploratory activity of the child and the lack of full-fledged interaction with the environment. Proponents of the motivational theory single out the lack of social incentives as a condition for deprivation. Sociologists see the cause of deprivation in the lack of communication and interaction of the child with a person who performs a strictly defined role in the social structure of the child. In the works of domestic psychologists, the cause of deprivation is the lack of communication between the child and adults, as a result of which the process of transferring sociocultural experience is disrupted, there is a poverty of manifestations of the child's emotional reactions, alienation of children, a decrease in the overall level of development, etc.

The most complete definition of mental deprivation was formulated by J. Langmeyer and Z. Mateychek - this is a mental state resulting from such life situations where the subject is not given the opportunity to satisfy some of his basic (life) mental needs to a sufficient extent and for a sufficiently long time .

The concepts of "separation", "isolation" and "hospitalism" are often used as a synonym for deprivation. The first two terms can rather be defined as a condition of mental deprivation, and "hospitalism" has a much narrower content and is, literally, a set of mental and somatic disorders caused by a person's long stay in a medical institution away from loved ones and at home.

mental deprivation personality child

We are all social beings. Each person belongs to a specific social group. Normally developing, the child communicates with parents, peers and other children and adults, his basic needs are met. If physical or difficult, then the communication of such a child will suffer, therefore, he will not be able to communicate his needs and will not receive their satisfaction. But there are situations when, under the normal, it would seem, there is a restriction of personal contacts and other needs. This phenomenon is called "deprivation". In psychology, this concept is considered very carefully. A deprived personality cannot live and develop harmoniously. What does this concept mean and what types of deprivation are there? Let's figure it out.

Deprivation in psychology - what is it?

In psychology, deprivation refers to a certain mental state in which a person cannot satisfy his basic needs. This also occurs when a person is deprived of any benefits to which he is already very accustomed. It should be noted that such a state does not arise for all rejected needs. There are a large number of desires and aspirations of a person, but if he does not achieve them, there is no significant damage to his personal structure. It is important to meet the vital needs and requirements. Deprivation is in psychology not any deviation from the habitual life of a person. This state is a deep experience.

The difference between frustration and deprivation

These two concepts are close in meaning, but are not identical. Frustration is considered in science as a reaction to a personality stimulus. A person can become sad, withdraw into himself for several hours or even days after any stressful situation, then return to normal life. Deprivation in psychology is much harder and more painful. It can act on a person with destructive power. It differs from frustration in intensity, duration and rigidity. Deprivation can combine several unsatisfied needs at once, in which case various types of this condition are observed.

What causes deprivation?

There are certain internal causes of deprivation. This state is experienced by people who, for whatever reason, have an internal vacuum of values. What does deprivation have to do with this? In psychology, this state and many others are interrelated. After all, the personality is integral in its versatility. If a person has been alone for a long time, in places of deprivation of liberty, in a painful condition, he loses the ability to follow all the norms, rules and values ​​of society. As a result, his concepts do not coincide with the hierarchy of values ​​of the people around him, and an intrapersonal vacuum arises. In this state, he cannot be constantly, since life goes on and a person needs to adapt to its course and the requirements that society makes of him. As a result, a person is on the way to the formation of new ideals on the basis of an already destroyed hierarchy of needs and values.

Deprivation in human psychology has long been considered by scientists in search of methods to neutralize it. After all, such feelings as deprivation, hopelessness, a sense of lost personal dignity and others do not carry positive aspects for the development of a person.

What are the types of this concept?

Deprivation in domestic psychology is of three types:

• emotional;
• sensory;
• social.

These are the main types of deprivation, but in fact there are many more. Probably, how many suppressed and unsatisfied needs exist, so many types of this state. But many of them are identical in their manifestation. In mental terms, deprivation is in psychology such sensations as fear, constant anxiety, loss of vitality, one's own life and others, prolonged depression, outbreaks of aggression.

But with the similarity of sensations and experiences, the degree of immersion of a person in this state is different for everyone. It depends on the stress resistance of a person, the degree of hardening of his psyche, as well as on the power of the deprivation impact on the personality itself. But just as there are compensatory possibilities of the human brain at the physiological level, the same property of the psyche manifests itself. With the full satisfaction of other human needs, the deprivation state about one unsatisfied will be less intense.

Emotional deprivation in psychology

It happens that this condition occurs due to unexpressed emotions with a complete or partial deprivation of a person of various emotional reactions. Most often it is the lack of attention from other people. This condition rarely occurs in adults, but the psychology of childhood deprivation pays quite a lot of attention to this phenomenon. In the absence of love and affection, the child begins to experience the above sensations. Emotional deprivation is very closely related to maternal deprivation, which we will discuss below.

For adults, so-called motor deprivation brings much more destruction. This is a condition in which a person is limited in his movement due to injury or illness. Sometimes a disease or physical anomaly is not so terrible as a person's reaction to them. It is very difficult for specialists to return people in such a state to an active life.

sensory deprivation

Sensory deprivation in psychology involves depriving a person of various sensations. Most often, it is provoked artificially to study the ability of a person to withstand difficulties. Such experiments are carried out to train professionals in the field of aviation, employees of state power plants, intelligence, military specialists, and so on.

In most cases, such experiments are carried out by immersing a person to a depth in a box or other limited device. When a person spends a long time in such a state, a state of mental instability is observed: lethargy, low mood, apathy, which after a short time are replaced by irritability and excessive excitability.

social deprivation

Deprivation manifests itself in different ways in psychology. Varieties of social groups are also subject to this condition. There are societies or social groups that deliberately deprive themselves of communication with the outside world. But this is not as scary as complete social deprivation in one person. All members of youth organizations, sects and national minorities who have separated themselves from society, at least communicate with each other. Such people do not have irreversible consequences for their psyche caused by social deprivation. What can not be said about prisoners for a long time in solitary confinement or people who have experienced psychotic disorders.

Being alone for a long time with oneself, a person gradually loses social communication skills and interest in other people. There are also cases when a person stopped talking because he forgot the sound of his voice and the meaning of words. Social deprivation can also affect people whose patients can be infected. Therefore, there is a law on non-disclosure of such diagnoses.

Maternal deprivation - what is it?

Such a phenomenon as deprivation is studied quite carefully, since the consequences of such a state for an immature personality can be detrimental. When an adult feels uncomfortable, bad and lonely. In a child, it evokes emotions that are much more intense than those listed. Children are like receptive sponges that absorb negativity much faster and stronger than adults.

A clear example of maternal deprivation is hospitalism. This is the state of loneliness of the child due to his separation from his mother. Especially strongly this syndrome began to be noticed after the war in the 50s, when there were many orphans. Even with good care and proper feeding, the children showed a revitalization complex much later, they started walking and talking late, they had much more problems with physical and mental development than those who were brought up in families. After such a phenomenon, experts noted that deprivation in the psychology of children entails great changes in the psyche. Therefore, methods began to be developed to overcome it.

Consequences of deprivation in children

We have already determined that the main types of deprivation in the psychology of children are emotional and maternal. This condition adversely affects the development of the child's brain. He grows slow-witted, devoid of a sense of confidence in love, support and recognition. Such a child smiles and shows emotions much less often than his peers. Its development slows down, and dissatisfaction with life and oneself is formed. To prevent this condition, psychologists have determined that the child needs to be hugged, kissed, stroked and supported (patted on the shoulder or arm) at least 8 times a day.

How does deprivation affect adult behavior?

Deprivation in the psychology of adults can arise on the basis of an old childhood or as a result of unsatisfied needs of adulthood. In the first case, the harmful effects on the psyche will be much stronger and more destructive. Sometimes when working with such adults, specialists feel powerless. In the second case, behavior correction is possible when looking for ways to satisfy a deprived need. A person can get out of a state of dislike for himself, apathy and depression with the help of a specialist.