Mentism in healthy people and in mental disorders
https://doi.org/10.21886/2219-8075-2025-16-3-54-60
Abstract
The literature review is dedicated to the problem of mentism a well-known yet ambiguous phenomenon of impaired spontaneity of thought. The presented literary material is based on a search for Russian and English articles in the following databases: ELibrary.ru, Web of Science, Scopus, Clinical Case, PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The search for articles was conducted using the keywords: mentism; spontaneity of thought; automatism; basis symptoms of schizophrenia. Inclusion criteria: full-text articles in Russian and English; original research; Cochrane reviews; clinical observations; publication date from 1895 to 2025. Exclusion criteria: abstracts, theses, educational materials; publication date before 1895. A total of 126 publications were found. 28 publications met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. This review provides detailed descriptions of the phenomenon of mentism across different historical periods. A possible typology of mentism is proposed, the relationship of mentism with affective pathology and schizophrenia is examined, the position of mentism in contemporary diagnostic classifications, and its interpretation as a basis symptom of schizophrenia and a symptom of affective disorders is discussed. The authors of the review present a list of unresolved questions related to mentism, suggesting that clarifying these issues could be beneficial for improving the quality of diagnosis and therapy for mental disorders.
About the Authors
L. V. Shapovalova
Rostov State Medical University
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
Liudmila V. Shapovalova, graduate student of Department of Psychiatry and Narcology
Rostov-on-Don
Competing Interests:
Authors declares no conflict of interest
V. A. Soldatkin
Rostov State Medical University
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
Victor A. Soldatkin, Dr. Sci. (Med.), Professor, head of Department of Psychiatry and Narcology
Rostov-on-Don
Competing Interests:
Authors declares no conflict of interest
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Review
For citations:
Shapovalova L.V., Soldatkin V.A. Mentism in healthy people and in mental disorders. Medical Herald of the South of Russia. 2025;16(3):54-60. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21886/2219-8075-2025-16-3-54-60
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