The work focused on the examining the use of virtual reality (VR) technologies in the reduction of depression in Europe. More than 70 issues of the journals “Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking”, “European Psychologist” were analyzed. We used the bibliometric analysis, the "keyword method" to analyze the text, which is understood as a search for typical terms, content analysis of the content of articles that used VR and depression. In the journal "European Psychologist" the term VR has not been mentioned for the last 2 years, which indicates the secondary importance of this issue for general psychology. In cyberpsychology, on the contrary, since 2019 in Europe, the interest of researchers in the use of VR technologies in clinical psychology has increased. By the content of the journal articles. "Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking" VR technologies are used primarily for the correction of anxiety disorders, and secondly, for the correction of depression. These technologies are used in various ways. The first option is to create VR programs with a direct impact on depression reduction. Here, VR is used as a symptom awareness tool, to create an avatar environment for client dialogue in a non- judgmental environment. Research has shown that such VR programs are rated by users as a useful tool for informing and emotionally responding to depressive states. The second option is an indirect effect on reducing the level of depression through the reduction of fears, phobias; increased activation, tone, euphoria in mental states; the development of a positive mood, cognitive motivation; an increase in indicators of field independence (cognitive style). A study based on the methods of psychosemantics is presented, which has demonstrated the effect of a specially created VR program with an avatar on changing the unconscious attitudes of the personality, reducing phobia of darkness. The effectiveness of using of VR technologies in reducing depression is determined by modeling of mental experiences and actions in VR, creating a virtual ontology, the influence of VR on conscious and unconscious attitudes, the possibility of responding to unconscious experiences through the user's identification with an avatar.

The work is aimed at examining the influence of modern didactic programs in virtual reality (VR) on mental states in adolescence. The materials of empirical research obtained on a sample of 3—4 year students from Moscow and Smolensk universities are presented. Study 1 (N = 50) involved respondents aged 19 to 26 years. We used the methodology of AS Kulikov L.V., didactic VR programs were used as instructive independent variables. The results obtained indicate that the didactic VR environment of the highest level has a significant effect on mental states, increasing indicators on the scales of activation, excitement, tone, euphoria, and reducing asthenia. Conditions such as well-being, normal mood, calmness remain stable in immersive didactic VR. The effectiveness of VR programs in influencing mental states is determined by the successful modeling of 3D objects, high animation, interactivity, originally incorporated into the content of VR of the highest level. The data on an increase in the experience of the degree of presence in VR when using new helmets, even in short VR programs, are of fundamental importance. This indicates the possibility of the formation of addictions to VR with their repeated, short-term use.

The paper deals with the main provisions of the theory of thinking A.V. Brushlinsky, its development in modern psychology. Thinking in this theory is presented as a continuous process of human interaction with the object. Psychological content of thinking includes eight levels — from structural to subject. The cognitive plan of thinking is significantly expanded due to the allocation of not only forms (studied mainly by formal logic, epistemology), mental actions (operations), but also mental processes. The introduction of process components have been theoretically and experimentally substantiated. The paper presents experimental studies of changes in personal parameters (in particular, cognitive style) in the course of the thought process, the dynamics of intellectual conscious and unconscious components in solving problems by the subject, the influence of thinking on the intellect, the effects of critical thinking, etc. The main provisions of the «process» theory of thinking and the action of thought processes are included in the system of various contexts: the functioning of cognitive styles, the use of “subsensory” tips by the subject, the work of the individual with training programs in virtual reality ... It is shown that mental processes (thinking as a process) are interconnected and, as a rule, determine the functioning of mental operations (mental actions), lead to micro-changes in the personality plan of thinking, functioning components of intelligence, provide formation of new elements of thinking in the course of solving problems. The structure of psychological content of thinking from the perspective of subject-activity and systemic approaches in psychology, including 8 levels. It is shown that the theory of thinking as process of A.V. Brushlinsky provides reflection of the differentiated content of mental activity in which cognitive plan along with formal (level of forms) and operational (level of operations) it is expedient to allocate process components.

The work is aimed at considering the influence of modern special training programs in virtual reality (VR) on personality anxiety in adolescence. Materials of empirical research obtained on a sample of students of 2-4 courses of Moscow and Smolensk universities are presented. Respondents aged from 19 to 24 years old participated in the study 1 (N=15) (using the training VR environment with a first-person avatar) and 2 (N=24) (using the training VR program with an anthropomorphic avatar (female) (third-person). To diagnose anxiety we used methods: Spielberger-Hanin Self-Assessment Anxiety Test, A.T. Beck Anxiety Scale. A single-factor experimental design with independent groups was used; dependent variables were different types of anxiety, independent variables were the parameters of subjects' work with the training VR-program of high immersiveness. The results show that the high level training VR environment has a significant effect on anxiety reduction. Both personal and situational anxiety, as well as the general level of anxiety, decreased. In the control samples, either anxiety decreases, but at a much lower level, or no change occurs. Psychosemantic analysis of consciousness indicates changes not only in the conscious plan (connections between connotative meanings), but also in unconscious attitudes about one's anxiety state (manifested in the triad of depression: decreased mood, ideomotor and motor retardation). In general, VR programs with avatars should be considered as effective technologies and means of changing functional personality properties, in particular anxiety.

The work is aimed at examining the use of virtual reality (VR) technologies in clinical psychology in Europe. More than 37 issues of the journal "Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking" with impact factor 2.3 were analyzed, and the articles reflect both cyber and clinical and psychological orientation. The "keyword method" was used to analyze the text, which is understood as a search for typical terms that designate a criterion or replace it. Then the keyword "virtual reality" was associated primarily with the types of disorders in clinical psychology of the classification of group F (according to ICD-10). The topics "virtual reality" and "clinical psychology" are the most frequently discussed topics in the field of the problem area "cyberpsychology". According to the study, the possible applications of virtual reality in the field of clinical psychology are essentially limited to three disorders: anxiety disorders, depression, and autism. According to publications of specialists in general psychology, the term "virtual reality" is not mentioned, which shows that this topic is of secondary importance.

This article examines the changes in mental states and personality creativity when working with short-term virtual reality. This is part of comprehensive research on personality (and mental in general) changes in didactic and training VR programs. The first part of the work was aimed at examining the influence of modern didactic programs in virtual reality (VR) on mental states in adolescence. The materials of empirical research obtained on a sample of 1—2-year students of the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education and SmolSU are presented. In study 1 (N = 73) (with a highly immersive VR program) and 2 (N = 46) (using a didactic VR environment of low immersion), respondents aged 19 to 26 took part. We used the «Actual state» methodology by L.V. Kulikova, «Assessment of Mood», didactic VR programs are used as instructive independent variables. The results obtained indicate that the didactic VR environment of the highest level may has a significant effect on mental states, increasing indicators on the scales of activation, excitement, tone, euphoria, and reducing asthenia indicators. Conditions such as well-being, normal mood, calmness remain stable in immersive didactic VR. In the control sample, in a less immersive VR-environment, statistically significant changes in indicators — tone, excitement, well-being were not revealed. The second part of the research, which examines the effect of higher-level VR programs on creativity, was carried out using a similar mixed factorial design with one independent variable. Johnson’s questionnaire, Torrance and Rorschach tests were used to diagnose creativity. In the experimental group (with vive helmets), in the parameters of all three tests, significant differences were diagnosed according to the Wilcoxon criterion of no less than 95%. In the control group, where the subjects worked with the same program («Surfaces of the second order») on ordinary monitors, the significance of the changes was confirmed by the method of Johnson and Torrance by the Wilcoxon test, by the G test «in Torrance», the changes were not reliable, by «Rorschach», by the two criteria, the changes were not reliable. In general, the results showed that the higher immersiveness of even short didactic VR programs promotes greater changes in creativity. The effectiveness of VR programs in influencing mental states and creativity is determined by the successful modeling of 3D objects, high animation, interactivity, originally incorporated into the content of higher level VR. Changes in creativity in VR, along with changes in cognitive processes, personal parameters (motivation, abilities, focus, consciousness), mental states are considered as an indicator of the presence and specificity of VR ontology.