Comparative analysis of the emotional state of those involved in criminal terrorist activities

This paper presents the results of a study of the mental states of persons prosecuted for terrorist activities as well as a comparative analysis of their indicators with a control group selected from among ordinary youths of the Chechen Republic. The aim of the study was to identify mental state features as well as leading signs of anxiety, aggressiveness, frustration and rigidity in the subjects, taking into account the presence or absence of an individual’s criminal history related to terrorist activities. The experiment included 67 people, 32 of whom had been active members of terrorist organizations banned in Russia and were under investigation or had previously served a sentence for crimes committed at the time of the survey. The results of this study can be used in the socio-psychological prevention of terrorist attitudes among the population as part of the implementation of State policy to counter the ideology of extremism and terrorism.