The Psychological Factors of Military Man Stress Experience

Authors

  • Valentyn Mushkevych Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29038/2227-1376-2019-34-119-136

Keywords:

military man, combat, stress, stressors, adaptive potential.

Abstract

The article describes the concept of combat stress as a multilevel process of adaptive activity of the human body under combat conditions, accompanied by the stress of the mechanisms of reactive self-regulation and the fixation of specific adaptive psychophysiological changes. It is stated that the intensity of the experience of combat stress on military personnel depends on the interaction of two main factors: strength and duration of influence of combat stressors on the psyche of a military serviceman as well as peculiarities of the serviceman's response to their influence. It is emphasized that military personnel are characterized by such psychological factor of experiencing stress as "adaptability" - they show sufficient and high level of personal adaptive potential, military-professional orientation, lack of propensity for deviant and suicidal behavior; have prevailing motivational settings for friendly support, sociability, friendly comfortable condition and "normal" adaptation; "Relatively adapted" - exhibit a satisfactory, sufficient and high level of personal adaptive capacity, military-professional orientation, low propensity for deviant and suicidal behavior; have predominant motivational settings to overcome obstacles, maintain stability and achieve success without significant effort or dive into themselves as a way of distinguishing themselves from difficult external circumstances. It is determined that the next factor in the experience of stress is "maladaptation" - showing low and satisfactory levels of personal adaptive capacity, military and vocational orientation, some signs of deviant behavior and suicidal risk; have predominant motivations or tendencies towards leadership in the cases of high self-esteem, or for distraction, seclusion, anxiety, asthenization and shyness, or motivation for entertainment. It has been researched that the overall level of adaptation to combat stress is significantly higher in divorced servicemen, but this does not mean that it will also manifest itself in a peaceful life. The military-professional orientation of the divorced ones is also much higher than that of their unmarried and married brothers. It is found that the highest levels are clearly found in sergeants and senior sergeants (compared to lieutenants and soldiers), and the lowest level of adaptive capacity, including communication potential, is observed in secondary school graduates compared to those with specific secondary education and higher education. It is revealed that there is a decrease in the tendency to deviant behavior with the aging of military personnel.

References

1. Ahaiev, N. A., Skrypkin, O. H., Deiko, A. B., Polyvaniuk, V. V., Evert, O. V. (2016). Alhorytm roboty vii skovoho psykholoha shchodo psykholohichnoho zabezpechennia profesiinoi diialnosti osobovoho skladu Zbroinykh Syl Ukrainy (metodychni rekomendatsii). [Algorithm of work of military psychologist on psychological support of professional activity of personnel of Armed Forces of Ukraine (methodical recommendations)] Kyiv: NDTs HP ZS Ukrainy. 147 s. [in Ukrainian].
2. Blinov, O. A. (2014). Deformatsiia osobystosti viiskovosluzhbovtsiv u naslidok uchasti v boiovykh diiakh. [Deformation of military personnel as a result of participation in hostilities]. Aktualni problemy psykholohii: Zbirnyk naukovykh prats Instytutu psykholohii imeni H.S. Kostiuka, 26, 87–96. [in Ukrainian].
3. Blinov, O. A. (2016). Psykholohiia boiovoi psykhichnoi travmy. [Psychology of combat mental trauma]. Kyiv : Vyd-vo NH. 183 s. [in Ukrainian].
4. Boiko, S. T., Tsarenko, L. H. (2017). Transformatsiia tradytsiinykh uiavlen pro zdorovia i blahopoluchchia v umovakh zbroinoho konfliktu v Ukraini. [Transformation of traditional perceptions of health and well-being in armed conflict in Ukraine]. Personality, family and society: issue of pedagogy, psychology, politology and sociology: International scientific-practical. Shumen: Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen; Faculty of Education. 164–167. [in Ukrainian].
5. Voloshyn, P. V., Maruta, N. O., Shestopalova, L. F. (2014). Diahnostyka, terapiia ta profilaktyka medyko-psykholohichnykh naslidkiv boiovykh dii v suchasnykh umovakh (metodychni rekomendatsii). [Diagnosis, therapy and prevention of medico-psychological consequences of hostilities in modern conditions (guidelines)]. Kharkiv. 79 s. [in Ukrainian].
6. Holyk, M.M., Liashenko, V.M, Romanyshyn, A.M., Romanovskyi, Ya. Ya. (2009). Moralno-psykholohichne zabezpechennia diialnosti viisk. Chastyna II: Kurs lektsii. [Moral and psychological support of the troops. Part II: Lecture Course.]. Lviv: LISV. 224 s. [in Ukrainian].
7. Kitaev-Smyik, L. A. (2001). Stress voynyi: Frontovyie nablyudeniya vracha-psihologa. [Stress of war: Front-line observations of a psychologist]. Moskva. 80 s. [in Russian].
8. Kitaev-Smyik, L. A. (2009). Psihologiya stressa. Psihologicheskaya antropologiya stressa. [The psychology of stress. Psychological anthropology of stress]. Moskva: Nauka. 943 s. [in Russian].
9. Kokun, O. M., Ahaiev, N. A., Pishko, I. O., Lozinska, N. S. (2015). Osnovy psykholohichnoi dopomohy viiskovosluzhbovtsiam v umovakh boiovykh dii: metodychnyi posibnyk. [Fundamentals of psychological assistance to servicemen in combat: a manual]. Kyiv: NDTs HP ZSU. 170 s. [in Ukrainian].
10. Kravchenko, K. O. (2016). Psykholohichni osoblyvosti perezhyvannia lotchykamy vtraty boiovykh tovaryshiv pry provedenni antyterorystychnoi operatsii (ATO). [Psychological peculiarities of pilots experiencing the loss of combat companions during anti-terrorist operation (ATO)]. Visnyk Kharkivskoho natsionalnoho pedahohichnoho universytetu imeni H. S. Skovorody, 52, 52–69. URL: http://nbuv.gov.ua/UJRN/VKhnpu_psykhol_2016_52_9 [in Ukrainian].
11. Kravchenko, K. O. (2017). Sotsialno-psykholohichni determinanty vynyknennia boiovoho stresu u viiskovosluzhbovtsiv-uchasnykiv antyterorystychnoi operatsii. [Socio-psychological determinants of the occurrence of combat stress in military personnel participating in the anti-terrorist operation]. (Dys. kand. psykhol. nauk). Natsionalnyi universytet tsyvilnoho zakhystu Ukrainy. Kharkiv. [in Ukrainian].
12. Litvintsev, S. V. (2005). Boevaya psihicheskaya travma. [Combat psychic trauma]. Moskva: Meditsina. 431 s. [in Russian].
13. Maenera, Ya. V., Vorobiova I. V., Kolesnichenko O. S. (2015). Psykholohichnyi suprovid viiskovosluzhbovtsiv, yaki vykonuiut sluzhbovo-boiovi zavdannia v ekstremalnykh umovakh: metodychni rekomendatsii. [Psychological support for servicemen performing combat missions in extreme conditions: guidelines]. Kharkiv: NANHU. 68 s. [in Ukrainian].
14. Topol, O. V. (2015). Sotsialno-psykholohichna reabilitatsiia uchasnykiv antyterorystychnoi operatsii. [Socio-psychological rehabilitation of participants of the anti-terrorist operation]. Visnyk Chernihivskoho natsionalnoho pedahohichnoho universytetu, 124, 230–233. [in Ukrainian].

Published

2019-12-29

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Mushkevych, V. (2019). The Psychological Factors of Military Man Stress Experience. Psychological Prospects Journal, 34, 119-136. https://doi.org/10.29038/2227-1376-2019-34-119-136

Similar Articles

1-10 of 165

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.