Effects of stress on neural processing of combat-related stimuli in deployed soldiers: an fMRI study

Socio-psychological causes and consequences of combat stress in armed conflict participants

OBJECTIVE

Aim: The aim is to determine the causes and consequences of combat stress in armed conflict participants.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and Methods: The research involved 109 service members (under 30) who participated in the russian-Ukrainian war in 2022-2024 on a rotational basis for different durations (from 4 to 18 months). Research methods included theoretical analysis and generalization of literary sources, interviews, questionnaires, and statistical methods.

RESULTS

Results: The causes of combat stress in service members participating in military operations have been identified. It has been established that during the first rotation, service members most often suffer from being in conditions of constant threats (71.6 %), experience fear of death and injury (70.6 %), fear of killing a person (67.9 %), loud sounds (63.3 %) and lack of sleep (52.3 %). With the acquisition of combat experience, the frequency of these factors decreases. The research revealed the consequences of combat stress, which worsen depending on the duration of stay in a combat situation: increased aggressiveness (71.1 %), anxiety, fear (68.4 %), sleep problems (31.6 %), cognitive impairment (28.9 %), and psychosomatic disorders (26.3 %).

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: Ensuring military personnel's access to qualified psychological assistance, creating a support and rehabilitation program, and raising public awareness of the problems faced by service members participating in combat operations will reduce the negative effects of combat stress and help improve the quality of life of military personnel and their families.

The Nature of Combat Stress Development During Military Operations and Psychotherapy in Extreme Situations

The purpose of the research work is the theoretical and empirical analysis of the study of the nature of combat stress in military personnel and the assessment of psychotherapeutic methods of providing psychological assistance in extreme situations. The authors used the following methods to achieve this goal: method of analysis and synthesis, hermeneutic method, testing method, comparative method, and generalization method. The results of the research work have revealed the meaning of traumatic stress, psychological trauma, and combat mental trauma, and explained the concept of combat stress and the dynamics of its growth. The findings identified the factors of posttraumatic stress syndrome and its prevalence, tracked down the dynamics of psychoemotional disorders, and revealed the importance of military psychological selection and determination of combat readiness. The authors established the main tasks of a staff psychologist in working with military personnel, conducted an empirical study of the nature of combat stress in the military, observed main psychotherapeutic tools for the prevention of negative mental states in combat conditions, and investigated self-regulation techniques of emotional, physical, and mental health. The practical significance of the scientific work lies in the modern coverage of the phenomenon of combat stress and the classification of effective psychotherapeutic methods that will ensure the sustainable psychological preparation of the soldiers for extreme situations.