Posttraumatic growth and rehabilitative resources of the combatants and demobilized servicemen

Abstract

The combat experience of military and demobilized persons combines the influence of combat and non-combat stressors with combat conditions and stressors associated with being in the combat zone, which leads to severe personal injury, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and severe stress adaptive capacity. The resource of mastering combat stress is vitality, which is confirmed by the general viable position of the subjects, focused on effective self-development. Combatants show marked signs of maladaptation, but half of them report an increase in the value of life, spiritual growth and a general trend of personal growth, with women significantly exceeding men in terms of increasing personal strength. The aim of the research is to reveal the indicators of posttraumatic growth and personality rehabilitative resources of combatants and demobilized servicemen. Therefore, the posttraumatic growth of combatants goes hand in hand with attempts to adapt to a difficult situation. The main strategies for resisting stress in these conditions are cognition and recourse to physical activity. It is the resource of physical activity that is significantly positively correlated with indicators of posttraumatic personal growth. Personality posttraumatic growth indicators have been substantiated: change in attitude toward others, emergence of new opportunities, increase in strength of personality, spiritual changes, increase in the value of life, and general posttraumatic growth. The resource of rehabilitation potential, which is little used, is the appeal to the sphere of imagination and emotional sphere. The military does not sufficiently use the resources of faith and search for social support, which in crisis conditions are productive strategies. Sustainability is an important component of personal rehabilitation potential, but at this stage of a difficult situation, the personal resources involved are a person’s activity in overcoming difficulties, his/her desire to act and win, the desire not to lose this meaning, to express their personal potential.