THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF STRESS RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCE IN MILITARY PERSONNEL WITH COMBAT EXPERIENCE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/psy-2025-6-19Keywords:
resilience, stress resistance, military personnel, combat stress, self-regulation, coping strategies, post-traumatic growth, post-traumatic stress disorder, cognitive-transactional model, moral injuryAbstract
The article is devoted to the theoretical and methodological analysis of stress resistance and resilience among military personnel with combat experience in the context of extreme service conditions. It emphasizes that modern military activity is accompanied by chronic threats to life, moral dilemmas, prolonged overloads, and losses, which together create a complex psychosocial background of combat experience. Such conditions lead to a wide range of psycho-emotional consequences – from exhaustion and anxiety disorders to post-traumatic stress disorder – while at the same time revealing the phenomenon of the ability of some service members to maintain efficiency and inner balance.The aim of the article is to differentiate the concepts of stress resistance and resilience as multi-level characteristics of psychological adaptation. The first is defined as a stable ability to maintain functional efficiency under stressors, while the second is interpreted as a dynamic process of positive adaptation, recovery, and personal growth after traumatic experience. The paper systematizes the main theoretical approaches, including A. Masten’s “ordinary magic” model, S. Hobfoll’s conservation of resources theory, R. Lazarus and S. Folkman’s cognitive-transactional model, M. Ungar’s socio-ecological concept, and S. Richardson’s process model. The specific nature of military stressors is outlined, and their cumulative effect on cognitive functioning and emotional regulation is demonstrated.On this basis, a two-phase mechanism of resilience is substantiated, where the preventive function reduces the risk of mental disorders during exposure to stressors, and the restorative function ensures recovery and post-traumatic growth. The coping style acts as the central mediator between stress and adaptation outcomes: constructive strategies-planning, reappraisal, seeking support, and self-control-enhance resilience, whereas avoidance and emotional suppression lead to exhaustion. The practical significance of the study lies in shifting from symptom- centered to resource-ecological psychological support programs that integrate individual, group, and organizational factors and help preserve mental health, combat readiness, and sustainable functioning of military personnel in crisis conditions.
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