Features of the formation of behavioral reactions of servicemen at the combat zone under the influence of socio-psychological factors

Abstract: Introduction: The article analyzes the specifics of the formation of behavioral reactions of military personnel in combat conditions, in particular under the influence of informational and emotional stress factors that arise in the process of interaction with commanders and fellow soldiers. The relevance of the study is due to the large-scale armed conflict in Ukraine, which creates unique extreme conditions for the psychophysiological adaptation of personnel. The purpose: To investigate the peculiarities of the formation of behavioral reactions of military personnel under the influence of socio-psychological factors while in a combat zone, in particular in the conditions of a modern full-scale war in Ukraine. Materials and methods: To achieve the set goal, a survey was conducted of 136 male military personnel aged 21 to 50 years who were inpatients at the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Central Region after returning from the combat zone. Data collection was carried out using a specially adapted questionnaire, in which the contribution of individual factors of the combat environment was assessed on a 10-point scale. Parametric statistics methods, Spearman`s correlation coefficient, stepwise correlation-regression, one-factor variance and cluster analysis of the STATISTICA 13.3 program package were used. Results: Three main groups of servicemen with different profiles of response to stress factors were identified. It was established that age characteristics, duration of stay in the combat zone and the level of functional reserves of the body are key determinants of perceptivity to behavioral destabilizing influences. In particular, older servicemen demonstrate a higher level of anxiety when expecting contact with the enemy, less trust in commanders, and greater perceptivity to shortcomings in the training of fellow soldiers. The concept of a “perfect storm” is used to describe the cumulative impact of combat, psycho-emotional, informational and motivational factors that synergistically increase the risk of maladaptive reactions. The role of commander leadership, group cohesion and moral stability as protective mechanisms is emphasized. Conclusions: Therefore, perceptivity to combat stress is determined by age, combat experience, and level of psychophysiological resilience. Adaptive programs should take into account the reaction profiles of servicemen, especially in the context of their communicative interaction and trust in command.