No abstract

The individual values of combatants determine life goals, how to achieve them, and perform an important adaptive and protective function under conditions of combat stress. Understanding them enables mental health professionals to create an effective system of Combat and Operational Stress Control for military personnel. The purpose of this research was to determine the personal value sphere typology of individual values of combatants of the War in Eastern Ukraine, and, on its basis, to predict the vector of PTSD development. The value sphere (Rokeach Value Scale) and peculiarities of mental status (“Traumatic Stress Questionnaire”) of nine hundred forty three Ukrainian combatants were investigated. Cluster analysis made it possible to create a typology of combatants' values, consisting of five types: “Passionary”, “The one who does not leave the comfort zone”, “Romantic”, “Formal military man”, “Routine”. The most resistant to combat stress are combatants who are aimed at interiorizing values, expanding the boundaries of existing norms, and public recognition (“Passionary” (2.19%), “Romantic” (3.82%)), and the most vulnerable are those who are “Routine” (15.30%) and “Formal military man” (4.37%). The majority of Ukrainian combatants have a defined type of “The one who does not leave the comfort zone” type (74.32%). For them, safety and well-to-do life are the main priorities.

"According to the results of the conducted study there were distinguished the peculiarities of perception of the image of a junior officer by servicemen who participated in hostilities and had various PTSD symptoms. The study included 233 male servicemen with combat experience. The age of the participants varied from 20 to 55 years. It was determined that the image perception of the direct commander by the servicemen who did not have any PTSD symptoms had been influenced by both the key features of the modern way of fighting and the way a protective mechanism of consciousness acted, which gave the possibility to maintain mental health under combat conditions. These servicemen considered the awareness, kindness, and physical strength of their commander to be not important. The first stage was occupied by his/her ability to adequately fulfill his/her leadership function and the power of his/her spirit – the courage and love of the Motherland, which formed his/her reliability. Servicemen who had PTSD symptoms were less satisfied with the role of a junior officer and considered him/her to be less capable of meeting their expectations. They were less interested in commanders who could involve them in situations that required quick, brave action and complete responsibility for the entrusted part of common affairs. The most important factors in the structure of the direct commander image in both studied groups were the power of personality (the ability of self-regulation); however, the servicemen with PTSD symptoms had a specific orientation of these factors – to help their subordinates. They were quite selfishly aimed at using their direct commanders as a way of getting help. "

"The results of the conducted research gave the possibility to distinguish the structure of the motivation which was suitable for the distinguished types of motivation of servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine with different levels of effectiveness of their professional activity including motivation based on public service, stagnation, prosaically, romantic, deficient, and dependent. 2435 male servicemen participated in the research. They equally represented all the operational and territorial reunifications and military units of the National Guard of Ukraine. Every unit equally presented the officers, servicemen under the contract including the participants in hostilities as well as those who did not have such experience. The research was conducted with the help of the methods which were standardized by the Ukrainian language: “Close Questionnaire of Examining the Motivation of Professional Choice Made by Applicants of the Ministry of Internal Affairs”, “Methods of Studying the Motivational Profile of Personality”, and “Motivation Sources Inventory – MSI”. The conducted research posed the possibility to describe not only the determined types of professional motivation of servicemen, but also specific phenomena such as self-motivation of the representatives of a type which was run by public service motivation; “rest on the laurels” for the type of stagnation; problems related to choice-making for the prosocial type for whom profession, family, and friends had equal meaning; the tendency for manipulation to gain access to desirable aspects of professional activity of the type which struggled for adventures; lack of sincere interest in the military profession for the deficient type which could change it for more prospective having the same requests for the candidates; attitude to the profession as if it was a means of satisfaction of the needs of their emotional life for the dependent type"

In accordance with the results of conducted research there were figured out the content, hierarchy, intensity of motives and their possibility to be implemented in servicemen with various levels of effectiveness of service activity. 2435 male servicemen participated in the research, they equally presented all the operational and territorial military unifications and units of the National Guard of Ukraine. Each unit proportionately presented officers as well as military personnel under contract who included the participants of hostilities and those who did not have such experience. Examination of various aspects of servicemen motivation was conducted with the help of the following the methods which were standardized being based on the Ukrainian selection “Close Questionnaire of Examining the Motivation of Professional Choice Made by Applicants of the Ministry of Internal Affairs”, “Questionnaire of Estimation of the Effectiveness of Military Tasks’ Execution by Servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine”, questionnaire on “Sense-Bearing and Life Orientations”, the methods of “Studying the Motivational Profile of Personality”, and “Locus of Control”. There was conducted the cluster analysis which gave the possibility to figure out six motivational types connected with the effectiveness of servicemen operational activity. Motivational types were located between the poles which were introduced by two dimensions: self-efficacy (autonomous and controlled motivation) and motivation of helping others (motivations of public service - selfishness). Those motivational types of servicemen were the following: motivated by public service, stagnant, prosocial, romantic, deficient, and dependent. Distinguished types included the content, hierarchy, intensity of motives and their possibility to be implemented.