Social Support of the Individual in War Conditions: Ukrainian and International Experience

Abstract

The paper highlights the social support of the individual in war conditions as a powerful tool for influencing the individual. It is precisely because there is a war going on in the state that the subject matter is becoming increasingly relevant. Social support as a complex phenomenon concerns the peculiarities of interaction of the individual with the social environment and the nature of influence on it during military operations. The purpose of the study is to investigate the experience of providing social support to individuals in war conditions. In order to achieve the goal and comprehensively present the topic under study, the author relies on a set of interrelated theoretical research methods, including analysis and synthesis, interrelation, modelling, comparison, systematisation, and generalisation of scientific sources. It is stated that the social support of the individual is quite multiform, has an “amortisation” character, and acts as one of the styles of coping strategies of human behaviour. It is generally built around the “self-concept” of the individual, and during the war, it supports the psychological balance of the individual and acts as a resource for survival. It is determined that social support of the individual at the micro-level in war conditions is based on the family and family members who help to overcome trauma, show care and emotional support, and are a significant resource in difficult life circumstances. Social support for friends, neighbours, and colleagues is also important. It is revealed that social support of the individual at the meso-level during the war contributes to the preservation of the integrity of the individual, personal growth, self-actualisation, and integration into new realities of life. The paper describes the features of social support at the macro-level and establishes that in general, it acts as an effective principle of intervention at various stages after trauma, a measurement of mental health, promotes the growth and recovery of the individual, and directs it to self-development. The paper can be useful for psychologists, psychotherapists, social service specialists, teachers, and volunteers who provide psychological assistance to war victims to understand the impact of social support on a person’s mental health