Abstract
The participation of soldiers in combat missions is one of the tasks that requires not only physical– but because of stressors – also psychological preparation. Participation in warfare involvesexposure to physical, cognitive, emotional and social inconvenience and is considered an important risk factor for the psychological disturbances. However, the literature on the subject also indicates the positive effects of confrontation with the stressors (e.g. postraumatic growth). The aim of the study was to determine whether the intensity of combat exposure and social support are related to both the negative and the positive psychological consequences of participating in warfare. The study, conducted by soldiers participating in the Afghan war, showed no connection between the intensity of combat experience and the well-being of soldiers. Not informing the family about difficulties experienced by soldiers was related to a greater number of psychological disturbances. Moreover, it turned out that not received social support, but the soldier’sconviction about the possibility of receiving this form of help, together with refraining from sharing their difficulties with family members, contributed to positive psychological changes.The results demonstrated that the psychological effect of participating in a military mission is not so much dependent on the intensity of the combat experience, as from the soldier’s conviction that social support is available from non-family member.
Highlights
We presents the results of research aimed at verifying a hypothesis on the relation between combat experiences and the support obtained by soldiers on one hand, with both psychological disturbances and improvements in the functioning of selected aspects of psychological life on the other
The descriptive statistics of the results of the instruments testing for positive psychological changes following combat missions suggest that such changes did occur among the respondents, but that their intensity varies: positive self-perception was most altered and spirituality least altered as a result of participating in combat missions (Table 2)
The main aim of this research was to determine the relationships between the intensity of combat experiences, social support, and the psychological consequences of combat missions – both positive and negative consequences
Summary
A combat mission is the most difficult challenge a soldier can face. It requires comprehensive physical and tactical training, and ideal psychological preparation. A soldier on a combat mission is constantly experiencing threats to health and life, without the support of close relatives These circumstances make for strong stress of a chronic nature. The term “stress” in relation to soldiers’ reactions to these experiences seems incomplete and not entirely accurate For this reason, the term “battle stress” was coined: this should be understood as the normal psychological and physiological reactions of soldiers – that is, the normal reaction of soldiers to the abnormal situation of participating in a combat mission (Nowak, 2008: 5). The aim of this article is to discuss the psychological stressors involved in combat missions and to indicate the positive and negative effects of this type of experience on soldiers’ mental health. We presents the results of research aimed at verifying a hypothesis on the relation between combat experiences and the support obtained by soldiers on one hand, with both psychological disturbances (posttraumatic stress disorder) and improvements in the functioning of selected aspects of psychological life (posttraumatic growth) on the other
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