Image of a Junior Officer in Military Personnel Participating in Combat Operations with Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Authors:   Research Center, National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukraine, Matsegora Yanina ,   yanina_gora@ukr.net (YM), prikhodko1966@ukr.net (IP), Kolesnichenko Oleksandr ,   Research Laboratory, National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukraine; alex_kolesnichenko@ukr.net, Prykhodko Ihor ,   Research Center, National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukraine; yanina_gora@ukr.net (YM), prikhodko1966@ukr.net (IP), Kramchenkova Vira ,   Department of Psychology Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Ukraine; kramchenkova@ukr.net, Bolshakova Anastasiia ,   Chief of the Psychology and Pedagogy Department, Kharkiv State Academy of Culture, Kharkiv, Ukraine; bolshakova777@ukr.net, Zaitseva Olha ,   "Primary Education and Educational Management Department, Municipal Еstablishment ""Кharkiv Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy"" of the Kharkiv Regional Council, Kharkiv, Ukraine; zaytseva1005@gmail.com ", Marushchenko Kateryna ,   "Department of Military Therapy, Ukrainian Military Medical Academy, Kyiv, Ukraine; riv.umma@gmail.com (KM), katipon@gmail.com (YR) ", Rumiantsev Yurii ,   Department of Military Therapy, Ukrainian Military Medical Academy, Kyiv, Ukraine; riv.umma@gmail.com (KM), katipon@gmail.com (YR), Tovma Ihor ,   "Department of Psychology and Pedagogics, National Academy of the National Guard of Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukraine; ihor.tovma@gmail.com "
Published: March 2023

"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. "