Innovative approaches in the rehabilitation of military prisoners of war and residents of temporarily occupied territories
Authors: Klymenko I.S. 
Published: September 2024

Background. As of January 4, 2024, 2828 military personnel and civilians have been released from Russian captivity [1, 2]. All of them require rehabilitation, both physical and psychological. Considering the large number of military and civilian individuals facing psychological difficulties due to war-related traumas and stressful situations, the development of innovative rehabilitation methods becomes a strategically important task. Taking into account the complexity of the causes of armed conflicts, it is evident that special programs and measures need to be developed for the psychological rehabilitation of servicemen who have experienced psychologically traumatic conditions during military-professional activities. Special attention should be given to the development of individualized approaches that consider the unique needs and experiences of each affected individual, providing them with the opportunity to recover not only physically but also psychologically. Among the main directions of psychological rehabilitation of the personality, a reevaluation of practices focused on self-identification and autonomy is considered. This includes the exploration of new communicative territories and the creation of meanings in accordance with the stage of the life path. It is noted that the construction of new meanings and their personal interpretation is facilitated during a productive, symmetrical dialogue between the traumatized individual and the psychotherapist. Such dialogue helps reconstruct life history, transform an extraordinary event into one of the elements of a series of events, and accept a new demarcation of boundaries between peaceful and war experiences, pre-war and present friends, former and current values, plans, and preferences. The purpose of the paper is to highlight the research on the development of integrated and effective support aimed at the physical, mental and social recovery of prisoners of war and civilians who were in the temporarily occupied territories. Materials and Methods. Meta-analysis; interviews, history taking; medical assessment of physical condition; assessment of mental condition, namely psychiatric examination; psychological assessment – questionnaire to determine the level of stress, anxiety, depression and other mental symptoms. Results. A significant number of prisoners of war and individuals who have been in temporarily occupied territories or captivity require targeted psychological rehabilitation measures. According to the results of numerous studies, 70% of individuals still experience maladaptation one to two years later. This is manifested in the inability to adapt to civilian life, including symptoms such as fear, high levels of anxiety, lack of optimism and activity in various situations, as well as problems with alcohol, drugs, and others [3–5]. Conclusions. The study of innovative approaches to the rehabilitation of prisoners of war and persons from the temporarily occupied territories confirms the need for individualized strategies that facilitate their return to normal functioning in society.