(2025) Science and education, 1, 23-29. Odessa.
Halyna Pankova,
Postgraduate Student at the Department of Practical Psychology and Social,
Private Higher Education Establishment "European University",
16 V, Akad. Vernadsky Blvd., Kyiv, Ukraine;
Psychologist,
Psychosocial Support Center Project HOPE,
Shkilna St., 9, Kramatorsk, Ukraine,
ORCID ID: https//orcid.org/0009-0005-9762-9298
PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING TRAUMA IN THE CONTEXT OF ADAPTATION TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF WAR AMONG MIDDLE-AGED PEOPLE: RESULTS OF A THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL STUDY
SUMMARY:
The relevance of the research topic is due to the large number of traumas caused by active hostilities on the territory of Ukraine and the need for psychological assistance to overcome them. The aim of the study was to determine the peculiarities of psychological strategies for overcoming trauma in the context of adaptation to the consequences of war among middle-aged people. Materials and methods. An empirical study was conducted with 236 respondents from the frontline community of Ukraine. Among them were 19 men and 217 women, aged 30 to 55 years. The survey asked a number of questions on the HADS scale to determine the level of anxiety and depression. In the course of the study, scientific methods were used, such as theoretical generalization and grouping, formalization, analysis and synthesis, and generalization of the results. Result. As a result of the search, the works that studied psychological strategies for overcoming trauma in the context of adaptation to the consequences of war among middle-aged people were selected. It has been shown that middle-aged people facing military events are able to resume normal functioning despite the challenges of military aggression and its consequences. Research on the impact of war on psychological resilience shows the negative impact of suffering, anxiety and uncertainty on individual and social resilience. Resilience is a dynamic process at all levels of functioning that includes a person's ability to actively adapt after adversity. Traumatic experiences can cause negative consequences, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as increased depression, stress, agitation, nervousness, and aggressiveness, are common among middle-aged civilians. However, some people may also experience positive changes after exposure to trauma. These changes are known as post-traumatic growth. Adaptive coping and positive personality traits, such as openness, are positively correlated with posttraumatic growth. At the same time, coping strategies – the mechanisms that people use to reduce stress – play an important role. Thus, effective psychological assistance is essential for people who have suffered from the traumatic effects of military operations. The work of psychologists should be aimed at identifying the internal resources of the individual and helping the person to adapt to new living conditions. Psychological strategies for overcoming trauma in the context of adaptation to the consequences of war are not only a fight against symptoms, but also an opportunity for personal growth that allows a middleaged person to rethink their life experience and find new goals.
KEYWORDS:
trauma, adaptation, resilience, challenges of war, psychological assistance, adults
FULL TEXT:
REFERENCES:
2. Serdiuk, L. Z., Danyliuk, I. V., Chykhantsova, O. A., & Turban, V. V., et al. (2024). Psykholohichni tekhnolohii spryiannia pozytyvnomu psykholohichnomu zdoroviu riznykh verst naselennia Ukrainy v umovakh voiennoho stanu ta pisliavoiennoho vidnovlennia: praktychnyi posibnyk [Psychological technologies for promoting positive psychological health of different strata of the population of Ukraine in conditions of martial law and post-war recovery. practical manual]. Instytut psykholohii imeni H.S. Kostiuka NAPN Ukrainy, m. Kyiv, Ukraina. 168 p. [in Ukrainian]
3. Fedorchuk, V. M., & Komarnitska, L. M. (2022). Psykholohichne zabezpechennia rezylientnosti suspilstva v umovakh postiinoho stresu [Psychological support of the resilience of society in conditions of constant stress]. Osvitnia diialnist pratsivnykiv sotsialno-psykholohichnoi sfery: vyklyky sohodennia ta realii: Vseukrainska naukovopraktychna konferentsiia (m. Kam’ianets-Podilskyi, 01 liutoho 2022 r.). Kam’ianets-Podilskyi : NRZVO «Kam’ianets-Podilskyi derzhavnyi instytut». p. 225–228. [in Ukrainian]
4. Boiko, D. I., Shyrai, P. O., Mats, O. V., Karpik, Z. I., Rahman, M. H., Khan, A. A., Alanazi, A. M., & Skrypnikov, A. M. (2024). Mental health and sleep disturbances among Ukrainian refugees in the context of Russian-Ukrainian war: A preliminary result from online-survey. Sleep medicine, 113, 342–348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2023.12.004. [in English]
5. Cosic, K., Kopilas, V., & Jovanovic, T. (2024). War, emotions, mental health, and artificial intelligence. Frontiers in psychology, 15, 1394045. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1394045. [in English]
6. Henson, C., Truchot, D., & Canevello, A. (2022). Factors that hinder post-traumatic growth: A systematic review. L'Encephale, 48(5), 560–562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.encep.2022.02.001. [in English]
7. Kakaj, A., Al Zohbi, R., Hosa, A. O., Makki, L, Alyousbash, A., Alhaffar MBA. (2021). Mental disorder and PTSD in Syria dur-ing wartime: a nationwide crisis. BMC Psychiatry, 21(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-03002-3.27. [in English]
8. Kimhi, S., Eshel, Y., Marciano, H., & Adini, B. (2023). Impact of the war in Ukraine on resilience, protective, and vulnerability factors. Frontiers in public health, 11, 1053940. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1053940. [in English]
9. Kunzler, A. M., Helmreich, I., Chmitorz, A., König, J., Binder, H., Wessa, M., & Lieb, K. (2020). Psychological interventions to foster resilience in healthcare professionals. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 7(7), CD012527. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012527.pub2. [in English]
10. Kurapov, A., Kalaitzaki, A., Keller, V., Danyliuk, I., & Kowatsch, T. (2023). The mental health impact of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war 6 months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Frontiers in psychiatry, 14, 1134780. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1134780. [in English]
11. Kurapov, A., Pavlenko, V., Drozdov, A., Bezliudna, V., Reznik, A., & Isralowitz, R. (2022). Toward an understanding of the Russian-Ukrainian war impact on university students and personnel. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 28(2), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2022.2084838. [in English]
12. Melton, H., Meader, N., Dale, H., Wright, K., Jones-Diette, J., Temple, M., Shah, I., Lovell, K., McMillan, D., Churchill, R., Barbui, C., Gilbody, S., & Coventry, P. (2020). Interventions for adults with a history of complex traumatic events: the INCiTE mixed-methods systematic review. Health technology assessment (Winchester, England), 24(43), 1–312. https://doi.org/10.3310/hta24430. [in English]
13. Papola, D., Purgato, M., Gastaldon, C., Bovo, C., van Ommeren, M., Barbui, C., & Tol, W. A. (2020). Psychological and social interventions for the prevention of mental disorders in people living in low- and middle-income countries affected by humanitarian crises. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 9(9), CD012417. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012417.pub2. [in English]
14. Quintero, R., Pertuz, L., Mosalvo, J., Amador, E., Portnoy, I., Acuña-Rodríguez, M., & Córdova, A. (2024). Analysis of self-efficacy and attitude-mediated inclusivity in higher education: A case study on the Colombian North Coast. Procedia Computer Science, 231, 539–544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2023.12.247. [in English]
15. Rizzi, D., Ciuffo, G., Landoni, M., Mangiagalli, M., & Ionio, C. (2023). Psychological and environmental factors influencing resilience among Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced persons: a systematic review of coping strategies and risk and protective factors. Frontiers in psychology, 14, 1266125. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1266125. [in English]
16. Slezackova, A., Malatincova, T., Millova, K., Svetlak, M., & Krafft, A. M. (2024). The moderating effect of perceived hope in the relationship between anxiety and posttraumatic growth during the Russian-Ukrainian war. Frontiers in psychology, 15, 1440021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1440021. [in English]
17. Stein, J., Niemeyer, H., Meyer, C., Wirz, C., Eiling, A., Gruzman, R., Heeke, C., Stammel, N., & Knaevelsrud, C. (2021). Posttraumatic stress in adult civilians exposed to violent conflict, war and associated human rights abuses in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 294, 605–627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.06.042. [in English]
18. Stein, J., Vöhringer, M., Wagner, B., Stammel, N., Nesterko, Y., Böttche, M., & Knaevelsrud, C. (2023). Exposure Versus Cognitive Restructuring Techniques in Brief Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Arabic-Speaking People With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Randomized Clinical Trial. JMIR mental health, 10, e48689. https://doi.org/10.2196/48689. [in English]
19. Wang, S., Barrett, E., Hicks, M. H., Martsenkovskyi, D., Holovanova, I., Marchak, O., Ishchenko, L., Haque, U., & Fiedler, N. (2024). Associations between mental health symptoms, trauma, quality of life and coping in adults living in Ukraine: A cross-sectional study a year after the 2022 Russian invasion. Psychiatry research, 339, 116056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116056. [in English]
20. Warren, A., Nyavor, Y., Beguelin, A., & Frame, L. A. (2024). Dangers of the chronic stress response in the context of the microbiota-gut-immune-brain axis and mental health: a narrative review. Frontiers in immunology, 15, 1365871. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1365871. [in English]
21. Wu, X., Kaminga, A. C., Dai, W., Deng, J., Wang, Z., Pan, X., & Liu, A. (2019). The prevalence of moderateto-high posttraumatic growth: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 243, 408–415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.09.023. [in English]
22. Xu, W., Pavlova, I., Chen, X., Petrytsa, P., Graf-Vlachy, L., & Zhang, S. X. (2023). Mental health symptoms and coping strategies among Ukrainians during the Russia-Ukraine war in March 2022. The International journal of social psychiatry, 69(4), 957–966. https://doi.org/10.1177/00207640221143919. [in English].
