PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH OF VOLUNTEER VETERANS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/psyspu/2025.2.15Keywords:
trauma, post-traumatic growth, psychological resilience, positive religious coping, hope, veteran volunteersAbstract
The article presents the results of a theoretical and empirical study of the features of psychological factors of post-traumatic growth in volunteer veterans. The psychological content of the concept of “post-traumatic growth” is highlighted. It is shown that posttraumatic growth is manifested in an increase in the value of life, filling relationships with meaning, an increase in the sense of personal power, enrichment of spiritual life, and a change in priorities. It is highlighted that the following variables are associated with posttraumatic growth: cognitive assessment of threat, harm, and controllability of the situation; problem-focusing, acceptance, optimism, positive reinterpretation, religiosity, and cognitive processing of traumatic memories. The results of an empirical study involving 324 male volunteer veterans (164 young and 160 middle-aged) who took direct part in hostilities are presented. The following empirical research methods were applied: a post-traumatic growth questionnaire, a research questionnaire “Diagnostics of Attitudes to Life”, a resilience test, a methodology “Diagnostics of Psychological Resilience of the Personality”, a religious coping questionnaire (Brief- RCOPE), a dispositional hope scale, and a symptomatic questionnaire. Regression analysis revealed that the psychological factors of post-traumatic growth in volunteer veterans are meaning and purpose, hope, mental and physical health, life satisfaction, resilience, psychological resilience, positive religious coping, and close social relationships. It was shown that psychological resilience plays a significant role in the formation of post-traumatic growth. It is proposed to consider psychological resilience as a multidimensional and multilevel phenomenon that includes cognitive, affective, and conative components and represents a nonlinear and uneven dynamic process of recovery after difficult life circumstances and which is manifested in the ability to maintain a stable level of psychological and physical functioning in critical situations, to emerge from such situations without persistent impairments, and to successfully adapt to adverse changes. It is noted that psychological resilience is manifested through the following content-structural components: involvement, need for cognition, control, ability to set realistic goals and carry out activities aimed at achieving them, risk-taking, resourcefulness, flexibility, optimism, cognitive complexity, altruism.
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