RESEARCH ON SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF MARRIAGE CONFLICT IN THE FAMILIES OF MILITARY SERVICEMEN DURING THE WAR

Abstract

The article presents an in-depth theoretical and empirical analysis of the social and psychological factors that determine the nature and dynamics of marital conflicts in the families of military personnel during wartime. The military family is viewed as a system with a disturbed balance, in which external wartime stressors provoke transformations of internal structural and communicative mechanisms. It is conceptually demonstrated that chronic stress and psychotraumatic events activate maladaptive coping mechanisms, reduce emotional regulation capacity, and diminish the quality of marital communication. The functioning of the marital dyad is analyzed through the lens of attachment theory, which explains the emergence of emotional distancing, decreased trust, and disruptions of basic patterns of intimacy caused by constant danger and uncertainty. Role theory is also considered, indicating that prolonged absence of the servicemember and the partner’s overload with responsibilities lead to the disintegration of family roles and intensification of intra-systemic contradictions. The empirical study confirmed the theoretical assumptions: the dominance of chronic stress, emotional instability, high anxiety levels, and role overload form the core of conflictogenic processes. Military personnel demonstrated signs of combat stress, difficulties with readaptation after rotations, and a tendency to avoid emotional contact, which corresponds to established models of stress and emotional exhaustion. The wives showed symptoms of secondary traumatization, tension associated with waiting, and reduced psychological resources. Conflicts in such families often take on a latent character, consistent with the “hidden conflict” model, where unspoken emotions, communication avoidance, and gradual emotional disengagement predominate. Theoretically, it is shown that disturbances in emotional exchange serve as a key factor undermining the stability of the marital system under wartime threats. The practical significance of the study lies in identifying directions for psychological support for military families. The authors substantiate the need for implementing programs aimed at developing adaptive coping strategies, restoring emotional closeness, stabilizing family roles, preventing secondary traumatization, and strengthening resource-based models of stress management. The theoretically enriched interpretation of the findings forms a basis for further interdisciplinary research on military families in the context of prolonged social crises.