Features of Psychological Preparation of the Personnel of the Security Forces in the Conditions of Epidemic Spread (COVID 19)
Author`s Contribution:
- Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, Ukraine
Background and aim of study:
The COVID 19 epidemic is gaining momentum in
Ukraine today. Every military-man of the Armed
Forces of Ukraine (AFU) is under a double
psychological burden due to both participations in the
joint forces operation and the spread of coronavirus
infection among his entourage, relatives, and friends.
Therefore, the problem of improving the psychological
training of military-men of AFU and other security
forces is quite relevant today.
Proper psychological training of each soldier
significantly increases the combat effectiveness of the
entire military unit, can significantly reduce the
number of casualties, as well as reduce the risk of
psychological disorders. A well-trained soldier
overcomes all the difficulties of military service with
dignity and defends the Motherland.
Results:
According to research by modern military
psychologists, psychological training of military-men
is a system of measures aimed at forming their
psychological resilience, emotional and volitional
qualities that allow to harden the will, learn to fight
fear, endure physical and psychological stress, acquire
survival skills in extreme conditions.
Depending on the target settings and the degree of
coverage of personnel, there are general, special and
targeted psychological training. General psychological
training is designed to form and improve the same
psychological qualities for all military-men. It is based
on the formation and development of political
consciousness, patriotism, skills and abilities of
volitional self-regulation and stress resistance, physical
qualities. In our opinion, the measures of general
psychological training carried out during the training
meeting should include the following measures:
bringing to subordinates official information about the
state of the spread of the disease in the state, the area of
the unit; proof of information on measures taken by the
commander and the medical service to prevent the
spread of infection; prevention of dissemination of
unverified information (rumors) by personnel. In
addition, military psychologists should monitor the
dynamics of military-men behavior at this time;
identify persons who show signs of abrupt changes in
behavior, attitudes, communication and take measures to prevent biases of personnel towards persons who
have signs of illness (sick or relapsed to COVID 19).
Special psychological training is aimed at
psychological training in the field of military activity.
It should be carried out during field trips (exercises) in
conditions as close as possible to combat, in order to
develop the military’s professional attention, memory,
ability to withstand stressors. In our opinion, measures
of special psychological training should include:
conducting classes with platoon (department)
commanders to identify signs of the spread of negative
mental states of military-men, due to COVID 19;
training of military-men in psychological methods of
self-regulation, positive motivation; training of
personnel in psychological methods of prevention and
neutralization of panic manifestations in units.
Targeted psychological training is aimed at preparing a
person to perform a specific task, mostly a separate
one. In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic, it
includes the formation of motivation of the individual
to comply with sanitary and hygienic requirements, the
task of psychological attitude to the implementation of
health procedures; psychological correction and
rehabilitation.
Measures of targeted psychological training conducted
by a military psychologist at this time should include:
conducting individual psychological counseling of
military-men; identification of persons with signs of
mental disorders due to COVID 19; psychological
support of military-men who have signs of
deteriorating psychological state and those who have
signs of being in a crisis psycho-emotional state.
Conclusion:
Thus, the growing role of psychological factors acting
today on military-men of AFU and other security
forces, requires a qualitative increase in the
psychological training of personnel of various
categories of military-men.
This will ensure a stable psychological readiness of
military-men to defend the Motherland and decisive
action in the performance of combat missions, to form
mental resilience to the traumatic factors of today.
DOI and UDC:
UDC: 159.922.27:316.33
DOI: 10.26697/ijes.2020.4.21
Information about the authors:
Stadnik Anatoliy Volodymyrovych – Doctor of
Philosophy in Medicine, Associate Professor,
Associate Professor of the Department of Military
Training, Kharkiv National University of Internal
Affairs, Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Research interests: tactical medicine, psychology,
education; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1472-4224
Vashchenko Ihor Vladyslavovych – Doctor of
Philosophy in History, Associate Professor, Associate
Professor of the Department of Military Training,
Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs,
Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Research interests: psychology, pedagogy, military
education; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1444-7538