Features of Reintegration and Adaptation of Veterans to Peacetime Conditions
Abstract
Abstract. The relevance of the chosen topic is caused by a significant increase in the number of individuals with combat experience as a result of the full-scale war in Ukraine, which highlights the problem of their successful adaptation and reintegration into peacetime conditions. The return of veterans to the civilian environment is accompanied by complex psycho-emotional, social, and behavioral transformations that affect their ability to function fully, engage in social interaction, and achieve professional fulfillment. Under these conditions, scientifically grounded approaches to the psychological support of combatants become a necessary prerequisite for their successful integration into peaceful society. The aim of the article is to provide a theoretical substantiation of the process of psychological reintegration of veterans and to identify effective directions for their adaptation to civilian life. To achieve this goal, an analysis and systematization of scientific approaches by Ukrainian and foreign researchers have been carried out; the content of the key concepts of «reintegration» and «adaptation» has been clarified; and a multi-level model of this process has been outlined. The research methodology is based on the principles of systemicity, determinism, and a person-centered approach within the framework of legal psychology, using methods of logical-semantic analysis, generalization, systematization, and interpretation of empirical data. As a result of the study, key psychological mechanisms of the impact of combat experience on personality have been identified, including survivor guilt syndrome, emotional numbness, transformation of thinking patterns, hypersensitivity to negative stimuli, and risks of social maladaptation. The importance of family and the local community as basic support resources has been substantiated, as well as the need for comprehensive psychological support, including diagnostic, corrective, therapeutic, and preventive measures. The application of modern psychotherapeutic approaches and group work formats for restoring psychological resilience and social activity of veterans has been proposed. The practical significance lies in deepening the understanding of the mechanisms of psychological adaptation of veterans and in forming a foundation for the implementation of effective, individualized, and interdisciplinary reintegration programs in the current conditions of Ukraine.
Keywords: adaptation; veterans; maladaptation; psychological support; reintegration; combatants.
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