Physical culture as a tool for psychological rehabilitation of the civilian population and veterans in Ukraine

The article investigates the potential of physical culture as a tool for psychological rehabilitation of veterans and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine in the context of full-scale armed conflict. The relevance of the topic is determined by the scale of psychological consequences of the war for various population groups and the insufficient development of systemic approaches to organizing physical rehabilitation activities at the community level. The aim of the study is to theoretically substantiate and empirically verify the effectiveness of a structured group physical activity program as a means of reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression among the specified population categories. The study employed a comprehensive set of methods: analysis of scientific literature and regulatory framework, comparative analysis of domestic and international experience, a pedagogical experiment, psychodiagnostic testing using standardized instruments (PCL-5, GAD-7, PHQ-9, SWLS, IPAQ), questionnaire survey, and mathematical statistics. A 12-week pedagogical experiment was conducted involving 60 participants divided into experimental and control groups. The results demonstrated statistically significant positive dynamics in the experimental group: PTSD symptoms decreased by 13.9 points on PCL-5, anxiety by 5.2 points on GAD-7, depressive symptoms by 6.4 points on PHQ-9, and subjective well-being increased by 7.2 points on SWLS. Social integration indicators also improved substantially. Practical recommendations were formulated for public authorities, program organizers, coaches, and the scientific community.