Stress Resistance Features of Cadets Under the Influence of Combat Stress

The aim of the study: To investigate the characteristics of stress resistance among cadets under the influence of combat stress, identify the personality-psychological profile of students prone to depression, and establish the correlation with academic performance. Materials and methods: The main group of participants in our study consisted of 45 cadets in their fourth year of training who were involved in combat operations and diagnosed with varying degrees of combat stress. The age range of the respondents was between 20 and 26. In the study, a complex of psychodiagnostic methods was used, including the “Combat Stress Questionnaire” by Blinov O. A. (CSQ), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for diagnosing depressive symptoms, and an analysis of the academic performance of cadets who participated in combat operations. All developed express methods underwent appropriate standardization and practical testing, demonstrating high effectiveness. According to the results of the study of depression levels in cadets, the following were diagnosed: 5 (11%) cadets had a high degree of depression, 9 (20%) cadets had an average degree of depression, 18 (40%) cadets had a mild degree of depression, and 13 (29%) cadets had no signs of depression. Conclusions: All 45 (100%) cadets who participated in combat operations were in combat stress. 71.1% of respondents showed signs of depression. The result of the impact of combat stress is damage to the soldiers’ psyche, which takes the form of combat-mental trauma. The intensity of experiencing combat stress depended on the main factors: the strength and duration of the impact on the psyche and the individual psychological features of the body’s response to their impact, character and level of motivation.