The Main Factors and Personality Characteristics to Predict the Risk of Suicide by Military Personnel in Hostilities

Authors

  • Ihor Prykhodko National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine
  • Yanina Matsehora National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine
  • Olexander Kolesnichenko National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine
  • Anastasiia Bolshakova Kharkiv State Academy of Culture
  • Olena Bilyk Kharkiv State Academy of Culture
  • Andriy V. Haydabrus Kharkiv National University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18662/brain/11.3/110

Keywords:

suicide, hostilities, military personnel, personality characteristics, Ukraine

Abstract

The problem of non-combat losses due to suicides of military personnel is relevant for most of the armed forces of states participating in local armed conflicts. The posthumous pathopsychological study of materials from the investigation of suicides by Ukrainian military personnel made it possible to identify the main factors of committing suicides during the period of participation in hostilities in eastern Ukraine in 2014-2019: problems of adaptation to combat conditions; insufficient level of professional and psychological training to perform missions in combat conditions; acute stressful reactions to participation in hostilities; physical and mental exhaustion, demotivation; dysfunctional families; loneliness or breakup with a beloved woman; offenses and disciplinary actions; alcohol abuse. The main types of personality who committed suicide in different periods of hostilities were: in 2014-2016 “Demonstratively-Dependent”, having two subtypes “Demonstratively-Maladaptive” and “Demonstratively-Masked”; in 2017-2019 “Asthenic-Depressive”, which has two subtypes “Constitutionally-Weak” and “Exhausted-Demotivated”. The manifestation of PTSD symptoms, physical and mental exhaustion, demotivation, indifference of society to the problems of veterans can significantly increase the risk of suicide in the post-war period. The division into periods of suicidal activity of servicemen suggests that the identified types (subtypes) of personality become suicidal only in extreme conditions with impaired adaptation and self–realization. The identified reasons for committing suicides and the typification of military personnel-suicides associated with different periods of participation in hostilities are not exhaustive.

Author Biographies

Ihor Prykhodko, National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine

Doctor of Science in Psychology, Professor, Chief of Research Center, National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Yanina Matsehora, National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine

Phd in Psychology, Leading researcher of the Research Center, National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine, Kharkov, Ukraine

Olexander Kolesnichenko, National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine

Doctor of Science in Psychology, Chief of Research Laboratory of Research Center, National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Anastasiia Bolshakova, Kharkiv State Academy of Culture

Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Chief of the Psychology and pedagogy Department, Kharkiv State Academy of Culture, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Olena Bilyk, Kharkiv State Academy of Culture

Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Vice-Rector for Scientific-Pedagogical Work and International Links,  Kharkiv State Academy of Culture, Kharkiv, Ukraine

Andriy V. Haydabrus, Kharkiv National University

MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Neurology, Psychiatry and Narcology, Kharkiv National University

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Published

2020-10-07

How to Cite

Prykhodko, I., Matsehora, Y., Kolesnichenko, O., Bolshakova, A., Bilyk, O., & Haydabrus, A. V. (2020). The Main Factors and Personality Characteristics to Predict the Risk of Suicide by Military Personnel in Hostilities. BRAIN. Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, 11(3), 72-87. https://doi.org/10.18662/brain/11.3/110

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