Psychological Markers of Suicides in Military Service DuringWartime: A Contemporary Example

ABSTRACT

To determine the types of suicidal activity of Ukrainian military personnel who took part in hostilities in 2014-2016 in the War in the East of Ukraine. The materials of the post-mortem pathopsychological research of the Ukrainian military personnel who participated in hostilities and committed suicide in the interval 2014-2016 were analyzed. Psychodiagnostical data of suicides was used according to the following methodologies R. Cattell’s 16-factor Questionnaire, “Suicidal Risk Questionnaire”, “Determining the Type of Accentuation of Character Traits and Temperament”, “Adaptability”. Cluster analysis was used to identify the personality types of the military personnel who committed suicide. It was revealed that the increase in suicides occurred at the expense of professionally nd psychologically unprepared military who signed the first contract, as well as conscripted during martial law period, volunteers. It was found out that all suicides originated from destructive families, that had problems in civilian life. Combat psychological trauma followed by alcohol use provoked suicides in the period of early adaptation to combat conditions. “Demonstratively-exalted” type of suicidal activity, allowed determining that suicides in the period 2014-2016 were associated with a violation of adaptation to combat conditions, as-well-as the inability to compensate adequately the accentuated character traits formed in civilian life (AU)