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Anna Topchylo - Adjunct of the Adjuncture Program. National University of Civil Protection of Ukraine, Cherkasy (Ukraine)
ORCID 0009-0001-1762-9257
DOI - https://doi.org/10.52363/dcpp-2025.2.15
Keywords: psychological recovery, injury, psychological rehabilitation, mental trauma, psychological support, family, security and defense sector personnel, individual counseling, family counseling, socio-psychological training.
The article presents the results of a study examining the role of the family as a key psychological resource in the recovery process of injured personnel of the Security and Defense Sector. The purpose of the article is to identify the specific features of how family support influences the emotional state, psychological adaptation, and recovery dynamics of individuals who have experienced physical and psychological consequences of injuries. The study emphasizes that under martial law, the family serves as the primary environment for forming a sense of safety, trust, and self-belief in the injured person, providing not only physical assistance but also a powerful combination of emotional, social, spiritual, value-based, and practical resources. The article highlights the importance of addressing secondary traumatization within families as one of the most complex psychological consequences of a family member’s injury, as well as the necessity for a comprehensive psychological support approach in such work. Both international and domestic experiences in working with injured personnel and their families at various stages of psychological recovery are analyzed.
The article also presents the results of a pilot study conducted in 2025. The research sample included 86 employees of the Security and Defense Sector of Ukraine (State Emergency Service, National Guard, and National Police) who were injured while performing official duties. To assess their emotional state, Izard’s Differential Emotions Scale was used. The initial testing revealed a high level of negative emotions (76.15%) and anxiety-depressive experiences (79.76%), along with a low level of positive emotions (29.17%), indicating significant psycho-emotional exhaustion among participants. After conducting a series of group and individual sessions aimed at improving emotional interaction within families (psychoeducation, empathy development exercises, family counseling, and cohesion training), a positive dynamic was observed: the level of acute negative emotions decreased to 51.34%, anxiety-depressive manifestations dropped to 46.15%, while positive emotions increased to 57.71%.
The results demonstrate that systematic work with the family of an injured person has a significant impact on their psychological recovery, contributing to improved emotional well-being, increased motivation for rehabilitation, and the formation of internal resilience to overcome traumatic effects. The obtained findings are recommended for use in developing effective psychological recovery models and programs, and in the future – for building a targeted support system for injured personnel of the Security and Defense Sector of Ukraine and their families.