Nataliia Kucherenko - Ph.D in Psychology, Associate professor, Head in the Department of Practical Psychology, Educational and Scientific Institute “Ukrainian Engineering and Pedagogical Academy” of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University (Ukraine).
ORCID 0000-0002-6644-3117
Ihor Prykhodko - Doctor of Sciences in Psychology, Professor, Deputy Head of the Research Center, National Academy of the National Guard of Ukraine.
ORCID 0000-0002-4484-9781
DOI - https://doi.org/10.52363/dcpp-2025.1.9
Keywords: Digital immersive technologies, virtual reality, biofeedback, rehabilitation, psychological recovery, military personnel, combat operations.
The large-scale armed aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, along with the ongoing hostilities for the past twelve years, negatively impacts the physical and mental health of combatants. In these conditions, military personnel operate at the limits of their mental capabilities, and prolonged engagement in hostilities can lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorders. Therefore, timely developed and practically implemented programs for the prevention and management of combat stress, along with psychological rehabilitation for military personnel after hostilities, are crucial in significantly reducing psychogenic trauma and preventing mental disorders among combatants.
The psychological recovery of military personnel after participating in hostilities involves measures designed to mitigate the negative effects of combat stress on the psyche, strengthen mental health, mobilize psychological resources, enhance adaptation to combat conditions, and facilitate the swift return of military personnel to combat operations.
An analysis of scientific literature has identified key innovative digital technologies suitable for use in the psychological recovery of military personnel following combat operations. A promising avenue for these recovery programs is the use of digital immersion technologies, such as virtual reality and biofeedback, which incorporate virtual, immersive, and interactive elements. Digital technology environments can offer varying degrees of immersion and interaction modes: non-immersive, semi-immersive, and immersive. These technologies can serve as supplementary clinical tools for exposure therapy for anxiety disorders and PTSD, as well as for analgesic distraction during acute painful medical procedures, and for distraction and cognitive assessment to measure problem-solving skill performance.