Acute stress response and its long-term consequences in combatants (literature review)

The article is devoted to a review of current research on Acute Stress Response (ASR) and its long-term consequences in combatants. The article determines that ARS is a complex mental disorder that can have significant negative consequences for the mental health of the military, and the use of valid psychodiagnostic tools is an important prerequisite for timely diagnosis and provision of adequate psychological assistance to such persons. It has been determined that in the context of the war in Ukraine, the number of servicemen suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is increasing significantly, which requires the development of effective methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of long-term consequences of this condition. Existing research findings indicate the importance of studying the clinical and phenomenolo­gical features of PTSD, but do not sufficiently cover its impact on the mental state of combatants and possible long-term consequences. The article argues that further research should focus on the mechanisms of resilience and vulnerability to stress, as well as on the development of effective interventions to prevent and treat PTSD in this category of individuals. Based on the analysis of literature sources, the basic approaches to the definition of the concept and theory of stress and its role and impact on the human body are revealed. The mechanisms of stress formation and the views of scientists on this process are indicated. It is indicated that the significance of ASR is not limited to the immediate threat to the life of the soldier and his environment in a combat situation, but also determines the presence of delayed adverse effects in the form of a significant frequency of completed suicides, which targets ASR as a risk factor for completed suicide. In addition, it has been proven that ASR is a significant predictor of all-cause mortality. Keywords: acute stress disorder, military personnel, post-traumatic stress disorder, long-term consequences.