Digital storytelling as a tool for psychological resilience and military identity in hybrid warfare

The article presents an empirical study of the relationship between the use of digital storytelling and indicators of psychological resilience and military identity among servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the context of hybrid warfare. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing role of digital platforms in contemporary information confrontation and their influence on the formation of servicemen’s psychological resilience. The aim of the article was to empirically examine the relationship between the use of digital storytelling and indicators of morale and psychological state, psychological resilience, military identity, and readiness to counter information and psychological operations among AFU servicemen under conditions of hybrid warfare. The study involved 75 servicemen, the majority of whom represented combat units, and all participants had direct combat experience. A set of psychodiagnostic methods was applied, including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, O. Shtepa’s Psychological Resourcefulness Questionnaire, the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, and C. Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale, supplemented by an author-developed questionnaire. The findings revealed statistically significant correlations between regular consumption of high-quality Ukrainian military content and reduced anxiety levels (r = -0.62, p < 0.01), increased resilience (r = 0.58, p < 0.01), and a stronger sense of belonging to the military community (r = 0.72, p < 0.001). Trust in authentic personal narratives demonstrated the strongest association with the “Purpose in Life” subscale (r = 0.71, p < 0.001), while the perceived importance of realistic content positively correlated with post-traumatic growth (r = 0.65, p < 0.01). It was established that critical thinking in source verification was associated with psychological autonomy (r = 0.63, p < 0.01), whereas the use of humour as a coping mechanism correlated with lower levels of depression (r = -0.54, p < 0.05). The practical significance of the results lies in the development of practical recommendations for specialists responsible for morale and psychological support in the AFU regarding the implementation of digital unit diaries, the creation of a hero narrative library for bibliotherapy, the legitimisation of military humour as an official tool of psychological support, the training of servicemen in information hygiene criteria, and the introduction of narrative pedagogy in military educational institutions