Transformation of the personnel psychological support system in the Armed Forces of Ukraine: current challenges and future directions for modernization

Abstract

Background . The purpose of the article is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of the military psychology system in the Armed Forces of Ukraine under the conditions of the contemporary Russian–Ukrainian war, as well as to identify key problems of its modernization and to substantiate the psychophysiological foundations of ensuring the combat readiness of military personnel.
Methods . The study employs methods of analysis and synthesis of scholarly literature, comparative analysis of international approaches to military psychological training, and a systems approach to assessing the current state of military psychology in Ukraine.
Results . The article provides a comprehensive analysis of transformative processes in the military psychology system in the context of the ongoing Russian–Ukrainian war and increasing requirements for the psychophysiological readiness of personnel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Key challenges related to the modernization of the psychological support system are examined, including personnel shortages, insufficient integration of psychological training into combat training, fragmentation of methodological support, and limited implementation of preventive approaches to building stress resilience among service members. Particular attention is paid to the psychophysiological foundations of combat readiness, as well as the role of resilience, self-regulation, and cognitive adaptability under conditions of prolonged combat stress. International approaches to the development of psychological resilience are analyzed, including programs such as Master Resilience Training and the Holistic Health and Fitness concept, in comparison with current psychological support practices in Ukraine. The feasibility of transitioning from a situational-reactive model of psychological support to a preventive system aimed at the gradual development of independent psycho-emotional self-regulation skills is substantiated. Socio-cultural, religious, and ideological determinants of the functioning of military psychology are also considered, as well as issues of interaction between psychological and chaplaincy structures in crisis conditions. Scientific novelty. The study proposes conceptual approaches to integrating psychophysiological training methods are proposed, including the author's models of psychoregulation as potential elements of the combat readiness system. The need for further empirical research on the effectiveness of the implemented solutions is emphasized.
Conclusions . Improving the effectiveness of the military psychology system requires implementing a preventive model of psychological training, the development of resilience and psycho-emotional self-regulation among service members, as well as further integration of psychophysiological approaches into combat training. A promising direction for further research is the empirical validation of the effectiveness of
the proposed models in military practice.