Retrospective Analysis of Post-Traumatic Stress During the Great Patriotic War

Abstract

Based on the results of studies of psycho-traumatic events that can cause post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder, carried out in the laboratory of post-traumatic stress and the laboratory of developmental psychology of the subject in normal and post- traumatic states of the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the article assumes and analyzes the features of stressful situations characteristic of the time of the Great World War II. Such events have an intense negative impact and require strong coping resources, and, thus, can be accompanied by traumatic stress for the individual with various consequences. Of the many possible categories of events, this article analyzes those related to the death of loved ones, the news of this, emotional violence and the war in general, as an extremely difficult life period. It has been shown that a person's experience of post-traumatic stress in such circumstances has its own specifics, namely, the problems and probable difficulties that a person encounters in unfamiliar conditions can increase the symptoms of traumatic experience. It was also shown that social support continues to remain as the main resource in coping with stress as a protection against adverse environmental factors and a source of social and psychological resources. During the war, it was of great importance, people rendered it to each other regardless of the degree of kinship, social origin, level of education, common interests.

Keywords

• post-traumatic stress
• the great patriotic war
• traumatic events
• difficult situations
• death of loved ones
• emotional abuse
• social support