MECHANISMS OF FEAR CONTROL IN COMBAT SITUATIONS

Melnikov Anton Pavlovich

This article examines the phenomenon of fear in combat conditions through the lens of contemporary military psychological research. A theoretical analysis is conducted on the dual nature of fear as a psychological phenomenon, which can act both as a destructive factor that paralyzes combat activity and as a mobilizing psychological resource. The mechanisms of soldiers’ adaptation to extreme conditions are explored, including the role of the endogenous opioid system in processes of acute and long-term organism adaptation. Special attention is given to Ulrich Beck’s concept of the “risk society” and its influence on the modern military sphere. Approaches to studying combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder are analyzed, including external factors and genetic predispositions to its development. Historical aspects of the study of soldiers’ psyche during battles and modern methods of psychological rehabilitation of combatants are considered. The main problems and prospects for the development of military psychological science are identified in the context of the increasing complexity of modern armed conflicts. The article substantiates the necessity of an interdisciplinary approach to studying fear in the military field and the development of new technologies for psychological training of personnel.

Keywords:fear in war, military psychology, combat stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, soldier adaptation, risk society, psychological rehabilitation.