The Bulletin of National Defence University of Ukraine

  • Received 19.08.2025,
  • Revised 23.12.2025,
  • Accepted 27.01.2026
Download article Download article
Vol. 21, No. 1, 2026
  • coping strategies; self-efficacy; locus of control; meaning in life; existential anxiety
  • https://doi.org/10.33099/2617-6858-26-21-1-55-67
  • Pages 55-67

The study’s relevance is justified by the increased indicators of existential anxiety and death fear amid global instability, military conflicts, and increasing professional risks. These are manifest especially in the families of seafarers, whose wives for a long time remain in a state of uncertainty and emotional tension. This study aimed to investigate the manifestations of death fear, the level of psychological self-control, and the role of laughter as a resource for emotional regulation in the wives of seafarers. The study employed theoretical methods of analysis, systematisation, and generalisation of approaches to the problems of death fear and self-control, as well as empirical tools, including the Self-Efficacy Scale, the Locus of Control Scale, the Death Attitude Scale, the Spielberger Anxiety Scale, the Purpose-in-Life Test, the Personal Death Fear Questionnaire, and the Differential Loneliness Experience Questionnaire. The data were processed by calculating the mean, median, and mode, as well as the Shapiro-Wilk and Spearman statistical tests. The results show that the overall level of death fear in the majority of the respondents ranges from low to moderate, and is accompanied by relatively preserved psychological self-control and a high level of self-efficacy. An elevated level of background anxiety caused by long waiting and uncertainty was detected; however, an intense fear becomes relevant only in the context of specific danger. The use of laughter has been found to correlate with low levels of affective tension, high emotional stability, and a high ability for self-regulation. Laughter not only performs a regulatory function, but also a sense-making one, contributing to the inclusion of death fear into the general context of life values and maintaining psychological resilience. At the same time, a group at increased psychological risk has been identified, characterised by a high level of anxiety and low self-control. The practical significance of the research lies in the possibility of using its results in the development of a system of psychological support and consulting services for the wives of seafarers, aimed at enhancing self-control, resilience, and adaptive mechanisms of emotional regulation using laughter therapy

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