The Bulletin of National Defence University of Ukraine

In the context of the prolonged armed aggression of Russia against Ukraine, the issue of preserving the mental and psychological health of military personnel is acquiring strategic importance. Chronic combat stress is one of the main factors in the development of emotional burnout syndrome, which directly reduces the combat effectiveness of units and the human potential of the armed forces. Despite the growing interest of researchers in this topic, the literature still lacks a comprehensive model for the prevention of emotional burnout among defence forces personnel that would integrate organisational, interpersonal, and individual levels into a unified system with clearly defined measures and expected outcomes. The aim of the study was to develop a model of psychological prevention of emotional burnout syndrome in military personnel. The theoretical foundations of the study were based on the analysis and synthesis of scientific sources from recent years. A systems approach was applied, allowing prevention to be considered as a multi-level structure. An original model of psychological prevention of emotional burnout among military personnel was developed, consisting of four levels of prevention. The defining element of the model is the meta-level, which acts as the system-forming core and ensures the conceptual integrity of the entire model. The second level is the macro-level (organisational environment), which is based on the “demands-resources” model and involves the implementation of two types of comprehensive preventive measures: organisation-focused measures (audit of stress factors, provision of resources, leadership development, stress resilience) and individual-focused measures (job crafting, designing one’s own work, development of professional agency). The micro-level (direct person-job fit) is based on the concept of six domains and includes measures aimed at harmonising the areas of workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values. The individual-personal level encompasses physiological recovery, the development of adaptive coping strategies, and psychoeducation. The outcomes of effective prevention include the preservation of mental health, increased engagement and motivation, strengthening of unit combat capability, and reduced staff turnover. The developed model can serve as a methodological basis for building a system of psychological prevention of emotional burnout in military units and may also be used by psychologists, commanders, and human resource specialists for planning and implementing preventive measures

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