The Bulletin of National Defence University of Ukraine

The relevance of the study is determined by the considerable psychological strain experienced by Marine Corps service personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who perform tasks in complex littoral zones under conditions of intensive artillery fire, extensive use of unmanned systems and electronic warfare assets, resulting in prolonged logistical and communication isolation of small tactical groups. This study aimed to provide a theoretical substantiation, conceptualisation and structural modelling of a specialised programme for developing mental resilience, designed to transform maladaptive spontaneous defensive responses in service personnel into conscious, proactive and existentially meaningful strategies for coping with combat stress. The methodological basis of the study rested on the integration of the personality-activity approach, the salutogenic paradigm, and methods of existential analysis and logotherapy, which makes it possible to view the combatant as an active agent in managing their own condition. To develop the model of psychological intervention, a set of methods was applied, including systematic and comparative analysis of contemporary doctrines of combat stress management, in particular, Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness, as well as structural and functional modelling. The study found that classical Western protocols for combat stress control, in particular the doctrine of Combat and Operational Stress Control and the principles of Brevity, Immediacy, Contact, Expectancy, Proximity and Simplicity, are insufficient and require substantial adaptation to the conditions of a conventional conflict with disrupted evacuation chains. In response to these challenges, the architecture of a 36-hour training programme has been substantiated. The programme comprises four modules: psycho-emotional stabilisation based on an adapted iCOVER protocol (8 hours), cognitive reappraisal with heuristic modelling of crisis scenarios (8 hours), behavioural adaptation (8 hours), and existential-meaning integration (6 hours). The specific tactical value of reappraising coping strategies has also been substantiated: emotional distancing and fatalism, which are traditionally classified as maladaptive, have been shown to perform a critical compensatory function under conditions of a prolonged, uncontrollable macro-stressor. The practical value of the study lies in the development of an implementation-ready algorithm for autonomous psychological training. Its introduction by personnel psychological support structures can enhance the combat reliability of service personnel, prevent the development of moral injury, and ensure the sustained functioning of units

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