Umerenkova N. Psychological characteristics of communicative behaviour of wives in combatant families

The study is dedicated to the research on psychological characteristics of communicative behaviour of combatants’ wives in the process of marital communication at different stages of their husbands` military deployments through Anti-terrorist operation/Join forces operation (ATO/JFO). Theoretical analysis of the problem of combatants’ wives’ communicative behaviour in marital communication is carried out. The analysis shows that the communicative behaviour of combatants’ wives in marital communication is a process of information transfer between spouses, which contains subjective psychological features (psycho-emotional state of wives) and procedural psychological features (informational, interactive and perceptual components of marital communication) and includes a media-mediated component of communication. The expectations of combatants regarding the context of wives’ communicative behaviour as a component of the influence upon the moral and psychological state of combatants are analyzed. It has been found out that wives’ communicative behaviour can give resource and support a combatant during difficult psycho-emotional states. It has also been found that family problem context can lead to decrease of the moral and psychological state of combatants. The time frames of deployment stages are justified for study psychological features of combatant wives’ communicative behaviour, whose husbands are at different stages of military deployment: 1) without experience of ATO/JFO deployment; 2) current ATO/JFO deployment; 3) up to 3 months after ATO/JFO deployment; 4) 4 to 8 months after ATO/JFO deployment; 5) more than 9 months after ATO/JFO deployment (but not more than 2 years); 6) veterans demobilized from military structures. The psychological features of communicative behaviour of wives whose husbands are at different stages of military deployment are determined (using the H-test by Kraskal Wallis). The highest index of anxiety and wives' perception of husbands’ psychotrauma signs in marital communication is typical for groups of wives whose husbands are currently ATO/JFO deployed and wives of veterans as well. At these stages also the lowest levels of harmony of communication orientations has been found out. For wives whose husbands at stage more than 9 months after ATO/JFO deployment - the lowest indicators of anxiety and the highest indicators of harmony are representative. At the stage of 4-8 months after ATO/JFO deployment slightly increased rates of anxiety, which is associated with higher rates of wives' perception of husbands’ psychotrauma signs in marital communication. There have also been revealed the direct links (the rank Spearman coefficient) between indicators of wives' anxiety and wives' perception of husbands’ psychotrauma signs in marital communication, which confirms the existence of a basis for the formation signs of wives` secondary psychotrauma. The psychological content of resource communicative behaviour of combatants' wives in marital communication is revealed, as well as behaviour that is focused on meeting the needs and solving problems of both a wives and husbands, improving their psychological state; to intensify internal resources of self-regulation and attract the support of communities. Psychological features of resource communicative behaviour of combatants' wives in marital communication are described. It involves the harmony of communication orientations connected with the emotional sharing; effectiveness of self-regulation and reduction of personal and reactive anxiety; focus of coping strategies is primarily on problem solving; manifestation of a high level of reflection. Based on the findings two key strategies for development combatants’ wives` resourceful communicative behaviour are suggested: 1) improvement external resources by raising proactivity of formal authorities with providing regular professional support 2) ensuring the growth of internal resources by increasing self-regulation skills with account of deployment stages specifics. For strategy implementing the set of tools has been developed and tested. It can be used for development of resourceful communicative behaviour of combatants’ wives: three-stage group psychosocial work, which includes informational, psychological, and counselling stages; media psychological tools of self-regulative and psychoeducational orientation. Based on the results, structural and organizational tools are suggested for improvement the resource communicative behaviour of combatants’ wives in the format of recommendations for strengthening of existing military families social and psychological support system in military formations. Key words: communicative behaviour, combatant wives, servicemen wives, social and psychological support, military family, deployment of combat operations, cycle of deployment, military deployment, anti-terrorist operation