Prof. E.O. Pomytkin1, assoc. prof. L.S. Moskalenko1, I.V. Begas2
1Ukrainian Institute of Arts and Sciences
2Interregional Academy of Personnel Management
The article presents the results of an empirical study of the mental states of middle-aged women in the context of armed conflict, focusing on the levels of anxiety, aggressiveness, frustration, and rigidity. The aim of the study is to identify psycho-emotional manifestations associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as to assess the overall level of psychological tension affecting women’s emotional functioning in a crisis social environment. The “Self-Assessment of Mental States” method developed by H. Eysenck was used for data collection, allowing for the quantitative characterization of specific emotional states within a sample of 50 female respondents. The analysis reveals a predominance of moderate levels of anxiety (57%), frustration (50%), aggressiveness (33%), and rigidity (63%), indicating the presence of adaptive stress response mechanisms. However, the detection of high levels of anxiety, frustration, and rigidity in a portion of the women (up to 10%) points to psychological vulnerability and potential risks of developing PTSD or other maladaptive conditions. The study concludes that there is a pressing need for systematic psycho-emotional support for women affected by traumatic wartime events. The practical significance of the research lies in the potential use of the obtained data for the development of psychological interventions aimed at emotional stabilization, PTSD prevention, and the preservation of women’s mental health during periods of prolonged social stress. Future research prospects include examining the dynamics of psycho-emotional state changes in the post-war period and conducting comparative analyses across different age and social groups.
Key words: mental states, anxiety, frustration, aggressiveness, rigidity, middle-aged women, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), armed conflict, psycho-emotional tension, stress adaptation.
https://doi.org/10.15407/internalmed2025.02.130
References:
1. Aizenk H. Yu. Test «Samootsinka psykhichnykh staniv» \[Eysenck H. Yu. Test “Self-assessment of mental states”\] \[Internet\]. E-pidruchnyky. Available from: https://e-pidruchniki.com/content/. (Ukrainian).