Troop Psychology

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Troop psychology is a form of applied psychology in the Bundeswehr that deals with the experience and behavior of soldiers. There are full-time military psychologists in the army , the air force and the navy . They work at division , brigade and flotilla level and are led by the Army Command , Air Force Command and Navy Command . Full-time troop psychologists as well as psychologists from other areas of the military administration accompany soldiers as military practitioners on missions in the German armed forces. Her main tasks there are crisis intervention as well as individual and management advice.

Tasks of troop psychology

Experience of the Bundeswehr, but also of other nations, has shown that soldiers on deployment are exposed not only to physical, but also to considerable psychological stress. These burdens do not relate exclusively to the military deployment, but also to the military and private framework conditions, such as security and care for the family, care and welfare by superiors or the recognition of the deployments by the public. It was and is therefore of central importance to improve stress management strategies by strengthening personal and social resources and establishing supportive structures.

The Federal Ministry of Defense's “Framework Concept for Coping with Psychological Strains of Soldiers”, which was last revised in March 2004 , generally known as the Bundeswehr stress concept, regulates and coordinates the various measures taken to strengthen or restore the psychological stability of soldiers before, during and after the operations are required. It ensures that the measures of leadership and care are coordinated with the measures of the medical service, the psychological service, the military pastoral care and the social service .

Since the start of the foreign missions , the Bundeswehr has continuously expanded and improved the support measures. In recent years, for example, the deployment-related measures in the context of deployment preparation, deployment support and post-deployment have been strengthened and v. a. special emphasis was placed on the reintegration of soldiers after their return from the mission. The focus is always on prevention. This is intended to make it easier to deal with stressful and / or potentially traumatizing situations and to prevent possible consequences of stress. Therefore, in the context of deployment preparation, the focus is initially on psychological education and training measures, in which the soldiers learn to deal with stress, to apply stress management techniques and to provide psychological self-help and help for comrades .

Supervisors receive extended training in dealing with stress and stressed soldiers. As part of the psychological support, the contingent troop psychologists are available for advice and support. Even during the deployment, soldiers who are particularly stressed can have the opportunity to relieve stress in a recreation center (RecC) outside the area of ​​operation , if the infrastructural and organizational framework conditions permit. There they are looked after by psychologists and social workers.

If, after a particularly stressful individual experience in the field or in the event of corresponding events in Germany, the measures of psychological self-help and comrade help are no longer sufficient to bring about the stabilization of those affected, crisis intervention teams (KIT) formed for this purpose , under the direction of psychologists or doctors, Structured discussions and individual measures for psychotrauma-related follow-up work carried out. KIT is supported by specially trained peers .

After returning from the mission, the medical officer pays particular attention to signs of incipient or manifest post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) during the return examinations or surveys that are mandatory for all soldiers . About six to eight weeks after the end of the mission, two to three-day post-mission seminars are held for all mission participants, in which the mission and the personal experiences of the soldiers in the group are processed under the direction of specially trained moderators and the mission is "concluded". In the seminars, however, soldiers should also be identified who should / must be offered further follow-up offers. Participation in these seminars is compulsory for all participants; Family members can also participate if they so wish. Psychological specialists provide support in these seminars if necessary. After the mission, a preventive cure, usually lasting three weeks, can be carried out in which stressed soldiers are supported in their regeneration as part of a recovery concept in the pre-therapeutic area. Special aftercare groups have been set up at the Bundeswehr hospitals, which are made up of members of the medical service, the psychological service, the military pastoral care and the social service and offer the necessary measures from counseling to the initiation of therapeutic measures. If there have already been long-term stress reactions or psycho- traumas , further - also therapeutic - care by specialists and psychological psychotherapists at the Bundeswehr hospitals or in other facilities of the Bundeswehr or civil health care is ensured on an outpatient or inpatient basis. In addition, as a further support measure, the Bundeswehr has set up a nationwide family support organization that offers help and support in all social matters, in particular to soldiers and their families affected by missions abroad. The support provided by the Bundeswehr's social service is also used in a variety of ways. In addition, troop psychologists and troop doctors as well as military chaplains are available as additional contacts at the request of those affected. As part of the psychosocial network, doctors, troop psychologists, military pastors and social workers are available to provide support and advice. This ensures that every soldier receives the right advice and support in the event of problems. Recreational and health treatments complement the care options. After the end of the mission - during normal duty at home - active soldiers have the opportunity to use the numerous offers of help from the Bundeswehr at any time if they have psychological problems (e.g. through the responsible troop doctor). Former soldiers are written to at a certain time after the end of their mission abroad and informed about the contact points who can help them in the event of long-term effects caused by the mission.

Situation in the Bundeswehr

The realization that soldiers on deployment can also be exposed to considerable psychological stress is nothing new. It was and is therefore of central importance to improve the ability to cope with stress and to prepare the soldiers for the mission under the most "real" conditions possible, to provide medical, psychological and pastoral support during the mission and to ensure that any remaining stresses and strains after the mission will be further reduced from use. First of all, the psychological self and companion help as well as the care by the superiors should be mentioned. In addition, the troops have doctors, troop psychologists, military pastors and social workers at their disposal as a psychosocial network for support and advice. This ensures that every soldier receives the right advice and support in the event of problems. Recreational and health treatments complement the care options. If necessary, psychotherapeutic care and treatment is ensured at the Bundeswehr hospitals in the event of persistent stress reactions - including post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ). Family care centers at home locations take care of family members during assignments abroad. Former soldiers are written to at a certain time after the end of their mission abroad and informed about the contact points who can help them in the event of long-term effects caused by the mission.

literature

  • Günter Kreim, Susanne Bruns, Bernd Völker (eds.): Psychology for use and emergencies: Approaches and perspectives in military psychology (2nd revised edition). Bernard & Graefe, Bonn 2014, ISBN 978-3-7637-6290-3 .
  • Janice H. Laurence, Michael D. Matthews (Eds.): The Oxford Handbook of Military Psychology. Oxford University Press, New York 2012, ISBN 978-0-19-539932-5 .

Web links