DEFORMATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND SPEECH CHANGES IN PARTICIPANTS OF A SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION DUE TO COMBAT MENTAL TRAUMA

Trifonova I.V.

State Budgetary Healthcare Institution of the Moscow Region "Ruza Hospital"«
Ruza (Moscow Region), Russia
e-mail: ir.trif@yandex.ru

 

Introduction

Modern armed conflicts, and in particular special military operations (SMO), have a multifaceted and long-term impact on the mental health of military personnel. One of the most studied mental health consequences of combat remains post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has been described in detail in both foreign and domestic scientific literature [8; 9; 10; 12].

According to international studies, the prevalence of PTSD among veterans of armed conflicts such as the wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq fluctuates steadily between 20–30% [9; 10; 12]. Domestic studies of local armed conflicts also record a high percentage of psychotraumatic disorders among demobilized military personnel [8].

However, limiting the analysis to PTSD alone does not adequately capture the full spectrum of post-combat mental changes. Clinical examinations of military personnel who participated in the Second World War reveal complex cognitive-semantic transformations that extend beyond the traditional symptoms of PTSD. One such phenomenon is a distortion of consciousness, characterized by a disruption of the holistic cognitive structure, system of meanings, and moral and value orientations, and accompanied by pronounced speech changes [4; 5; 8].

Similar phenomena of consciousness deformation have been previously recorded in studies of the consequences of major military conflicts of the 20th century. As early as the years of the First World War, the phenomenon of "shell shock neurosis" was described, which included pronounced cognitive, emotional, and speech impairments [10; 11]. Studies of participants in the Great Patriotic War recorded the formation of chronic mental changes encompassing the structure of the worldview, value and moral attitudes, cognitive flexibility, and emotional stability. Veterans of the Afghan campaign (1979–1989) and the Chechen war (1994–2009) similarly exhibited persistent cognitive impairments, speech changes, and maladjustment of social identity. In modern Special Military Operations, new stress factors are also noted: in addition to the classic "shell shock," the phenomenon of "dronephobia" (fear of drone attacks) and its psychological consequences has emerged.

Thus, the phenomenon of deformation of consciousness has a high degree of stability across conflicts, demonstrating the presence of universal patterns of mental disintegration under the influence of extreme combat experience, regardless of the historical and social context.

In the clinical structure of deformation of consciousness in participants of the SVO, key components are distinguished:

— generalization of the perception of the social environment as potentially hostile;

— a decrease in basic trust in others and the social system as a whole;

— dichotomization of interpersonal assessments based on the principle of «us – them»;

— expressed moral conflicts caused by the contradiction between one’s own actions and previous ethical standards [9; 11].

— the dominance of negative cognitive expectations regarding the future and one’s own identity [7];

- pronounced emotional disorders (emotional dullness, anxiety, irritability).

Changes in speech activity are an important indicator of cognitive deformation. According to the concept of linguistic personality pathology [5], the speech structure of demobilized military personnel is characterized by a reduced speech rate, extended pauses, monotonous intonation, a limited vocabulary when describing traumatic experiences, the prevalence of military jargon, avoidance of specific topics related to trauma, and aggressive verbal expression during emotional arousal. The formation of so-called "pathogenic texts" leads to the consolidation of traumatic experiences, distortion of cognitive processing of events, and the persistent reproduction of dysfunctional patterns of perception of reality.

The relevance of studying the phenomenon of deformation of consciousness is determined not only by its high prevalence, but also by its pronounced destructive influence on the personal, professional and social spheres of life of demobilized military personnel, as well as on the functioning of society as a whole.

At the individual level, deformation of consciousness leads to the loss of a coherent system for interpreting external and internal reality, the formation of persistent maladaptive attitudes, threat generalization, social isolation, impaired emotional regulation, and decreased flexibility of social behavior [4; 5; 8; 11; 12]. This significantly complicates successful professional, family, and social integration and increases the risk of developing anxiety, depressive, addictive, and aggressive disorders.

At the macrosocial level, the mass maladjustment of demobilized individuals is becoming a systemic challenge, creating a persistent burden on healthcare, social protection, family therapy, and law enforcement. Family stability is disrupted, secondary traumatization of family members increases, veterans are increasingly marginalized, and their professional involvement and social activity decline. The lack of adequate systemic correction of cognitive deformation transforms individual clinical disorders into a large-scale problem of social stability. Yu. M. Karayani (2016) notes that the overwhelming majority of wounded combat veterans (up to 87%) develop a "disabled" identity, leading to social passivity and exclusion from the full life of society [3].

A particular challenge is that a distorted system of meanings fixates the veteran's attention on the traumatic combat experience, distorting their perception of the surrounding social environment even in civilian life. Self-correction of such states is difficult, requiring active professional intervention. This underscores the need for a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, scientifically based approach to the study and rehabilitation of distorted consciousness, incorporating clinical psychology, psychotherapy, psycholinguistics, neuropsychology, and social psychology.

The hypothesis of the study is that participation in combat operations in the conditions of the Second World War leads to a specific deformation of consciousness, manifested in cognitive-semantic disorders and changes in speech, and targeted psychotherapeutic influence on the affective-semantic sphere (emotional-figurative therapy) will be more effective in correcting these disorders compared to cognitive-behavioral and desensitization approaches.

The methodological tools of the study are a clinical-psychological interview (to identify traumatic experiences and assess symptoms), psycholinguistic analysis of speech (content analysis of statements to record speech markers of deformation of consciousness), as well as a formative experiment comparing three methods of psychotherapy (EOT, EMDR, CBT) with subsequent statistical evaluation of their effectiveness.

 

Deformation of consciousness as a systemic phenomenon of combat mental trauma: an analytical model, speech indicators and clinical manifestations

Combat experience among military personnel in modern armed conflicts leads not only to the development of acute forms of mental disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but also to more complex, profound changes in the cognitive and semantic organization of consciousness. One such systemic disorder is a deformation of consciousness—a phenomenon of persistent shifts in the hierarchy of meanings, the structure of cognitive regulation, and the emotional perception of reality, arising as a result of complex combat psychotraumatic experiences.

The classical structure of consciousness is built around stable semantic centers that ensure identity stability and behavioral adaptation: security, social belonging, trust, and the ability to plan for the future. During combat mental trauma, a radical shift in semantic dominants occurs: images of threat, violence, loss, moral conflict, and guilt take center stage. Emotionally charged affective complexes displace previous cognitive regulators. As demonstrated in the concept of psychosemantics by V.F. Petrenko [6], traumatization disrupts the hierarchical organization of the affective-semantic space: negative experiences become emotionally dominant, stabilizing the pathological cognitive schema. Under the conditions of combat experience, participants form a specific perception of social and internal reality, in which a hyper-aroused threat model prevails: «"Every day feels like the last—you never know if it's going to arrive or not," "I was constantly listening for where the shooting would start," "I could only sleep with my eyes open—there was no other way."». Concepts of the future are losing their regulatory value: «"The future? There is none." "There will be no normal life after this." "Normal life is not for us.". The level of generalization becomes most specific in military categories: «"We took the high ground, cleared the square, and returned. Everything else doesn't matter.".

The deformation of consciousness is exacerbated by the influence of moral trauma, which is formed as a result of the contradiction between the ethical principles of the individual and the need to perform actions in a combat situation that contradict previous values.

As demonstrated in the works of J. Shay and B. Litz, moral injury is a crucial component of cognitive impairment. Individuals who have suffered moral injury focus on the discrepancies between their actions and their perceptions of what is acceptable: «I knew I shouldn’t have done it, but there was no other way out at the time,» «There was an order, but I still can’t talk about it calmly,» «Before my eyes are the faces of those who didn’t return, because I stayed, and they didn’t.».

A comprehensive analysis of traumatic factors demonstrates their multi-component nature. A real threat to life was recorded in 93% respondents: «"When you leave in the morning, you don't know if you'll return in the evening."». Scenes of violence and loss create difficult visual images in 83%: «"After the evacuation of the 200s, I didn't sleep for several nights."». Hypervigilance is recorded in 77%: «"Even at home, I listen to every sound—waiting to see where it's coming from."». Isolation is noted in 63%: «"I don't tell my family—they won't understand. Better to remain silent than to explain.". These data confirm the systemic nature of traumatic impact, which simultaneously encompasses the threat to life, the moral sphere, social communication and identity.

The clinical behavior of participants after demobilization often appears outwardly intact, making it difficult to diagnose deformation during standard psychological examinations. Behavior in civilian conditions can mask underlying cognitive shifts behind the façade of social norms. In these circumstances, analysis of speech, as a direct projection of the structure of consciousness, acquires particular diagnostic value. Speech allows us to identify persistent changes in the cognitive processing of traumatic experiences, as it reflects the subject's internal system of semantic regulation.

Temporal structure disturbances manifest as a slowing of speech flow and prolonged pauses before traumatically significant episodes. When attempting to describe a traumatic experience, pauses, difficulties, and respiratory and facial expression markers of tension occur: «I… then… (pause)… when it all started… (silence)… can’t talk about it.». Along with this, a general decline in spontaneous speech activity, a narrowing of the narrative scope, and a reduction in descriptive components are observed. Semantic limitations manifest themselves in generalized, evasive responses: «Like everyone else... We served... We carried out our tasks.». An active avoidance of detailed descriptions of traumatic events is noted: «All sorts of things happened… There’s no point in telling.».

A pragmatic analysis of speech reveals aggressive and defensive reactions when attempting to discuss morally difficult episodes: «You weren’t there, you won’t understand!» «Why remember it, it won’t make it any easier.». Such pragmatics creates a communication barrier between the veteran and the environment, making socialization difficult (Table 1).

The lexical structure of speech production is particularly important. Military jargon, which persists in civilian life, serves an identifying function and hinders cognitive reintegration into civilian identity. Professional designations are actively used: «"three hundredth," "two hundredth," "suppressed the point," "worked in a square," "cleared the sector," "worked on firing points"». Such a lexical code captures the cognitive affiliation with combat experience, maintains the actualization of the military picture of the world, and stabilizes militarized identity, displacing civilian identity.

 

Table 1

Analysis of the manifestation of deformation of the image of the world in the speech of veterans with PTSD

Aspect of deformation of the image of the world	Manifestations in speech	Psychological significance	Example / Comment
Decreased emotional expression	Monotonous, quiet speech with little intonation modulation	Emotional numbness, depression	«Yes, it was hard…» said in a flat, lifeless voice, without any emotional accents.
Increased pauses and slowdowns	Frequent pauses, slow speech rate	Difficulty processing emotions, cognitive retardation	«I… I don’t want to talk about it… it’s… difficult…» – long pauses and difficulties in wording
Impoverishment of vocabulary and scarcity of descriptions	Limited vocabulary, avoidance of details	Avoidance symptom, defense mechanism	«Everything was bad there, just bad» – avoiding specifics, replacing details with generalities
Use of military jargon and slang	Active use of terms and expressions from the military environment	Commitment to a previous social group, a sense of belonging	«"Two-hundredth" (killed), "three-hundredth" (wounded), "little brother" - fixed terms and jargon
Aggressive expressiveness of speech	Frequent use of foul language, harsh expressions	Emotional release, manifestation of irritation	«"Damn these bastards..." - frequent rude expressions, sharp emotional attacks
Social isolation through speech strategies	Avoiding small talk, avoiding conversations, or, conversely, constantly returning to traumatic topics	Difficulties in adaptation, problems with social interaction	«I don’t like to talk about trifles, it’s all nonsense,» or: «It was like this in the war…» — an inability to switch gears
Command-hierarchical communication style	Orders, harsh tone, control of the conversation	Maintaining a combat mentality and adapting to a military environment	«"Make it good. Got it?" - dominant style of speech, use of a commanding tone
Emotional dullness or apathy in speech	Flat, colorless voice, monosyllabic answers	Emotional numbness, depression	«It’s fine,» «Everything’s fine» are short phrases without details or emotions.

 

A separate layer of deformation manifests itself in concealing speech constructs—stereotypical clichés that block emotional engagement and allow one to avoid contact with traumatic material. As shown in the works of N.B. Zavyalova [2], in difficult life situations, a tendency to form automated neutral formulas arises: «Everything’s fine», «Yes, I’m alive», «Like everyone else». These constructions lack individual expression and form a kind of psycholinguistic «shield» that prevents further actualization of traumatic content.

A systems analysis reveals a consistent pattern in the development of consciousness distortions in demobilized military personnel. The primary mechanism is the accumulation of traumatic factors, leading to cognitive destabilization, a shift in semantic dominants, and the fixation of a militarized worldview. Moreover, the distortion becomes self-perpetuating: the longer the militarized language persists, the more persistent the fixation of the pathological mental picture.

Behavior in civilian settings can appear outwardly socialized while underlying profound internal distortions. This is why speech production is the most reliable indicator of cognitive regulation. Speech activity captures the structure of meanings in real time and allows for the detection of even subtle deviations that are imperceptible in behavioral manifestations.

Behavior demonstrates a wide range of interpretations: external employment, formal integration into a team, and participation in everyday and family processes can create a false impression of normalization. Speech, however, reflects the systemic level of functioning of cognitive schemas. Even with minimal external disturbances, speech production exhibits predictable dysfunctions: limited topical focus, evasiveness, a fixation on military vocabulary, aggressive pragmatics, inhibition, prolonged pauses, and concealed language (Table 2).

Table 2

Analysis of the manifestation of deformation of the image of the world in the speech of veterans with PTSD

№	Psychotraumatic factor	Number of people (out of 30)	Description of manifestations	Behavioral factors	Speech factors	Percentage (%)
1	A real threat to life and health	28	Constant anxiety, feeling of danger	Avoidance behavior, readiness for immediate mobilization; abrupt checking of windows and doors; avoidance of crowded places	Pauses in speech, slowing of tempo, difficulty describing dangerous episodes; frequent «I… don’t even know how to say…»	93.3
2	A feeling of mortal danger	27	Nervous exhaustion, disturbance of mental rhythm	Impulsivity, irritability, outbursts of anger at minor provocations; increased reactivity to loud sounds	Abrupt short phrases; increased intonation when mentioning danger; abrupt interruption of the description of events	90
3	«"The Horrors of War" (violence, death, destruction)	25	Disturbing memories, obsessive images	Isolation, nightmares, avoidance of talking about the past, fear of noise; avoidance of television programs about war events	Stereotypical general formulas: «Well, like everyone else…», avoiding descriptions of specific details of fight scenes	83.3
4	Witnessing the death of comrades/moral trauma	22	Guilt, shame, internal conflicts	Self-blame, isolation, refusal to rest and holidays, refusal to meet with relatives of the deceased	Focus on guilt: «I shouldn’t have…», aggressive responses when questioned; avoidance of details	73.3
5	Information uncertainty and chaos	20	A state of hypervigilance, increased anxiety	Hypercontrol of information, constant need to monitor the news; anxiety when waiting for calls	Obsessive discussion of possible threats: «What if then…», dominance of alarming scenarios in speech	66.7
6	Chronic physical and mental fatigue	26	Fatigue, sleep disturbances, decreased concentration	Decreased professional motivation, difficulty in completing work tasks; frequent somatic complaints	Monotony, decreased vocabulary variability; difficulty describing one's well-being; speech fatigue	86.7
7	Social isolation and violation of norms	23	Feelings of loneliness, alienation, internal conflict	Refusal to meet with friends, withdrawal from family, minimization of contacts; difficulties in building trusting relationships	Brief formulas: «Everything is fine,» «Alive is good»; avoiding discussion of personal feelings; formalizing the conversation	76.7

 

Thus, the deformation of consciousness in combat veterans develops as a systemic phenomenon of cognitive, affective, and speech disintegration. It is the analysis of speech patterns that allows us to objectively assess the depth of changes, determine the severity of the disorder, and plan psychocorrective tactics. Speech, as a direct product of cognitive processing of experience, exhibits stable patterns of deformation that cannot be faked or compensated for, unlike behavior. Therefore, psycholinguistic analysis should be a key tool in the diagnosis and rehabilitation of individuals who have suffered combat psychological trauma.

 

An empirical study of the deformation of consciousness in demobilized participants of the SVO

An empirical study was conducted on a sample of 30 demobilized military personnel who participated in a special military operation (SMO). The ages of the subjects ranged from 24 to 43 years (average age 31.5 years). The duration of their deployment in the combat zone ranged from 4 to 17 months, with an average of 9.3 months. Of the 30 subjects, 24 (80%) were directly involved in combat engagements; the rest performed engineering, reconnaissance, evacuation, and support missions.

A clinical interview was used as the primary data collection method; this method has proven validity and reliability in diagnosing post-traumatic conditions. In particular, structured clinical interviews (e.g., the CAPS-5) demonstrate high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ~0.9) and inter-rater reliability, as well as high predictive and convergent validity, ensuring the reliability of the data obtained.

An analysis of traumatic factors revealed their high prevalence. Experiencing a real threat to life was reported by 28 individuals (93.3%), while scenes of violence and destruction were recorded by 25 individuals (83.3%). Hypervigilance syndrome (constant alertness, heightened awareness of potential threats) was observed in 23 subjects (76.7%). Social isolation (difficulty communicating, emotional detachment) was recorded in 19 subjects (63.3%). These data confirm the presence of a complex set of traumatic influences that create chronic mental stress and contribute to the development of systemic deformation of consciousness.

Moral trauma, resulting from ethical conflicts between personal moral principles and actions taken in combat, was identified in 22 participants (73.3%). Typical statements were made: «I stayed, and he died», «I should have done it differently, but there was no other way back then», «Every night I see that day before my eyes». These data indicate the formation of a persistent internal moral conflict and fixation of consciousness on unresolved moral contradictions, which aggravates cognitive disorganization (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Comparative analysis of psychotraumatic factors

Psycholinguistic analysis of speech production allowed us to quantitatively record the prevalence of characteristic speech markers of consciousness deformation. Disturbances in the temporal organization of speech (slow tempo, pauses, difficulties in reproducing traumatic episodes) were detected in 20 participants (66.7%). Semantic limitations (poor descriptions, evasiveness, decreased spontaneous speech activity) were recorded in 24 people (80%). Pragmatic speech reactions (aggressive defense, avoidance of discussing difficult topics, irritability) were noted in 16 people (53.3%). Preservation of professional combat vocabulary, reflecting the fixation of the cognitive scheme of combat experience, was recorded in 25 examined (83.3%). The formation of automated defensive speech structures blocking emotional involvement was found in 26 participants (86.7%).

Speech patterns exhibit typical signs of a distorted consciousness. Temporal structure disturbances were evident in pauses during recollection: «I then… (pause)… when it started… (pause)… couldn’t speak…». Semantic evasiveness was expressed in generalized formulations: «"It's just like everyone else. Just work, that's all." Pragmatic speech defense: "What do you know about this? You wouldn't understand!" Preserved professional vocabulary: "We were working around the square," "We evacuated the 200th," "We cleared the sector." Automated defensive constructs: "Everything's fine," "I'm alive—it's good," "We served like everyone else.".

The obtained results demonstrate the systemic nature of the distortion of consciousness as a result of the interaction of traumatic factors with cognitive regulation. Psychotraumatic impacts lead to a persistent restructuring of the semantic system, in which emotionally significant images of threat and loss displace previous regulators of security, trust, and orientation toward the future. Moreover, the fixation of a combat professional identity is maintained not only at the level of memories but also in speech: the active reproduction of professional combat vocabulary hinders the transition to a civilian identity.

Automated defensive speech patterns are a mechanism of emotional dissociation, whereby emotionally significant material is blocked through stereotypical, neutral statements. This not only reduces access to the content of the traumatic experience during clinical interviews but also stabilizes internal dissociation.

Thus, empirical analysis confirms that the distortion of consciousness during combat-related mental trauma manifests itself through persistent changes in the semantic structure and cognitive regulation, objectively reflected in speech production. Unlike behavioral manifestations, which can be masked by formal social adaptation, speech patterns reveal deep cognitive impairments in real time. This makes psycholinguistic analysis a key tool for diagnosing the severity and nature of the distortion of consciousness, determining further corrective strategies.

 

Manifestation of deformation of consciousness in social life: psycholinguistic analysis and directions of psychotherapeutic correction

Communicative activity is a central element of human social adaptation. Under normal psychosocial conditions, it ensures identity maintenance, emotional regulation, the development of a system of meanings, and the building of stable interpersonal connections. Adequate social communication is based on several key mechanisms: cognitive flexibility, the ability to openly express thoughts and feelings, empathy, appropriate emotional expression, a willingness to collaborate and accept other points of view. It is through speech that a person conveys their value system, affective states, and views of reality.

The personality's semantic system is organized hierarchically, with the central dominants typically being security, love, caring for loved ones, development, the future, and professional and social fulfillment. This structure ensures a stable worldview focused on long-term planning, preserving the family, raising children, developing professional skills, and maintaining friendships and social connections. Meaningful communication in these areas relies on a deep exchange of personal meanings, building trusting dialogues, discussing shared goals, and providing emotional support.

Demobilized military personnel experience a persistent deformation of this system after participating in the Special Military Operations. The structure of the semantic hierarchy shifts toward traumatic dominants: threats, dangers, losses, violence, moral conflicts, and loss of trust in the world around them. In verbal utterances, this shift manifests itself in typical formulations: «Everything here feels unreal,» «It’s completely unclear how to live in civilian life,» «Everything that was important has become worthless.». A stable cognitive model is formed in which family, children, and the future lose their former emotional significance and cease to function as behavior regulators.

From a psycholinguistic perspective, speech deformation during combat trauma demonstrates characteristic transformations of the linguistic personality. Extrapolating from the principles of S.V. Myskin's research [5], we can observe a marked reduction in the semantic variability of speech among demobilized soldiers, a semantic impoverishment, a limited vocabulary when describing their own experiences, an avoidance of personal topics, and a reliance on professional jargon. The following typical phrases were recorded in our pilot study: «We worked in a square, cleared the sector», «We took out the two hundredth», «Everything is the same as everyone else». When describing family life and plans for the future, evasive formulations were heard: «"Just a normal job, nothing to say." "Plans? I haven't thought about them yet.". The symptom of avoidance of personal emotional coloring was manifested in the general speech formula: «Alive is already good», «It’s better not to remember at all».

In this case, speech as a mechanism of socialization loses its basic function of maintaining emotional contact. In fact, meaningful communication is reduced to the exchange of stereotypical information and formal statements without affective undertones. The lack of emotional depth disrupts dialogue: demobilized individuals avoid discussing plans, ignore topics of child development, and avoid conversations about feelings and a shared future. A pronounced communicative isolation develops: «They won’t understand», «They don’t need to know about it», «It’s better to keep quiet». These manifestations were recorded in more than 80% examined as part of the pilot project.

Substantive transformation also affects the emotional-regulatory component of communication. Along with emotional dullness, cases of aggressive expressiveness were recorded when discussing moral issues.«Don’t interfere – it’s our business», «Those who haven’t been there won’t understand.». Such verbal outbursts reflect the residual activity of traumatic affective complexes. A particular form is the command-hierarchical style of speech, which develops as a remnant of a combat mentality: short, directive formulas, harsh orders even in peaceful situations: «"Do as I say, understand?".

It is the content of speech acts that most reliably reflects the current state of a person's worldview. While behavior may be masked by formal social adaptation, speech activity reveals hidden cognitive disorganization, disruptions in semantic integrity, and identity regression. This is the fundamental advantage of psycholinguistic analysis over behavioral assessments in diagnosing mental deformities.

Three approaches to psychotherapeutic correction of consciousness distortion were tested in the pilot project. Emotional-figurative therapy demonstrated the greatest effectiveness, producing positive results in 63% patients. The key mechanism of EFT was the activation of unconscious symbolic and figurative components of the traumatic experience that had previously been unverbalizable. Patients noted: «I couldn’t explain what was inside before – now it’s as if it’s let go.». A decrease in the intensity of nightmares, a reduction in emotional numbness, and an increase in openness in family conversations were recorded.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) produced positive results in 43% subjects, primarily in reducing the intensity of flashbacks and facilitating the recall of traumatic episodes without affective overload. However, this method proved ineffective in restoring identity and returning to full social interaction.

Cognitive behavioral therapy demonstrated the least effectiveness, correcting individual irrational attitudes but failing to restructure underlying meaning structures. Participants noted: «I understand that everything is not so bad, but it hasn’t become any easier inside.». CBT turned out to be insufficiently effective in the area of emotional and semantic restructuring necessary for restoring a holistic picture of the world and social inclusion (Table 3).

Table 3

A comprehensive comparison of the effectiveness of psychotherapy methods in the treatment of PTSD

Therapy method	Number of participants with improvement (out of 30)	Percentage of improvements (%)	Key improvement indicators
Emotionally-figurative therapy (EOT)	19	63%	Reduction of anxiety, nightmares, emotional numbness, intrusive memories
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)	13	43%	Processing traumatic memories, reducing PTSD symptoms
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)	10	33%	Correction of cognitions, reduction of guilt, rationalization of experience

 

Statistical analysis of differences showed the superiority of emotional-figurative therapy compared to other methods: the proportion of participants with improvement with EOT was statistically higher than with EMDR and CBT (Student's t-test, p < 0,05).

The results of the pilot project demonstrate that addressing cognitive distortions requires engaging the individual's affective-semantic sphere, reconstructing cognitive integrity through the processing of deep images and emotional conflicts. Methods limited to correcting cognitive schemas do not ensure the restoration of disrupted identity. In this context, speech activity serves as the primary diagnostic indicator of the dynamics of change. Improved verbal flexibility, expanded range of communication topics, and the emergence of personal nuance in statements serve as indicators of successful psychotherapeutic intervention.

However, the diagnosis of consciousness distortion and combat trauma in current clinical and medical psychology practice is primarily based on standardized scales for assessing PTSD and affective disorders. These include the Clinical Assessment of PTSD (CAPS-5) (DSM-5), the PTSD Severity Rating Scale (PCL-5), the Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Traumatic Events Inventory (TESI-C). These instruments allow for the identification of pronounced symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, they fail to capture the underlying distortion of the semantic structure and identity of the individual, poorly capture moral trauma, and fail to register the transformation of speech and psycholinguistic patterns. The lack of validated psycholinguistic protocols for diagnosing consciousness distortion represents a significant deficiency in current clinical practice.

In this regard, a methodological conclusion regarding the role of the specialist becomes fundamentally important. The psychotherapist's task is not to directly change the patient's cognitive attitudes, but to create conditions for the emergence of internal doubt in the absolute veracity of their own perceptions. The development of such doubt is the basis for initiating processes of restructuring the personality's semantic structure, the formation of a new, more adaptive cognitive picture of the world, and the restoration of social adaptation of demobilized military personnel to civilian life.

 

Conclusion

A study of consciousness distortion in combat veterans (CVVs) allowed for a comprehensive analysis of this phenomenon as a complex mental disorganization resulting from the traumatic experience of combat. The relevance of studying consciousness distortion stems from the fact that, in the presence of profound cognitive restructuring, standard diagnostic frameworks for post-traumatic disorders prove insufficient, and the consequences of these changes affect not only the individual's mental state but also their ability to adapt socially, maintain family relationships, pursue professional activities, and fully integrate into civilian life.

The study showed that the deformation of consciousness is formed as a result of a systemic shift in the hierarchy of meanings, where images of threat, danger, loss, and moral conflicts become dominant. Cognitive regulation is disrupted, and a persistent imbalance develops between affectively charged traumatic complexes and socially normative behavioral regulators. Moral trauma plays a special role in this system, creating chronic internal conflicts between professional actions and personal moral principles.

An empirical study involving demobilized military personnel yielded objective data on the prevalence of key traumatic factors and their combinations. The high frequency of life-threatening experiences, losses, hypervigilance, social isolation, and moral dissociation confirms the multifactorial nature of the development of consciousness distortions. Analysis of speech patterns revealed consistent changes in the semantic structure of speech: avoidance of describing emotionally significant episodes, stereotyping of vocabulary, professional-combat-specific vocabulary limitations, aggressive-defensive pragmatics, and the development of automated speech patterns. Psycholinguistic markers proved to be the most accurate indicator of the depth of cognitive changes and the degree of fixation of pathological semantic structures.

The distortion of consciousness resulting from combat trauma affects not only internal cognitive processes but also profoundly transforms the individual's worldview. A restructuring of the value system occurs, peaceful social norms are devalued, trust in others is diminished, long-term planning is lost, and emotional dullness in relationships with loved ones occurs. A demobilized soldier, while formally returning to civilian life, remains fixated on the combat context, leading to a loss of emotional involvement in family relationships, a breakdown in communication with children, difficulties in professional self-fulfillment, social alienation, and a disruption in the ability to form long-term interpersonal relationships. A persistent internal isolation develops despite formal external social activity. The soldier experiences a chronic feeling of "alienation from the world," difficulty re-establishing emotional contact with family and society, constant internal tension, decreased adaptive resources, and an increased risk of developing secondary affective and behavioral disorders.

Importantly, the Russian Ministry of Health's clinical guidelines, particularly "Post-traumatic stress disorder" (2023), note similar outcomes: the disorder is accompanied by significant impairments in social functioning—avoidance of relationships, loss of interest in social involvement, and difficulty maintaining close relationships. This consistency supports the validity of the findings of this study.

At the social level, the massive accumulation of such individual deformations is transforming into a societal problem. The disruption of family communication, the decline in the quality of child rearing, the rise in social tensions in military families, the increasing number of conflict situations, and the loss of social integration of demobilized personnel place a significant burden on healthcare, social support, and family policy systems. In the long term, the lack of systematic intervention to address the mental deformations of combat veterans could lead to the formation of chronic groups of social marginalization and maladjustment.

An analysis of the effectiveness of proven psychotherapeutic methods confirmed the key role of working with the deep affective-semantic sphere in correcting the deformation of consciousness. Emotional-figurative therapy demonstrated the greatest effectiveness in restructuring the personality's cognitive structure, as it enabled the actualization of hidden images from traumatic experiences, the processing of internal conflicts, the restoration of emotional expression, and the expansion of the thematic range of verbal communication. Eye movement desensitization proved effective in processing traumatic memories but did not ensure the restoration of identity. Cognitive-behavioral therapy yielded limited results in addressing superficial irrational beliefs, remaining insufficiently effective in restructuring the semantic system.

The data obtained allow us to formulate a fundamental methodological conclusion regarding the subjective nature of the deformation of consciousness. Demobilized soldiers tend to be unaware of the deformation of their own cognitive structure, perceiving it as a natural and only adequate reality. This is precisely the difficulty of psychotherapeutic work: the specialist's task is not to directly change cognitions, but to create conditions for the emergence of internal doubt in the absolute veracity of one's own perceptions. The development of such cognitive doubt opens the possibility of restructuring the semantic structure and creating a more adaptive model of perception of reality, necessary for successful social and family adaptation in civilian life.

The study highlights the need for a systemic, interdisciplinary, and multi-level study of consciousness deformation. Particularly promising are the further development of valid psycholinguistic diagnostic systems that can capture the depth of deformation, as well as the validation of integrative psychotherapeutic programs that address the reconfiguration of the personality's semantic system, the emotional and imaginative processing of traumatic experiences, and the restoration of the social identity of demobilized military personnel.

 

Literature

1. Gnezdilov G. V., Kiselev V. V. On the issue of improving the organization of PTSD prevention and psychorehabilitation measures in the work of a psychologist with participants of the military-industrial complex // Extreme Psychology and Personal Safety. - 2025. - Vol. 2, No. 1. - P. 26-39.
2. Zavyalova N. B. An experimental study of the transformation of linguistic consciousness under conditions of long-term stress // Philological sciences. Theoretical and practical issues. – 2018. – No. 4(82), part 1. – P. 89–95.
3. Karayani Yu. M. Social and psychological rehabilitation of disabled combat veterans: diss. … Doctor of Psychological Sciences. – Moscow, 2016. – 343 p.
4. Leontiev D. A. Psychology of meaning: the nature, structure, and dynamics of semantic reality. – Moscow: Smysl, 2003. – 487 p.
5. Myskin S. V. On the formulation of the problem of «pathology of linguistic personality» // Organizational psycholinguistics. - 2023. - No. 3 (2). - P. 10–24.
6. Petrenko V. F. Fundamentals of Psychosemantics. – 2nd ed., suppl. – St. Petersburg: Piter, 2005. – 480 p.
7. Popkova N. A. Psychological features of the manifestation of post-traumatic stress disorder in combat veterans // Young scientist. - 2023. - No. 48 (495). - P. 286-288.
8. Kholshchevnikov O. G. Post-traumatic stress disorders in military personnel who took part in combat operations // Scientific leader. - 2024. - No. 31 (181).
9. Litz B. T., Stein N., Delaney E., et al. Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy // Clinical Psychology Review. – 2009. – Vol. 29, No. 8. – P. 695–706.
10. Marmar C. R., Weiss D. S., Schlenger W. E., et al. Peritraumatic dissociation and posttraumatic stress in male Vietnam theater veterans // American Journal of Psychiatry. – 1994. – Vol. 151, No. 6. – P. 902–907.
11. Shay J. Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character. – New York: Scribner, 1994. – 264 p.
12. Solomon Z., Dekel R. PTSD among Israeli ex-POWs: The contribution of prewar, war, and postwar factors // Journal of Traumatic Stress. – 2007. – Vol. 20, No. 3. – P. 303–312.

 

References

1. Gnezdilov GV, Kiselev VV. On improving PTSD prevention and psychological rehabilitation practices in the work of psychologists with participants of the Special Military Operation. Extreme Psychology and Personal Security. 2025; 2(1): 26–39. (In Russian)
2. Karayani Yu.M. Socio-psychological rehabilitation of combat-disabled veterans: Doctoral dissertation. Moscow; 2016. 343 p. (In Russian)
3. Leont'ev DA. Psychology of meaning: The nature, structure, and dynamics of meaningful reality. Moscow: Smysl; 2003. 487 p. (In Russian)
4. Litz BT, Stein N, Delaney E, et al. Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy. Clinical Psychology Review. 2009;29(8):695–706.
5. Marmar CR, Weiss DS, Schlenger WE, et al. Peritraumatic dissociation and posttraumatic stress in male Vietnam theater veterans. American Journal of Psychiatry. 1994;151(6):902–907.
6. Myskin SV. On the formulation of the problem «Pathology of linguistic personality»]. Organizational Psycholinguistics. 2023; 3(2):10–24. (In Russian)
7. Petrenko VF. Osnovy psikhosmantiki [Foundations of psychosemantics]. 2nd ed., rev. St. Petersburg: Peter; 2005. 480 p. (In Russian)
8. Popkova NA. Psychological features of post-traumatic stress disorder in combatants. Young scientist. 2023; 48(495):286–288. (In Russian)
9. Shay J. Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character. New York: Scribner; 1994. 264 p.
10. Solomon Z., Dekel R. PTSD among Israeli ex-POWs: The contribution of prewar, war, and postwar factors. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2007;20(3):303–312.
11. Kholshchevnikov OG. Post-traumatic stress disorders in military personnel involved in combat. Scientific Leader. 2024; 31(181).
12. Zavyalova NB. Experimental study of language consciousness transformation under prolonged stress. Philological Sciences. Theoretical and Practical Issues. 2018; 4(82), pt.1:89–95. (In Russian)