Sanogenic Dispositions of Thinking as a Prerequisite for Psychological Prevention of Emotional Burnout in Military Personnel

Abstract

The article presents a study that determines what emotional burnout and emotion are in general, and how we can help our subjects in overcoming emotional stress. A personєs life is coloured by various emotions, like an artist’s painting. Someone uses only dark tones, while someone’s life plays with all the colours of the rainbow. After all, emotions are our inner “magic box”, thanks to which we are able to relive pleasant moments again and again, but at the same time repeat different negative experiences. It is well established that emotions exert a stronger influence on behaviour than rational processes. Therefore, in a stressful situation, many people find it difficult to make appropriate decisions. Many confuse emotions and feelings. Emotions originate in the oldest part of the brain – the limbic system. Feelings, on the other hand, are controlled by the neocortex – its youngest part. Following an action, individuals may initially experience anger, which may later be accompanied by feelings of shame. Empirical research was conducted in 2024 on the basis of psychological support centres and military units and involved 60 respondents with experience in combat operations. The cognitive sphere and the level of reflexivity were assessed using specialised psychodiagnostic instruments (mini-questionnaires). The findings demonstrated that 70.6% of respondents were theoretically familiar with the concept of reflection, whereas only 52.9% reported systematically applying self-analysis in practice. A high level of general awareness regarding the essence of sanogenic thinking was identified (82.4%). At the same time, a considerable lack of understanding of the underlying cognitive mechanisms was revealed: 88.2% of respondents failed to recognise the direct relationship between reflexive processes and the maintenance of mental health. In addition, 80.0% of military personnel confirmed an urgent need for training aimed at developing skills in sanogenic cognitive modelling.