POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER THROUGH THE PRISMOF CHRISTIAN ANTHROPOLOGY: THEOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICALANALYSIS AND PASTORAL STRATEGIES FOR HELPING

Abstract

The article is devoted to a theological-psychological analysis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war, taking into account Orthodox anthropology and contemporary clinical approaches. It shows that PTSD is a complex phenomenon with cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and spiritual consequences for both service members and civilians; it outlines key diagnostic parameters and prevalence, as well as comorbidity with depression and anxiety. At the theological level, the article presents the understanding of the human person as the image of God and an integral unity of soul and body, where trauma appears not only as a psychological dysfunction but as a wound of the heart requiring spiritual healing through compassion, prayer, repentance, and life in the community. It summarizes pastoral practices and the cooperation of chaplains with psychologists that strengthen the moral-psychological resilience of soldiers and foster the integration of traumatic experience (including dimensions of moral injury, survivor’s guilt, and the restoration of meaning). Special attention is given to the experience of priests and psychologists of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, where the combination of the sacraments, prayer with the Psalms, confidential conversation, support groups, and referral to professional services constitutes a holistic model of care. Structured pastoral strategies are proposed, oriented toward long-term accompaniment, prevention of clergy burnout, and interdisciplinary interaction that correspond to the contemporary challenges of the Church’s ministry during wartime.