Examination of military personnel’s changed psychological states during long-term deployment in a war zone

Examining military personnel’s psychological states is an effective way to prevent negative mental health consequences during their deployment in a war zone. The present study identifies changes in the psychological states of military personnel (n = 192) during a 6-month deployment in a war zone in eastern Ukraine. The results confirmed both of our proposed hypotheses. First, with regard to time limits on military personnel’s deployment on the front lines in eastern Ukraine on the basis of examined psychological states, the estimated recommended deployment duration was three months. Second, we found significant differences in the dynamics of the psychological states of service members with versus without previous deployment experience. The results also substantiate that military personnel’s psychological states should be monitored during deployment in order to prevent negative mental health consequences and to ensure that military units successfully accomplish their tasks. Una de las formas más eficaces para prevenir las consecuencias negativas del despliegue en la zona militar para la salud mental de los militares es diagnosticar su estado psicológico. En el presente estudio se determinan las particularidades de los cambios en el estado psicológico de los militares (n = 192) durante el despliegue de seis meses en la zona militar en el este de Ucrania. Los resultados obtenidos confirmaron ambas hipótesis formuladas: en cuanto a la posibilidad de determinar, sobre la base del diagnóstico del estado psicológico, el plazo recomendado para el despliegue de los militares en la línea de demarcación en el este de Ucrania, que es de tres meses. Así como también sobre las posibles diferencias significativas en la dinámica del estado psicológico de los militares que tienen y no tienen experiencia en el despliegue. Asimismo, se argumenta la necesidad de monitorear el estado psicológico de los militares durante el despliegue con el propósito de prevenir oportunamente las consecuencias negativas para su salud mental y para la ejecución exitosa de las tareas de la subunidad militar.

Safety and Security Issues of Media Professional: A Case Study of Freelance Journalists in Pakistan

In the last twenty years’ Pakistani media have experienced remarkable progress and transformation in its role. There have been serious setbacks in current years. Almost more than one hundred private TV channels are currently broadcasting. Pakistan is one of the unsafe counties of the world for journalists as per the 2020 report of the International Federation of Journalists Pakistan. Pakistan has been a war zone for almost forty years, where 140 journalists were killed in Pakistan from 2000 to 2020 but still, Pakistani law does not guarantee journalists' safety. Are they feeling safe and secure and which steps will be important for journalists’ security and safety? This researcher is qualitative. The data have been collected by conducting interviews and applying the social responsibility theory to investigate, what is about the freedom of speech because this theory describes the claims that the journalist always plays a responsible role of passing the information with freedom and the task of the press is to make journalism better.

Garments without Guilt?

Sri Lanka's apparel sector holds an enviable place in the imaginary of its competitors for having a niche position amongst global retailers, given its claims of producing 'garments without guilt'. Exploitative labour conditions are not part of the industry's portfolio – ethicality, eco-friendly production and unblemished conditions of work are. Sri Lanka's transition away from a protracted ethnic war has meant that the industry portrays itself as investing in the former war zone to create jobs without reflection on how its vaunted mantle, the deployment of ethical codes effectively, themselves may be under duress. This book uses an analytical framing informed by labour and feminist perspectives to explore how labour struggles in the post-1977 period in Sri Lanka provided important resistance to capitalist processes and continue to shape the industry both within and outside of the shop floor. It studies contextual moments in the country's recent history to rupture the dominant narrative and record the centrality of labour in the success of the country's apparel industry.

The involvement of Western Balkan terrorist-fighters in armed conflicts in Syria and Iraq

The primary purpose of this article is to explain the meaning and consequences of foreign fighters’ participation from Western Balkan countries (WB6) in armed conflicts in Syria and Iraq. In the first part, the issue of foreign fighters is discussed in historical terms. The author focuses on the examples of the Soviet inva-sion of Afghanistan and the ethno-religious conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the second part of the text, the definition framework of foreign fighters’ concept and its evolution towards foreign terrorist-fighters is dis-cussed. Then, a detailed analysis of the main problem is conducted, and several research questions are an-swered: 1) What is the scale of the phenomenon of Balkan volunteers (e.g., their number, the structure of origin, and others) in comparison to fighters from other regions? 2) What are their motivations and goals, and what are their recruitment process and ways of moving into the war zone? 3) What is the threat posed by returning fight-ers to the security of the Western Balkans, and how do individual states counteract this phenomenon? The au-thor uses mainly the following research methods: critical content analysis (literature, scientific articles, docu-ments, reports, press materials), and historical and comparative analysis. The author’s visits to this country in 2018-2020 constituted an essential contribution to the part concerning the case of Kosovo.

Hippocampal volume and volume asymmetry prospectively predict PTSD symptom emergence among Iraq-deployed soldiers

Background Evidence suggests a link between smaller hippocampal volume (HV) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there has been little prospective research testing this question directly and it remains unclear whether smaller HV confers risk or is a consequence of traumatization and PTSD. Methods U.S. soldiers (N = 107) completed a battery of clinical assessments, including structural magnetic resonance imaging pre-deployment. Once deployed they completed monthly assessments of traumatic-stressors and symptoms. We hypothesized that smaller HV would potentiate the effects of traumatic stressors on PTSD symptoms in theater. Analyses evaluated whether total HV, lateral (right v. left) HV, or HV asymmetry (right – left) moderated the effects of stressor-exposure during deployment on PTSD symptoms. Results Findings revealed no interaction between total HV and average monthly traumatic-stressors on PTSD symptoms b = −0.028, p = 0.681 [95% confidence interval (CI) −0.167 to 0.100]. However, in the context of greater exposure to average monthly traumatic stressors, greater right HV was associated with fewer PTSD symptoms b = −0.467, p = 0.023 (95% CI −0.786 to −0.013), whereas greater left HV was unexpectedly associated with greater PTSD symptoms b = 0.435, p = 0.024 (95% CI 0.028–0.715). Conclusions Our findings highlight the importance of considering the complex role of HV, in particular HV asymmetry, in predicting the emergence of PTSD symptoms in response to war-zone trauma.

The Refractive Periscope – a Novel Concept

A periscope is an optical device whose function is to allow sighting of objects that are not in direct line of sight with the observer Eye/Screen/Detector. The concept behind the periscope is tilting the optical axis by breaking the rays of light with a mirror or prism so that the image is obtained in the desired location. The periscope has a variety of uses, many of which belong to the military realm. For example, observing from submarines above the sea level surface, looking at the war zone from inside of a tank, directing light into hidden places and more. In this article, the authors will review a new development based on wave guide concept which composes a tube with light reflective walls. This allows us to build a significantly Small-dimensional periscope with respect to a standard periscope that does not use lenses. The authors will also review a number of applications suitable for the reflection periscope.

Preparedness Plan for the Water Supply Infrastructure during Water Terrorism—A Case Study from Irbid, Jordan

Terrorism is a crucial danger to the world, especially the Middle East. As Jordan is amidst countries with armed conflicts, its natural resources (in particularly, water resources) are vulnerable to terrorist attacks. In this paper, possible biological and chemical weapons that can be used as intimidation, along with their threats, vulnerabilities, and inactivation methods, concerning water treatment processes in the municipality of Irbid, are studied. Irbid is the second largest city in terms of population in Jordan, after the capital city of Amman, and it is the nearest governorate to Syria borders that is considered a war zone. After conducting risk assessment that takes into consideration criticality, threats, and vulnerability, it appears that only one of the eight units, which is the Makhraba pumping station, along with the Bushra water tank, were identified as medium risk. The other units have treatment processes and proper precautions that are able to inactivate or prevent any possible contamination. A response plan should be set by developing a telemetry system with specific sensors that can detect any sudden and unacceptable threats to the water quality and that has the ability to shut down the concerned units automatically.

Examining the Unique Role of Premilitary Religious Commitment in Posttraumatic Symptomatology Among Post-9/11 Veterans

Religion can influence recovery from the many stressors and traumas that may occur during war-zone service. On the one hand, religious faith might provide an array of resources for healthy coping and relational connections. However, military trauma can also affect veterans spiritually in ways that lead to conflict and struggles in this cultural domain. In this brief report, a sample of 225 war-zone veterans from the post-9/11 era who screened positive for spiritual struggle completed Worthington et al.’s (2003) Religious Commitment Inventory on the basis of religious beliefs, practices, and relationships before serving in the military and according to the present time. In addition, veterans completed validated assessments of symptomatology related to posttraumatic stress disorder, moral injury, and spiritual struggles. The present religious commitment was not associated with any of these posttraumatic outcomes at the time of the study. In contrast, veterans’ premilitary religious commitment was uniquely linked with worse outcome across bivariate and multivariate analyses. Other analyses revealed a general weakening of religious commitment. In combination, these findings underscore the value of assuming a process-oriented view in conceptualizing religious identity in veterans who are struggling to heal emotionally, relationally, and spiritually from war-related traumas. Looking ahead, research will ideally dis- entangle the role of religious approaches to spirituality and dynamics of changes in religious identity among war-zone veterans.

Qualitative study of UK health professionals’ experiences of working at the point of care during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesTo develop an understanding of health professionals’ experiences of working at the point of care during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on their health and well-being and their support needs.DesignA qualitative study using semistructured interviews. Data were analysed using framework analysis.SettingOne large National Health Service integrated care trust.ParticipantsA purposive sample of 19 qualified health professionals (doctors, nurses or allied health professionals), working with patients with COVID-19 admitted to the hospitals between March and May 2020 were eligible to take part.ResultsEight major categories were identified: (1) Working in a ‘war zone’, (2) ‘Going into a war zone without a weapon’, (3) ‘Patients come first’, (4) Impact of COVID-19, (5) Leadership and management, (6) Support systems, (7) Health professionals’ support needs, and (8) Camaraderie and pride. Health professionals reported increased levels of stress, anxiety and a lack of sleep. They prioritised their patients’ needs over their own and felt a professional obligation to be at work. A key finding was the reported camaraderie among the health professionals where they felt that they were ‘fighting this war together’.ConclusionsThis study provides a valuable insight into the experiences of some of the frontline health professionals working in a large London-based hospital trust during the first COVID-19 peak. Findings from this study could be used to inform how managers, leaders and organisations can better support their health professional staff during the current pandemic and beyond.