Coping-based strategies among university students in military emergency scenarios

Relevance. Throughput the special military operation, a number of regions in Russia are subjected to terrorist attacks from Ukraine, exposed local citizens to critical stress. Coping-based strategies are used to survive through such stressful experience; however, at times these strategies may lack adequacy or efficiency. The objective is to identify possible strategies to improve coping-based strategies and adaptability among university students in case of a military emergency. Methods. The coping-based intervention strategy, suggested by Edgar Heim, was implemented to develop a map of coping-based dynamics, ranging from maladaptive to adaptive strategies. The study enrolled 4th year students of Voronezh State University who were split into groups depending on their learning experience: group 1 finished two basic courses on life safety and fundamentals of military training; group 2 obtained more extensive studies, that included both the basics and regular military competitions; in group 3, the two basic courses were supplemented by a wide range of volunteer activities to provide support to the soldiers participating in the special military operation, their family members, and families of refugees; group 4 received the most extensive training that included all of the above (the two courses, competitions, and volunteer work). Results and analysis. Examinations performed at the beginning and the end of the academic year showed that students improved their coping-based strategies, with inadequate strategies replaced by relatively adequate or even adequate ones instead. Improvements in cognitive coping-based strategies were driven by the courses on life safety and fundamentals of military training, whereas behavioral coping-based strategies were primarily shaped by military competitions, followed by thorough analysis of students’ behavior based on their results; volunteer work significantly contributed to successful acquisition of adequate emotional coping-based strategies. Group 4 who participated in all the activities achieved the best outcome as a result of a synergistic effect. Conclusion. Specialized courses and activities facilitate successful acquisition of coping-based strategies among university students, thus increasing their adaptability to emergencies. Based on our research, future students guidelines on military emergency response should be developed.