Protection of the mental health of soldiers as a guarantee of their personal safety

Abstract

While on duty, soldiers are exposed to severe stress, and mental condition has a direct impact on the efficacy of their performance. The paper shows how the specificity of soldiers’ work affects their mental health. The importance of the role of psychologists in the army is emphasized, and the consequences of negligence in soldiers’ mental care are indicated. The way in which the mental health of soldiers is protected in Poland, by the state itself and by the institutions established for this purpose, is also characterised. Special attention is paid to mental health care for the soldiers that take part in foreign military missions, who are exposed to psychological trauma as a result of isolation from the family and friends, and as a result of being placed in a new cultural and religious environment. On the basis of the above, the necessity of implementing new system solutions to ensure the effective psychological protection of soldiers is indicated.