How families of veterans and participants in the Special Military Operation cope with family problems and crises

Bibliographic Data

ID21611587
AuthorsОльга Bezrukova (St Petersburg University), Valentina Samoylova (0000-0001-5412-0575, St Petersburg University), Ruslan Filimonov (St Petersburg University)
Year2026
Volume29
Issue2
Pages92-117
Publication date2026-06-27
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueZhurnal Sotsiologii i Sotsialnoy Antropologii (The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1029-8053 • E-ISSN: 2306-6946
PublisherInternational Foundation for the Support of Social Research and Education Intersozic (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.31119/jssa.2026.29.2.4
OpenAlexW7167636699
LanguageEN
References cited15

This article analyzes the impact of fathers’ participation in the Special Military Operation (SMO) on the structural and dynamic characteristics of families, the family problems and crises experienced by their members, resources for adaptation to a new life situation, and families’ needs for social support. The qualitative study sample included The qualitative study sample included 47 families: 27 young men who participated in in the Special Military Operation and had families and children, 20 mothers from these families 20 women whose husbands are members of the SMO, and 45 social curators who accompanied the families of fathers who participated in the Special Military Operation at Social Service Centers and Social Assistance Centers for families and children in St. Petersburg. The authors pointed out transformations in the functioning of the family system, as well as marriage, fatherhood, and motherhood in the families of SMO participants: positive (processes of re-adaptation and strengthening), negative (destabilization and disintegration). Based on the degree of adaptation, the degree of parental involvement, available resources, strategies for coping with stress associated with participation in military operations, and the specific distribution of responsibilities in marital and parental roles, fathers were distinguished as successfully adapting, uncertain, and maladapted. We described the syndromes of “lost father” (aggression, deviant practices) and “alienation” (indifference to loved ones, isolation). The authors structured the issues and needs for support of all family members. We analyzed the crises at different levels of family system functioning: marital relations, parent-child relations, family relations with society, as well as personal crises of fathers, mothers, and children. We explain that crisis resolution correlates with family resources, adaptability, the distribution of power and responsibility within the family, as well as resilience. Resource partner families with interchangeable roles, problem-focused coping strategies, a mature personal stance, and resilient behavior patterns of the wives are more efficient in overcoming crises. Traditional resource families, in which responsibility for the material support and organization of the family lies with the father, are less efficient, as are families with economic dependence, lack of employment, education, or professional qualifications, and a predominance of emotionally focused and defensive coping strategies. Families with low resources and deficits in material security, personal maturity of parents, social competence, and family cohesion are unsuccessful

Coping (psychology) · Family life · Marital status · Military personnel · Military service · Qualitative research · Sample (material) · Social support · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Resilience and Mental Health

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