The preventive and treatment tours as a part of psychological aid system provided for soldiers who participated in the military missions abroad

UNLABELLED: The therapeutic and preventive tours were brought into being in 2004 due to the extension of the commitments made by Polish forces to conduct military activities abroad. They came into existence as an element of psychological aid system designed for soldiers who were deployed to missions outside Poland. The tours are conducted by psychologists in four military rehabilitation and treatment hospitals, according to the assumptions of the Antistress Programme. The participants of the tours are soldiers who returned from their deployments and who reveal precursory symptoms of stress disorders. Over 2500 participants have already taken part in such tours up till now, and every year the number of people referred to such tours increases. THE AIM OF THE STUDY: To gauge the participants' as well personnel's opinion about the efficiency of the therapeutic and preventive tours. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 103 participants of tours which took place in August and September 2007 have been questioned. The examined mainly consist of men, aged from 25 till 45. The research method has been based on an anonymous questionnaire constructed by the author of this project. There have been formulated only hypotheses which can constitute the basis for further, more detailed studies. RESULTS: Over half of the questioned obtained information about the tours from a source different from doctors or psychologists. klost often the source of information was the Internet or colleagues who had already participated in such tours. The above mentioned sources have also determined the choice of a particular sanatorium. Apart from the obligatory preliminary consultations by the doctor and psychologist, almost all the participants of the tours participated in rehabilitation treatment. Less than half of the questioned attended relaxation sessions conducted by the psychologist. The soldiers tend to disregard or hide their symptoms of psychical nature, nevertheless their reaction to stress manifested in a form of somatic symptoms, has been accepted and so has the manner of the treatment applied. The majority of the questioned have estimated the whole of "Anti-stress Training" programme well or very well. A similar opinion has been formed with reference to the activities conducted during the tours by psychologists. CONCLUSIONS: The questioned have favourably assessed the function that the "Antistress Training" programme has had in the psychological support process. The system of information about the possibility to take advantage of the offer by the soldiers requires an improvement, though. What is more, the psychologists and the doctors should also be more involved in such activities. It is a significant task for the psychologists to inform soldiers about the range of psychological aid provided during the tours, which can result in better attendance at the activities as well as creating more positive approach to psychologists' work in general. The significant problem is how to convince the commanders of a higher rank of the effectiveness of programmes of such a type on soldiers'psychophysical condition.