The Phenomenon of Professional Burnout Among Military Chaplains in Ukraine

Authors

• Artem Makovskyi, Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of UkraineFollow
• Oleg Mateyuk, Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University
• Oleksandr Bilovskyi, Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
• Anton Datskov, Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
• Dmytro Oleshko, Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

Author ORCID Identifier

Artem Makovskyi - ORCID ID 0000-0003-2903-3351

Oleg Mateyuk - ORCID ID 0000-0002-4930-3091

Oleksandr Bilovskyi - ORCID ID 0000-0002-5768-1586

Anton Datskov - ORCID ID 0000-0001-7110-8666

Dmytro Oleshko - ORCID ID 0000-0001-7515-1629

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive study of the phenomenon of professional burnout among military chaplains in Ukraine in the context of their personal experience of being in extreme (combat) conditions. The relevance of the problem is due to the prolonged impact of combat operations, high psycho-emotional stress, and the special role of military chaplains in the system of moral and psychological support for Ukraine's security and defense sector. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study was the concept of professional burnout by K. Maslach, the provisions of the person-centered approach, and the theory of personal experience. The empirical study was conducted with the participation of military chaplains of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, and the National Guard of Ukraine using the psychodiagnostic methods of K. Maslach, S. Jackson (adapted by N. Vodopyanova), and V. Boiko. The results indicate a moderate level of professional burnout in most respondents and reveal patterns in the genesis of its phases depending on the duration of personal experience in combat conditions and the value-semantic content of this experience. The conclusion is made about the significant role of value orientations and life attitudes in determining the state of professional burnout, which justifies the need to develop targeted psychoprophylactic and corrective programs to preserve the mental health of military chaplains in Ukraine.

Recommended Citation

Makovskyi, Artem; Mateyuk, Oleg; Bilovskyi, Oleksandr; Datskov, Anton; and Oleshko, Dmytro (2026) "The Phenomenon of Professional Burnout Among Military Chaplains in Ukraine," Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe: Vol. 46 : Iss. 4 , Article 11.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55221/2693-2229.2754
Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol46/iss4/11