Psychological Experiences Of Indonesian Border Soldiers In Carrying Out Military Duties: A Case Study

Abstract

Background: Stress in the military is caused by being separated from family for a long time, moving places of work, risk of death, and disability. Traumatic impact on soldiers can be overcome by increasing adaptive coping. Soldiers with adaptive coping feel they have found a family and have high self-esteem.
Objective: This study aims to provide an overview of the psychological condition of soldiers who carry out their duties at the border through the perspective of army members.
Method: This type of qualitative research with case study method. The number of participants is three soldiers on duty at the border. The data collection method was carried out by semi-structured interviews and carried out in-depth interviews. The analysis uses the Colaizzi approach through 7 steps to forming a theme describing the phenomenon. The data validity test was carried out with the stages of credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability.
Results: The findings in this study describe the psychological conditions experienced by border soldiers by generating three themes and two categories. The resulting theme provides a positive psychological picture of feeling happy to get the assignment experience, feeling ready to carry out the task. In contrast, the harmful psychological dilemma of assignment and family consists of 2 categories: the dilemma of being a soldier and family member and feeling heavy parting from family.
Conclusion: The psychology of soldiers serving at the border is critical to maintaining a prosperous condition. Members can improve adaptive coping of the army to suppress negative thoughts, such as providing support from families by maintaining communication with each other and developing nursing interventions such as counseling facilities. Counseling activities focus on overcoming problems and provide information and education activities to maintain physical and psychological health.