SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE AND ROLE OF PHYSICAL CULTURE AND SPORTS IN THE REHABILITATION AND REINTEGRATION OF WAR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/spectrum/2025-2-12Keywords:
war veterans, adaptive sports, families, inclusion, rehabilitation, reintegrationAbstract
Preconditions: Due to Russia’s armed aggression, the number of veterans in Ukraine is rapidly increasing. This creates an unprecedented demographic change that requires scientific understanding of the socio-economic, psychological and legal consequences. Veterans face physical and psychological trauma, problems of reintegration, employment and adaptation. Physical culture and sports are a powerful tool for simultaneously improving the physical condition, mental health and social adaptation of veterans and their families. Research in this area is critically important for identifying and implementing the best international practices at the national level, which will contribute to the successful integration of veterans into society.The purpose of the study is to summarize international scientific developments on the rehabilitation and reintegration of war veterans and their family members into society and to determine the role of physical culture and sports on this path.Methods: analysis of scientific literature; Connected Papers visual tool, based on the concepts of joint citation and bibliographic linking; synthesis and generalization, systemic approach.Results. Review articles on the rehabilitation and reintegration of war veterans and their families through physical education and sports have been analyzed. It has been found that adaptive sports have a positive effect on the physical, psychological and social well-being of people with disabilities, including veterans, improving their quality of life. The systematic review has confirmed that sports and physical activity are an effective rehabilitation tool for veterans, contributing to the reduction of PTSD symptoms, restoration of physical functions and social reintegration. In general, five groups of related articles have been identified. It has allowed the identification of thematic clusters.Conclusions. International experience confirms the multifaceted positive impact of adaptive sports. Systematic reviews and qualitative studies convincingly demonstrate that the participation of war veterans with disabilities in adaptive sports competitions contributes to significant improvements in the physical health, psychological well-being, and social reintegration of war veterans. International studies highlight both barriers and facilitating factors for the involvement of people with disabilities in sports. An analysis of publications focused specifically on the target group of war veterans and their family members regarding the impact of physical education and sports on their rehabilitation and reintegration has allowed us to identify thematic clusters.
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