PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT DURING THE TRANSITION FROM WAR: INTERPRETING ERIC BERNE’S EARLY IDEAS IN THE CONTEMPORARY UKRAINIAN CONTEXT

Abstract

This article analyzes Eric Berne’s public text “When Johnny Comes Marching (Nervously) Home” as an early source of psychotherapeutic and psychosocial principles for supporting service members returning from war. The study focuses on Berne’s conceptualization of readjustment not merely as an individual process, but primarily as a social one, dependent on the reactions of others, the readiness of the community to receive returning soldiers, and shifts in cultural expectations regarding their emotional responses. A content analysis of the text highlights several ideas that later became foundational for transactional analysis: a non-pathologizing stance, the importance of supportive transactions, respect for autonomy, and the “I’m OK – You’re OK” position. The article demonstrates that as early as the 1940s Berne emphasized the role of family, community, and social norms in facilitating the transition back to civilian life. A comparison with contemporary Ukrainian and international research shows that Berne’s principles align with modern trauma-informed approaches and multidimensional models of reintegration. The article argues that Berne’s insights are especially relevant for Ukraine, where many returning service members encounter environments marked by high expectations and contradictory societal narratives. His ideas help reconceptualize the societal role in veteran support and form a basis for systemic approaches that integrate psychological assistance with the development of empathetic and informed communities. The analysis underscores the value of historical sources for shaping modern strategies of psychological support for veterans and opens avenues for further investigation into the social and psychological mechanisms underlying their reintegration.