Introduction: Amidst the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war, Ukrainian healthcare system experiences an overwhelming influx of wounded soldiers. This study aimed at exploring the specific needs of military servicemen to identify common factors and necessary supports for their rehabilitation.
Method: The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) was used with a sample of 45 military and 42 civilian patients receiving occupational therapy in ten different subacute rehabilitation facilities across Ukraine. Data from the COPM score sheets were analyzed using statistical and thematic analysis.
Results:Overall, military servicemen identified more occupational performance issues (OPIs) as compared to the civilian population. Similar to the civilian population, the military identified most OPIs in the area of self-care, followed by productivity and leisure. Unlike the civilian population, the military were specific in their OPIs, identifying individualized issues related to military duties. Non-military productivity goals included goals for the future that are not typically addressed in the subacute setting. The military experienced clinically significant change in performance in leisure but not in self-care or productivity. They noted clinically significant change in satisfaction in self-care and leisure, but not in productivity.
Conclusion: On average, military servicemen did not experience clinically significant change in either performance or leisure in the area of productivity. As many of their OPIs in the area of productivity were specific to military service, the results of the study might suggest the need for a specialized setting to address these issues. Knowledge of OPIs of military servicemen informs the organization and provision of relevant rehabilitation services.