Military operations subject soldiers to intense stress, which can adversely affect both their emotional regulation and physical balance. This study examines the effectiveness of Reich's vegetotherapy (VGT), an alternative non-pharmacological intervention, in improving these critical areas among military personnel. A total of 29 soldiers, with an average age of 30, were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (EG; 15 soldiers) or a control group (CG; 14 soldiers). Over a period of 6 weeks, the EG participated in twice-weekly VGT sessions, while the CG received no intervention. The intervention group showed a significant reduction in anxiety levels, with scores improving from the beginning to the end of the test (p = .001) and a significant time × group interaction (p = .003). The EG experienced a greater improvement (-68%) compared to the CG (-9%) (p = .036). In the open-eyes postural balance test, the EG showed a significant improvement (p = .029), with a time × group interaction effect (p = .04), although no significant difference was found between the groups (p > .05). The EG improved more (-36%) compared to the CG (24%). In addition, anger levels significantly improved post-intervention (p = .001), with a significant time × group interaction (p = .001). These findings suggest that Reich's VGT may serve as an effective method for mitigating stress-related impairments in military personnel. Further research with larger sample sizes is necessary to validate these results and explore its broader applications.
Keywords: emotional regulation; military personnel; postural balance; stress management; vegetotherapy.