Military Psychology最新文献

Military personnel face physical and psychological challenges that may contribute to unhealthy behaviors, such as alcohol consumption. This study aimed to analyze the psychological variables of emotional intelligence, resilience, and self-esteem among Spanish Army personnel, as well as their relationship with the daily consumption or non-consumption of at least one alcoholic beverage. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with a sample of 739 military personnel, with a mean age of 33.29 years (SD = 7.48), of whom 87.7% were men and 12.3% were women. Participants completed an ad hoc questionnaire addressing sociodemographic variables, while psychological variables were assessed using the EQ-i-M20 Emotional Intelligence Inventory, the Resilience Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The results indicated that daily alcohol consumption (equivalent to the intake of at least 10 milliliters of pure alcohol per day, approximately one standard drink) was negatively associated with levels of emotional intelligence, resilience, and self-esteem among Spanish Army personnel. This association becomes particularly relevant when considering that, out of the total sample, N = 114 participants reported engaging in daily alcohol consumption. Of these, 78.10% were male and 21.90% were female, suggesting not only a higher prevalence of daily consumption among men but also the need to consider potential gender differences when designing prevention and intervention strategies focused on the psychological health of military personnel. In conclusion, daily alcohol consumption is negatively associated with the resilience, emotional intelligence, and self-esteem of military personnel, underscoring the importance of prevention and intervention programs to improve their health and well-being.

Military reservists occupy a distinct social position, navigating dual roles as civilians and service members, an intersection that requires tailored intervention strategies. Despite their growing role in the total force, the social determinants of health (SDOH) affecting reservists remain underexamined. We were interested in how SDOH (i.e., education, employment status, financial strain, housing, or social support) influences suicidality, depressive symptoms, and wellbeing. As such, this study analyzed data from 4,007 U.S. military reservists, identifying largely positive mental health outcomes, with low levels of suicidality, low depressive symptoms, and moderate to high psychological wellbeing. Financial strain emerged as the most consistent and robust predictor of poor mental health across all outcomes. Regression analyses also highlighted recent homelessness and having legal challenges as key predictors. The findings highlight potential intervention opportunities, particularly for mid-career reservists aged 25-34, who are at a heightened risk of vulnerability. Targeted, multidisciplinary support, including housing stability, financial education, and legal assistance, may improve mental health and individual readiness among military reservists. Future research should examine variation across reserve components and service branches to better tailor services and support utilization.

U.S. military veterans are at a greater risk of suicide than non-veteran adults, and this risk is exacerbated in women veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST). The Three-Step Theory (3ST) is an evidence-based model which describes the transition from suicidal ideation (SI) into action. It suggests that SI arises when physical and/or psychological pain is paired with hopelessness; SI increases when the pain and hopelessness outweigh feelings of connectedness. Informed by the 3ST, this paper examines PTSD, hopelessness, disconnection, and SI in 220 women veterans with MST who completed baseline assessments for a randomized clinical trial comparing Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) to Present-Centered Therapy (PCT). In partial support of the 3ST, we found that higher PTSD severity was related to higher SI when veterans reported high hopelessness. However, we did not find that interpersonal problems exacerbated this interaction. Instead, we found that higher interpersonal problems were related to higher SI when patients reported high hopelessness. Findings highlight the importance of instilling hope, in addition to improving PTSD symptoms and interpersonal relationships, in reducing suicide risk.

The prevention of suicide mortality and suicidality (ideation, self-harm, and attempted suicide) is a key concern for the Australian Army. Currently, there are limitations to the scope of surveillance of these events, resulting in a restricted evidence base from which to design prevention and intervention strategies. This study aimed to examine opportunities to improve surveillance through analysis of the existing data landscape. A 10-year, mixed-methods, retrospective review of all events involving suicide or suicidality over the period Jan 2012 - Dec 2021 was conducted utilizing Army administrative records. Variables of interest related to demographics, event characteristics, and outcomes were summarized, and bivariate associations between variables were explored. Misclassification errors were common due to the inconsistent application of event definitions and the reliance on free-text narratives rather than structured data fields led to missing data and inconsistent data quality. Demographic data was the most reliable, while contextual and outcome data was scarce which limited statistical analysis. High-quality surveillance data contributes to many aspects of suicide and suicidality prevention. Our findings suggest the need for improved standardization and structured data fields, in addition to the expansion of data collection, particularly for event context and outcomes.

Emergency aeromedical evacuation is a complex context requiring communication and coordination between co-located and distributed medical professionals and other military parties. To support this process in future fights, decision support systems will need to be developed. However, for those tools to serve as force multipliers and not hinderances, a human-centered approach to characterizing the aeromedical evacuation context and situating what features a decision support tool ought to provide must be taken. The current work leveraged a multi-faceted cognitive task analysis, including semi-structured interviews and targeted probing coupled with robust data collection and analysis techniques to provide a comprehensive understanding of the decision-making processes involved in emergency aeromedical evacuation. Several qualitative data products were generated through traditional and novel cognitive task analysis methods. Emergent themes pertaining to decision support system requirements arose, and suggestions for candidate decision support tools in emergency aeromedical evacuation were made and justified with regard to subject-matter experts' interviews and the Human Factors literature.

Military spouses with unmet needs for support are particularly vulnerable to stress during cycles of deployment and reintegration. To complement the literature on perceived support, we investigated actual support as the assistance people actually use to manage stressors. Our study sought to identify who uses actual support, what barriers to actual support exist, and what effects actual support has during reintegration. We examined data from 1,325 military spouses participating in the Millennium Cohort Family Study who had experienced deployment and reunion within the past 6 months. Weighted analyses revealed low levels of both formal and informal support during deployment. Only 16.5% of military spouses reported participating in a formal reintegration program; the biggest barriers were a lack of awareness (45.4%) and having no such program available (40.5%). More support from formal sources during deployment was reported by spouses who were non-Hispanic Black, spouses of officers, and spouses with less household income. More support from informal sources during deployment was reported by spouses who were employed and spouses of officers. Spouses were more likely to participate in a reintegration program if they were employed outside the home, if they were non-Hispanic, if they were affiliated with the Army compared with the Air Force, and if the service member experienced combat during deployment. Informal support during deployment was the strongest predictor of military spouses' well-being during reintegration. These findings suggest helping military spouses by facilitating more comprehensive support, enriching existing services, and combating disparities.

This study describes the wartime experiences of foreign volunteers-Jewish foreign nationals who volunteered for the Israeli military - during the Swords of Iron War. Interviews with 20 participants revealed three themes. 1) Between Two Worlds: Foreign Volunteers' Relationships with Family Members Back Home During Wartime highlights the emotional strain, communication challenges, and selective disclosure involved in maintaining transnational family ties. 2) From Strangers to Brothers in Arms: The Social Integration Journey of Non-Israeli Soldiers in Israeli Military Units explores their transition from cultural outsiders to integral members of their units, forming a bicultural military identity. 3) Beyond Combat: Personal and Psychological Journeys of Foreign Volunteers Serving Far from Support Systems addresses the emotional challenges of grief, instability, and loss, alongside personal growth and resilience. The findings emphasize the importance of institutional support, social networks, and cultural adaptation, recommending improved family connection tools, enhanced integration programs, and tailored support initiatives for foreign volunteers.

The unique demands of military life can adversely impact romantic relationships; however, research has mainly focused on these adverse outcomes at one-time point, overlooking changes over time or potential positive outcomes. Using a subsample of 3,845 male and female military personnel and veterans from a large UK dataset, this study examined positive and negative changes in relationship satisfaction between two-time points (2007-2009; 2014-2016). Most participants reported no change in their relationship satisfaction, suggesting stability - 8% reported a positive change and 10% a negative change. Positive change was associated with being in a long-term relationship, alcohol misuse remission, and persistent alcohol misuse. Negative change was associated with the onset of mental health problems (probable PTSD, CMD, or alcohol misuse) and having children under 18. Some factors, like increasing age, childhood family relationship adversity, and mental health problems, were associated with both positive and negative changes in relationship satisfaction. This study highlights the complexity of factors associated with relationship satisfaction among military personnel and veterans, with some experiencing positive changes, as well as negative changes over time.

Moral injury entails functionally impairing moral emotions, beliefs, and behaviors resulting from enacting, experiencing, or witnessing events that transgress deeply held moral beliefs. Moral injury is associated with concerns about disclosure regarding military experiences, such as feeling judged. Yet, little research has documented the extent to which intimate partners know about service members' exposure to potentially morally injurious experiences (PMIEs) and their reactions to this knowledge. The current study is a secondary analysis of data from a sample of 579 couples (1,158 individuals) that included male service members' reports of experiencing specific events during deployment (i.e., PMIEs by self, PMIEs by others, loss, or life threat) and their female civilian partners' reports of the service member telling them about such events. Results suggest that partners are significantly less likely to report being told about service members' exposure to PMIEs compared to exposure to experiences of threat and loss. In general, service members' reports of the seriousness of deployment experiences and their distress regarding these experiences were associated with a greater likelihood of partners' reports of being told about such experiences. In the current sample, partners had low ratings of negative changes in opinions of the service member after learning of their exposure to PMIEs by self or by others. Although preliminary, findings may inform understanding of the conditions under which disclosure of military experiences to intimate partners is more or less likely and the type of partner reactions that might be observed among military couples in intact relationships.

This study examined the effects of the Thank You-Sorry-Love (TSL) program on depression, anger, marital satisfaction, and cortisol levels among military spouses. A total of 18 military spouses were matched and randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 9), which participated in the TSL program, or a control group (n = 9), which did not receive the intervention. Depression, anger, marital satisfaction, and cortisol levels (an oxidative stress biomarker) were measured at two time points: pretest and posttest. The results demonstrated significant reductions in depression and anger, as well as improved marital satisfaction in the experimental group compared to the control group. Additionally, the program was effective in reducing cortisol levels, further supporting its utility as a stress-reduction intervention. These findings highlight the potential of the TSL program as an effective strategy for enhancing psychological and physiological well-being among military spouses.