Military Psychology最新文献

Future large-scale combat operations (LSCOs) will place considerable strains on warfighting and peacekeeping capabilities, particularly mission sets that require execution of critical military functions within urban and/or rural subterranean (SubT) environments. Despite substantial investment in modernizing military tactics and technology to neutralize threats or exploit situational affordances in underground contexts, limited empirical data are available from service member populations operating in SubT conditions. We followed a cohort of chemical, radiological, biological, and nuclear (CBRN) response teams as their units completed multi-day CBRN training events in above-ground or underground environments (e.g. facilities, tunnels, other structures). In addition to baseline individual differences, we assessed pre- and post-training psychological and cognitive functioning and other factors associated with stress responses and performance during training. Results suggest training events imparted a significant amount of stress on participants, with positive associations observed between self-reported demand, effort, anxiety, and sensitivity to protective gear. Reduced cognitive functioning (response time, accuracy) post-training was also evidenced post-training, but SubT environments engendered worse, and more variable, cognitive performance compared to above-ground locations. Previous training experiences in this cohort (few in underground contexts) were associated with emotion regulation ability and coping skills. An adapted measure of SubT operational potential demonstrated utility in the current sample based on positive associations with previous experience, navigation skills, resilience, problem-focused coping, and positive affect, as well as negative associations with self-regulation difficulties, phobias, and anxiety. Findings are discussed in a LSCO context that could require short- and long-term subterranean missions executed within a multidomain operational framework.

Future large-scale combat operations (LSCO) against near-peer adversaries may unfold in a fluid, multi-domain battlespace where precision fires, drone swarms, and contested evacuation erase rear-area sanctuaries. This narrative review synthesizes historical evidence, emerging doctrine, and lessons from contemporary conflicts to: (1) depict the operational realities and casualty patterns anticipated in LSCO; (2) map the spectrum of behavioral-health effects, from acute combat and operational stress reactions (COSRs) to psychiatric casualties such as PTSD or psychosis; (3) clarify the distinctions between transient COSRs and diagnosable psychiatric disorders; (4) delineate the essential clinical, advisory, and leadership roles of forward-deployed psychiatrists and other behavioral health professionals in triage, stabilization, and return-to-duty decisions; and (5) identify planning and capability gaps in prolonged field care for psychiatric casualties while proposing evidence-informed solutions to close them. Preserving medical and psychological readiness in LSCO demands a shift from counterinsurgency-era reliance on rapid aeromedical evacuation to a layered, in-theater continuum of care that can safely hold and treat Soldiers for days or weeks under fire. Targeted investments in training, interdisciplinary behavioral health personnel mix, psychotropic logistics, and distributed restoration centers are critical to "conserving fighting strength" when evacuation is delayed or impossible. Implementing these recommendations will allow commanders to mitigate psychological attrition, maximize return-to-duty rates, and sustain combat effectiveness in the high-tempo, high-casualty wars the Army now foresees.

Large scale combat operations (LSCO) are anticipated to expose service members to challenging, high-stakes scenarios with significant moral implications. Potentially morally injurious events and the psychological harms associated with moral injury among military personnel have been well-documented, but the possibility of positive experiences arising from morally charged experiences has been given less attention. In the present study, we explore a novel construct - the potentially morally elevating experience (PMEE) - that constitutes a positively-oriented parallel to the potentially morally injurious event. Previously deployed U.S. Army soldiers (n = 1,622) completed a cross-sectional survey that included assessment of three forms of PMEEs - morally elevating acts by the self, morally elevating acts by others, and moral elevation from experiencing the support of others. Associations between PMEEs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and problematic alcohol use were explored. PMEEs were found to be common, but not universal, among previously deployed soldiers. Moreover, PMEEs were negatively associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. No associations were observed between PMEEs and problematic alcohol use. Building on these findings, we propose a unified model of military moral experience during deployment. Findings and implications are considered within the context of future conflicts involving LSCO.

Drone warfare is a relatively new concept that militaries and defense industries around the world are continuing to develop and formulate adaptive responses to. Although larger and more primitive models of drones have seen combat use in various historical contexts, the ongoing war in Ukraine has demonstrated the utility of smaller models that can be made cheaply using commercial parts. As the war in Ukraine approaches its fourth consecutive year, the global community has witnessed the profound battlefield impact of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used prominently and to devastating effect by both sides. Ukraine has specifically benefitted from the force multiplicative effects of drones, which it has leveraged time and again to help keep pace with the significantly larger Russian military. Drones not only increase combat effectiveness from a practical standpoint but they also have profound ethical and psychological implications from the perspectives of drone operators as well as targeted individuals and communities. Several studies have examined these effects on drone operators, more specifically regarding their potential to raise the risk of developing PTSD through vicarious trauma exposure. However, less research has been conducted on the psychological impacts of drone use on targeted individuals and others affected on the battlefield. The current study examines these psychological impacts based on the current body of evidence as well as conceptually similar experiences of other warfighters in modern conflicts such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and snipers.

The link between sexual assault (SA) and alcohol misuse (AM) documented in both military and civilian settings suggests that integrating SA and AM prevention programming could be more effective than current siloed approaches. The Department of Defense recognizes the need for integrated programming to address multiple harmful behaviors. This study explored integrating SA and AM in existing prevention efforts, identified barriers to and recommendations for implementation, and investigated possible strategies to enhance site-level leadership buy-in for future integrated programming. We conducted 8 focus groups (n = 40) with cadets and service members, and 15 semi-structured interviews with site leadership and staff at a service academy and a military base. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis and compared themes across settings. SA and AM prevention were not formally integrated at either site. Participants emphasized the need for integrated efforts to address common risk factors. Concerns about victim blaming highlighted the importance of careful content development and staff selection. Barriers included time constraints, unengaging formats, and resource limitations. Smaller, interactive, discussion-based training formats were preferred. Ensuring the right individuals lead integrated prevention efforts was seen as essential. Demonstrating program effectiveness and resource savings were key to securing leadership buy-in. These findings highlight the need for well-coordinated strategies that engage leadership and ensure skilled program delivery to maximize integrated prevention programming effectiveness in the military.

Military service academies hold the promotion and development of leaders of character to be central to their mission, and institutional systems for identifying and penalizing instances of misconduct serve an important role toward this end. Here, we explore how items and scales within an early version of the Values in Action (VIA) instrument completed by several cohorts of cadets at the United States Naval Academy and United States Coast Guard Academy predicted their cumulative number of conduct offenses recorded while at the academy. At both academies, similar dimensions of the VIA predicted the number of conduct offenses committed by cadets: Self-Regulation, Modesty/Humility, and especially Prudence scales predicted fewer conduct offenses, whereas the Social Intelligence, Originality/Creativity, and Humor/Playfulness scales predicted more conduct offenses. Analysis of the 240 individual items of the VIA demonstrated significantly improved prediction of conduct offenses relative to the instrument's 24 broader scales. The results indicate a consistent profile of character attributes predicting the commission of conduct offenses at both service academies, and may be expected to predict levels of misconduct in other contexts.

Due to unique stressors faced by LGBTQ+ Veterans, it is important to understand how existing strengths, like coping self-efficacy, can be leveraged for health promotion efforts to improve outcomes for this population. Before clinical trials and program evaluation work is possible, critical measurement issues must be addressed. The present study advances psychometric testing of the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) among LGBTQ+ Veterans participating in the Pride in All Who Served (PRIDE) program including use of dynamic fit indices for factor structure evaluation. Validity indicators were chosen based on guidance from the Behavioral Model of Health Service Utilization. Cross-sectional data collected for clinical program evaluation purposes were drawn from participants' pre-intervention questionnaires (N = 297). Data included self-reported demographics, coping self-efficacy, and health service use. Findings suggested a three-factor (i.e. problem-focused, thought-stopping, and use of social support) CSES structure with good to excellent internal reliability. For convergent validity, coping self-efficacy domains were associated with LGBTQ+ Veteran perceived health status, health behaviors, and service satisfaction in expected directions. Overall, our findings support the use of the CSES among LGBTQ+ Veteran populations to measure perceived coping self-efficacy. Recommendations for future research, psychometric testing, and clinical utility of the CSES are discussed.

Suicide is a significant public health concern among the military population. Thus, it is vital to understand suicide risk factors in this population. Alcohol use and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been identified as risk factors for suicidality, whereas belongingness has been identified as a protective factor. This study aims to further clarify these relationships by examining the moderating effect of PTSD symptoms on the association between alcohol use and suicidality, and between belongingness and suicidality. We conducted secondary data analysis from currently serving members' surveys included in the Military Suicide Research Consortium Common Data Elements (MSRC-CDE) database (N = 2,361). Multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine the associations of alcohol use, belongingness, and PTSD symptoms on suicidality. Findings showed a significant interaction between alcohol use and PTSD symptoms, and between belongingness and PTSD symptoms, suggesting that PTSD symptoms moderated both associations. At lower PTSD symptoms levels, higher alcohol use was associated with higher suicidality. At higher PTSD symptoms levels, lower belongingness was associated with higher suicidality. These findings highlight the importance of screening and treating military personnel for PTSD, given that with its interaction with higher alcohol use and decreased belongingness, PTSD may increase the risk for suicidality.

The U.S. Army's Division Psychiatrist (DIVPSYCH) has evolved from an ad-hoc "shell-shock" specialist to a multidisciplinary leader embedded within division staffs. This narrative review, based on targeted literature searches and doctrinal sources, traces 20th-21st century military history, doctrine, and policy, highlights contemporary duties, and evaluates how best to employ psychiatrists in future large-scale combat operations (LSCO). Historical experience supports proximity-based care to conserve fighting strength, while recent organizational reforms have shifted many psychiatrists toward staff and supervisory roles. Anticipated LSCO constraints, such as high casualty densities, dispersed formations, contested evacuation, and mobility, demand approaches that increase psychiatrists' clinical reach near casualties while preserving command-level consultation. We outline four courses of action (COAs) for employing future psychiatrists in LSCO: retain DIVPSYCH roles in divisions; place senior psychiatrists at corps or theater-level, with junior psychiatrists or behavioral health officers in divisions; embed more psychiatrists in field hospitals and Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) detachments; and create mobile psychiatric augmentation teams. Each COA is analyzed for feasibility, risks, and trade-offs. We recommend a hybrid model that balances immediate command counsel with forward clinical capacity.

Armed forces officers typically undergo initial leadership training to prepare them to command subordinates in demanding and often hazardous situations. However, the naïve or implicit assumptions of untrained officer cadets can potentially influence how they view leadership and attribute trust toward their own leaders. For example, aggression and fearlessness might be associated with prototypical military leadership and therefore emulated by untrained cadets. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between a military leader's personality (using reinforcement sensitivity theory) and their initial military training on their subordinate's perceptions of transformational leadership and abusive supervision. In a study of 161 officer cadets enrolled in initial military training and 647 matched subordinates, we found that leaders with high defensive fight (associated with aggression) were viewed as more transformational by untrained rather than trained cadets. Furthermore, leaders with low behavioral inhibition (associated with low self-control) were viewed as more abusive supervisors by trained rather than untrained cadets. Finally, we found that leaders with high reward reactivity (associated with positive emotions) were viewed as transformational leaders with high levels of subordinate trust by trained rather than untrained cadets. The findings from this study enhance our understanding of the way leader personality and military training relate to subordinate perceptions of leadership and trust during the formative phase of a military leader's career.