Military Psychology最新文献

Background: Military conscription is a legal obligation in many countries. Different psychiatric disorders may result in exemptions from compulsory military service. The study aimed to compare psychiatric diagnoses, and demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals exempted from conscription between the call-up and military service groups. Methods: The study analyzed exemption reports based on psychiatric evaluations conducted between 2016 and 2020 at a regional military hospital in Türkiye. Exemptions from conscription at the call-up stage and during military service were compared regarding sociodemographic characteristics, clinical information, and psychiatric diagnoses. Results: The study included 1225 exemption reports. The most common psychiatric diagnoses were intellectual disability and adjustment disorder. The exemption at the call-up group showed higher rates of psychiatric disability reports, intellectual disability, antisocial personality disorder, and depressive disorders. In contrast, the exemption during military service group had a higher history of substance use and prevalence of adjustment disorder. At the call-up, intellectual disability, antisocial personality disorder, and psychiatric medication predicted exemption. Adjustment disorder was the predictive factor for exemption during military service Conclusion: The study delineated crucial clinical and psychiatric distinctions among those exempted from conscription during call-up versus military service. Awareness of exemptions during military service can significantly contribute to improving the roll call examination during the call-up. The findings emphasize the need for targeted assessments and strategies for managing psychiatric disorders in the military context.

This systematic review examined the effects of mobile health (mHealth) apps on the physical and mental health outcomes of military personnel. Fourteen studies (10 RCTs, 4 non-RCTs) published between 2000 and 2022 were included. While app-based interventions did not significantly improve clinical outcomes like HbA1c and blood pressure, they showed a statistically significant reduction in symptom severity of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder symptoms (PTSD), depression, and insomnia. Patients expressed satisfaction with the apps, though statistical significance was not reported. In addition to alleviating mental health symptoms, mHealth apps appear widely accepted by military personnel. Development and implementation of evidence-based mental health apps by healthcare professionals are recommended.

The gathering of information through the use of interrogation techniques in the context of human intelligence (HUMINT) has a long and elusive history within applied settings of law enforcement and the military and civilian intelligence/counterterrorism community. However, psychological research has yet to catch up to systematically address pressing matters regarding the validity and effectiveness of common interrogation methods and a conceptual framework for relevant psychological factors. A promising, comprehensive contribution is the Taxonomy of Interrogation Methods (ToIM), which aims to integrate multiple approaches within the field of interrogation. In this paper, we utilized the ToIM model as a foundation for a meta-analytic review on the validity and effectiveness of interrogation techniques. We systematically integrated the existing evidence from 60 studies in order to determine which techniques from six domains of the ToIM produce valuable information. The results indicate that Rapport and Relationship Building, Presentation of Evidence and Cognitive Facilitation (an additional domain beyond the ToIM) are valid approaches to optimize both the amount of information gathered as well as its accuracy. The evidence is insufficient to conclude the effectiveness of techniques from the other four domains. Overall, the results are in line with the general notion in the field that a positive relationship with a suspect/source is the key to gather valuable information.

Effective mental health and stress resilience (MHSR) training is essential in military populations given their exposure to operational stressors. The scarcity of empirical evidence supporting the benefits of these programs emphasizes the need for research dedicated to program optimization. This paper aims to identify the relative importance of MHSR training attributes preferred by military members. Conjoint analysis (CA), an experimental method used to prioritize end-user preferences for product feature development, was conducted using an online survey with 567 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel. Participants made a series of choices between hypothetical MHSR training options that were systematically varied across seven training attributes. Each training attribute consisted of 3-4 variations in the nature of the attribute or its intensity. Participants also completed questions on health beliefs, mental health and previous MHSR training experiences, and demographics, to assess whether preferences varied by individual characteristics. CA demonstrated that instructor type, leadership buy-in, degree of skills practice, and content relevance/applicability were attributes of highest and relatively equal importance. This was followed by degree of accessible supplemental content. Lowest importance was placed on degree of behavioral nudging and demographic similarity between the trainee and trainer. Sociodemographic factors were not associated with MHSR training preferences. Programs that incorporate expert-led instruction, demonstrate leadership buy-in, embed practical applications within simulated stress environments, and provide a digitally-accessible platform to augment training may be well-received among military members. Understanding and accommodating personal preferences when designing MHSR training programs may increase relevance, foster acceptance and trust, and support sustained engagement.

Successful teamwork is essential to ensure critical care air transport (CCAT) patients receive effective care. Despite the importance of team performance, current training methods rely on subjective performance assessments and do not evaluate performance at the team level. Researchers have developed the Team Dynamics Measurement System (TDMS) to provide real-time, objective measures of team coordination to assist trainers in providing CCAT aircrew with feedback to improve performance. The first iteration of TDMS relied exclusively on communication flow patterns (i.e., who was speaking and when) to identify instances of various communication types such as closed loop communication (CLC). The research presented in this paper significantly advances the TDMS project by incorporating natural language processing (NLP) to identify CLC. The addition of NLP to the existing TDMS resulted in greater accuracy and fewer false alarms in identifying instances of CLC compared to the previous flow-based implementation. We discuss ways in which these improvements will facilitate instructor feedback and support further refinement of the TDMS.

Military personnel are repeatedly exposed to multiple stressors, and are sometimes characterized by high levels of anger. Evidence suggests that this anger can become dysfunctional, and impact the health status of populations chronically exposed to stress. In particular, rumination (understood as perseverative thoughts about a past event), provides a theoretical framework for investigating how anger may impact stress regulation abilities in military personnel declared fit for deployment. This exploratory study aimed therefore to examine the impact of the anger profile on psychological suffering in terms of burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), along with the reactivity of the autonomic nervous system, measured as cardiac variability. One hundred and seventeen French soldiers were tested before deployment to Operation BARKHANE. Anger rumination, burnout, and PTSD symptoms were assessed using questionnaires, and cardiac variability was measured as the questionnaires were completed. The results revealed two profiles related to anger trait and anger rumination. Burnout and PTSD scores were higher among military personnel with high levels of anger trait and rumination, and this group also had lower parasympathetic activity and flexibility after completing the questionnaires. These results suggest that there may be a link between an angry profile and psychological suffering, notably burnout and PTSD. Rumination could be involved in this link, as it is associated with poor adaptation to stress in a military context. Prospective researches including post-deployment will establish whether this ruminative response can account for the relationship between problematic anger, stress regulatory capacities and psychological health in military populations.

Mission readiness is critical to the operational success of the United States (US) military and includes having a healthy and fit fighting force. Service members and their dependents have access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services with no out-of-pocket costs. Despite this access, negative outcomes such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy persist. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with service members and stakeholders (e.g. medical providers). Interviews explored the individual, interpersonal, organizational, and institutional factors that inform sexual norms, behaviors, and healthcare experiences in the US military. Interview transcripts were coded manually; data were summarized for themes related to unique aspects of military culture and healthcare affecting sexual and reproductive health. Twenty-five (25) service members and 15 stakeholders completed interviews. Four themes emerged: 1) despite free access, both general and military-specific barriers to sexual and reproductive healthcare persist; 2) general and military-specific cultural norms apply to sexual behavior and care seeking; 3) sexual and reproductive health-related norms can be perceived as confusing and contradictory within the military; and 4) resources addressing sexual assault are ubiquitous in military settings, but resources addressing prevention of STIs and unintended pregnancy are limited. Both general and military-specific norms, behavior, and healthcare experiences need to be considered in clinical care, public health campaigns, and other efforts to promote sexual and reproductive health in military settings.

Values have always been a top priority in the military domains of leadership, training, ethical commitment, and psychological research. However, only a few studies have assessed value descriptors and their underlying dimensional structure in military organizations using an empirical psycholexical and factor analytical approach. This research project examined the structure of military values and derived core military values. Two studies were conducted in cooperation with the Swiss Armed Forces. In study 1, 25 military-specific value descriptors were identified based on a psycholexical analysis of military guidelines and in line with expert ratings by executive military leaders. In study 2, a questionnaire was filled out by a sample of 550 military professionals to capture their ratings of values as applied to everyday military decisions and actions. Principal component analysis in combination with Goldberg's top-down approach delivered five military value categories that reflect the military culture in Switzerland, characterized as (I) freedom, (II) social cohesion, (III) good soldiership, (IV) mutual respect, and (V) military conformity. Results are discussed in light of introducing a novel research approach to assessing the value structure and culture in military organizations.

To build a warfighter from the ground up, training should include not only the core competencies required for job performance in the Fleet but also the mental toughness expected to handle the stress, fatigue, and call for sudden action required of all sailors on duty, regardless of occupation. Recruit Training Command (RTC) has embarked on a program to provide explicit training to recruits on the development of toughness in boot camp. This program is multifaceted, including three pilot programs (two all-male pilots, one integrated/mixed gender pilot) for mental skill training. Recruit divisions were assigned to either mental toughness (MT) condition or active control (AC). The MT group received daily, 10-min guided mindfulness exercises, three "just-in-time" trainings in sports psychology skills, and an on-command focusing exercise. Results varied across the three pilots with the exception of on-time graduation rates, which favored the MT condition in every pilot. Taken together, the three MT pilot studies show possible benefits for performance during boot camp with MT practice, and predictable advantages for graduation rates.