Modeling Growth and Resilience Among Military Personnel

2021 ◽  
pp. 167-185
Author(s):  
William J. Chopik
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Definitive Evidence ◽  
Stressful Experience ◽  
Mental Resources ◽  
Modeling Growth

The prospect that people can be resilient to—or even grow from—a stressful experience is an alluring possibility—especially so for soldiers and veterans. Some have proposed that deploying and military experiences provide soldiers with enduring mental resources and toughness that are protective for the rest of their lives. However, definitive evidence for growth and resilience among military personnel has proved elusive. Part of the unknowns about growth and resilience can be attributable to how people think about and model questions related to growth and resilience. In this chapter, the author provides two empirical examples—changes in depressive symptoms among veterans and changes in character strengths among deploying soldiers—to illustrate how different conceptualizations, methods, and analyses can dramatically change the inferences we make about growth and resilience. The demonstrations provide an increased understanding about methodological flexibility in the study of growth and resilience and some expectations about how and why individuals might change in response to adversity.

scholarly journals Correlation between Military Character Strengths and Leaders of Character in Software Development Process among Computer Science Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 763-767
Author(s):  
Suzaimah Ramli ◽  
◽  
Muslihah Wook ◽  
Aminulhaq Ghazali ◽  
Roziyah Ahmad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Software Development ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Software Development Process ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
National Defence

The National Defence University of Malaysia (NDUM) is the sole provider of tertiary education for future military personnel. As a boutique university, NDUM emphasises on developing military character strengths among its students in all aspects of co-curricular and academic curriculum. This paper will present the relationship between Military Character Strengths (MCS) and the software development process (SDP), as part of the Final Year Project (FYP) for Computer Science students at the Faculty of Defence Science and Technology. This study has analysed the formation of an outstanding and successful NDUM student, which can be influenced by the MCS. NDUM has outlined the characteristics of its ideal graduates, known as the 'Leaders of Character' (LoC). The results showed that MCS are important attributes of LoC implementation. The results further showed that there was a correlation between MCS and LoC in software development process for Computer Science students in NDUM.

Psychoaffectives Repercussions of Autism on Parents

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S122-S122 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Ben Soussia ◽  
A. Bouallagui ◽  
S. Khouadja ◽  
I. Marrag ◽  
M. Nasr
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Daily Stress ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Reactions ◽  
Rehabilitation Centers ◽  
Stressful Experience ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionCaring for a child with autism is a stressful experience for parents. The daily stress of this handicap has a major impact and triggers in the parents a series of adverse psychological reactions.AimTo reveal sociodemographic characteristics of parents of autistic children and to estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among these parents.MethodsA cross-sectional study conducted among parents of autistic children supported by four of autistic children rehabilitation centers under the Tunisian Association for the Promotion of Mental Health. Data were collected through a questionnaire to explore the sociodemographic data of parents of autistic children. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Beck scale and anxiety symptoms by the Hamilton scale.ResultsFifty-two parents were collected. The middle age was 35.73 years. They lived in an urban area in 96% of cases. The majority had an average socioeconomic level (88.4%). The respective rates of depressed or anxious parents as Beck scales and Hamilton were 48% and 23%. The association between depressive and anxious symptoms was found in 19%. In addition, depression was more common in mothers (P < 10−4) and anxiety was also more evident among mothers (P = 0.01).ConclusionThe presence of an autistic child causes profound changes in families and can be a source of tension and stress. The anxious and depressive impact on parents is important and frequent. The intervention that designs the psychiatrist to help children with autism should necessarily include an action for parents.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Stress, Sleep and Depressive Symptoms in Active Duty Military Personnel

2016 ◽  
Vol 352 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han-Wei Chou ◽  
Wen-Chii Tzeng ◽  
Yu-Ching Chou ◽  
Hui-Wen Yeh ◽  
Hsin-An Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Active Duty ◽  
Active Duty Military

scholarly journals Cytokine Production by Leukocytes of Military Personnel with Depressive Symptoms after Deployment to a Combat-Zone: A Prospective, Longitudinal Study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. e29142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjam van Zuiden ◽  
Cobi J. Heijnen ◽  
Rens van de Schoot ◽  
Karima Amarouchi ◽  
Mirjam Maas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Cytokine Production ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

Prevalence of Depression among Middle-School Kuwaiti Students following the Iraqi Invasion

1995 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 643-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan I. Abdullatif
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
School Students ◽  
Children’S Depression ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Family ◽  
Prevalence Of Depression ◽  
Stressful Experience ◽  
The Mean

The prevalence of depression among 1981 middle-school students (995 boys and 986 girls) in Kuwait was estimated using the Arabic Children's Depression Inventory. Cronbach coefficients alpha for their scores were .86, .88, and .87, for boys, girls, and the combined group, respectively. There were 3.7% of boys and 4.8% of girls who attained total scores greater than 2 SDs above the mean. It was noted that subjects who have a martyr or a POW in the family exhibited a significant difference on depressive symptoms. The boys obtained a mean of 44.2 whereas the girls obtained a mean of 42.5. Further, there was a significant correlation between scores on depression and report of stressful experience. An interpretation of this finding was provided.

scholarly journals Strengths Based Character Education for the Elderly: A Quasi-Experimental Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduarda Rezende Freitas ◽  
Altemir José Gonçalves Barbosa ◽  
Carmem Beatriz Neufeld
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Character Education ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
And Control

Abstract This study aimed to analyze an intervention on Strengths Based Character Education for the Elderly (Educafi) and its effects on the variables character strengths, psychological well-being, life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. Forty-one elderly people participated in the research, divided into three groups: experimental, active control and control. Participants answered the same questionnaires in three moments: pretest, post-test and follow up. Statistically significant results were obtained for depressive symptoms, but not for the positive constructs assessed. Elderly people who participated in Educafi decreased the levels of these symptoms from the pretest to the post-test. However, in the follow up they returned to the initial levels. The results are discussed and suggestions for Educafi and other positive interventions for the elderly are presented.

scholarly journals Resilience, Emotions, and Character Strengths as Predictors of Job Stress in Military Personnel

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arsia Taghva ◽  
Seyed Teymur Seyedi Asl ◽  
Amir Mohsen Rahnejat ◽  
Mohammad Mehdi Elikaee
Keyword(s):  
Job Stress ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional

Background: Job stress, which undermines productivity and physical and mental health, has been reported to be high among military personnel. Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the role of character strengths, emotions, and resilience in predicting job stress in a sample of Iranian military personnel. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited a total number of 146 military personnel via convenience sampling and administered the Health and Safety Executive Stress Questionnaire, Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale, Values in Action Inventory of Strengths, and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. The correlation analysis and stepwise linear regression were performed using SPSS22. Results: Job stress was negatively associated with resilience, positive emotions, and character strengths and positively associated with negative emotions (P < 0.001). Regression analysis revealed that three variables, including resilience, courage, and negative emotions could predict 57% of the variance in job stress (Adj. R2 = 0.57, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Higher resilience and courage are associated with lower job stress. Also, negative emotions such as anger, guilt, and anxiety would contribute to higher job stress. Providing training courses to develop and boost resilience and courage and manage negative emotions can offset the negative effects of job stress on military personnel. Also, considering these factors as recruitment criteria would lead to the enlistment of cadets who may be more resilient to stress.

scholarly journals To Approach or to Avoid? Motivation Differentially Mediates the Effect of Hardiness on Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Military Personnel

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Xiaoxia Wang ◽  
Janet Yuen-Ha Wong ◽  
Linkun Zhai ◽  
Ruicheng Wu ◽  
Tianhao Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Behavioral Inhibition ◽  
Behavioral Activation ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Avoidance Motivation ◽  
Approach Avoidance

Objective. To investigate the mediation effect of approach/avoidance motivation between hardiness and depressive symptoms. Methods. Cross-sectional design was utilized. Two independent samples of military servicemen (G1: military personnel in the Armed Forces; G2: Chinese army military cadets) (n1 = 98, n2 =140) were sampled and investigated. The assessment tools of hardiness scale (DRS), behavioral activation and inhibition scales (BAS/BIS), and Center for Epidemiological Survey-Depression Scale (CES-D)/Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used. General linear model was conducted to examine the predictive role of hardiness (DRS) and motivation (BAS/BIS) on depressive symptoms (CES-D or BDI). The mediating role of BAS/BIS between hardiness and depressive symptoms was examined. Results. (1) Across army soldiers and military medical university cadets, hardiness (β=-0.394, P<0.001) and behavioral inhibition (β=0.297, P<0.001) significantly predicted depressive symptoms. (2) For soldiers only, behavioral inhibition mediated the significant association between hardiness and depressive symptoms (β=-0.043, SE=0.027, 95%CI=-0.130~-0.008). (3) For cadets only, behavioral activation-Drive significantly predicted depressive symptoms (β=-0.237, P=0.012), and hardiness operates through behavioral activation-Drive to influence depressive symptoms (β=-0.057, SE=0.036, 95%CI=-0.151~-0.078). Conclusion. Individuals who are low in hardiness and behavioral activation-Drive and who are high in behavioral inhibition showed more severe depressive symptoms. The relationship between hardiness and depressive symptoms was mediated by behavioral activation-Drive in cadets and behavioral inhibition in soldiers. The proposed model offers a useful approach for the development of hardiness training programs to alter approach/avoidance motivation in the military context. Future training program of hardiness could lay more emphasis on promotion of perseverance in pursuing goals in hardy individuals, which may in turn improve active coping.

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