Longitudinal associations of psychological resilience with mental health and functioning among military personnel: A meta-analysis of prospective studies

Longitudinal measurement invariance and growth curve modeling of psychological resilience across the deployment cycle

The concept of resilience is embedded within military culture and professional identity. To date, temporal changes in individuals' perceptions of their own resilience have not been systematically assessed in highstakes occupational contexts, like the military. The current study examined change in selfreported resilience over time by: (1) examining the longitudinal measurement invariance of the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS); (2) assessing the longitudinal pattern of resilience across a combat deployment cycle; and (3) examining predictors of postdeployment resilience and change in resilience scores across time. U.S. Army soldiers assigned to a combat brigade completed a survey at four time points over the course of a deployment cycle: (a) prior to deployment to Afghanistan; (b) during deployment; (c) immediately following return to home station; and (d) approximately 2-3 months thereafter. The longitudinal measurement invariance of the BRS was established. Growth curve modeling indicated that, on average, self-reported resilience decreased across the deployment cycle, but there was considerable individual variation in the rate of change. Of note, loneliness, as measured during deployment, predicted the rate of change in self-reported resilience over time. Results have implications for the longitudinal analysis of resilience and for the development of interventions with military personnel.

The three axioms of resilience

This article summarizes the growing literature on resilience in the face of aversive and potentially traumatic events (PTEs) in three basic axioms: (a) resilience is a common outcome, 2) there are no "key" traits to resilience (resilience is not a type), and (c) resilient outcomes occur through flexible self-regulation. The first axiom highlights the limitation of a traditional, binary view of trauma in terms of the presence-absence of posttraumatic stress disorder, emphasizing instead the heterogeneity of trauma outcomes. Four prototypical trajectories are reviewed: chronic symptoms; delayed symptoms; recovery; and the most common trajectory, resilience. The second axiom reviews the paradoxical inability of known correlates of resilience to adequately predict resilient outcomes. Resilience is instead described as a multifaceted phenomenon with no singular set of key traits, as various factors contribute to resilient outcomes in complex ways. The third axiom provides an explanation of how resilience can emerge from this complex array by introducing the concept of flexible self-regulation. The flexibility mindset is described as providing the motivation for flexible responding. The flexibility sequence is described as explaining the mechanisms underlying flexibility in terms of three serial stages: context sensitivity, strategy repertoire, and feedback adjustment. The final section briefly considers clinical implications.

Self-Compassion, Resilience and Mental Health in Community Adults

PURPOSE

To investigate the associations among self-compassion, resilience and mental health of community residents.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Voluntary survey of web-based, posters-based platform.

PARTICIPANTS

453 community residents.

METHODS

Participants living in Kaohsiung, Taiwan were recruited from posters, online advertisements based platforms and were assessed with the self-compassion scale (SCS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and The Positive Mental Health Scale (PMH-scale) measures during the period from March 1 to October 31, 2023.

RESULTS

After adjusting for age, gender and education, stepwise regression analysis revealed that isolation, self-judgment, and control accounted for 14% of the variance in depressive symptoms (CES-D) (adjusted R2 = .149, P < .05). Over-identification, self-kindness and control accounted for 26% of the variance in satisfaction with life (SWLS) (adjusted R2 = .263, P < .001). Over-identification, self-kindness, isolation, control and personal competence and tenacity accounted for 37% of the variance in positive mental health (PMH-scale) (adjusted R2 = .375, P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggested that components of self-compassion and resilience may be important factors that promote positive mental health and provide potential interventions for professionals to increase the well-being of community residents.

An exploratory domain analysis of deployment risks and protective features and their association to mental health, cognitive functioning and job performance in military personnel

BACKGROUND

Meta-analyses of military deployment involve the exploration of focused associations between predictors and peri and post-deployment outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to provide a large-scale and high-level perspective of deployment-related predictors across eight peri and post-deployment outcomes.

DESIGN

Articles reporting effect sizes for associations between deployment-related features and indices of peri and post-deployment outcomes were selected. Three-hundred and fourteen studies (N = 2,045,067) and 1,893 relevant effects were retained. Deployment features were categorized into themes, mapped across outcomes, and integrated into a big-data visualization.

METHODS

Studies of military personnel with deployment experience were included. Extracted studies investigated eight possible outcomes reflecting functioning (e.g., post-traumatic stress, burnout). To allow comparability, effects were transformed into a Fisher's Z. Moderation analyses investigating methodological features were performed.

RESULTS

The strongest correlates across outcomes were emotional (e.g., guilt/shame: Z = 0.59 to 1.21) and cognitive processes (e.g., negative appraisals: Z = -0.54 to 0.26), adequate sleep on deployment (Z = -0.28 to - 0.61), motivation (Z = -0.33 to - 0.71), and use of various coping strategies/recovery strategies (Z = -0.25 to - 0.59).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings pointed to interventions that target coping and recovery strategies, and the monitoring of emotional states and cognitive processes post-deployment that may indicate early risk.

Development of the ARENA training programme for resilient performance in defense and security settings

Defense and Security Personnel (DSP) often have to operate in the presence of stressful demands. Prior research has identified factors and processes associated with DSP being able to perform resiliently in demanding situations and settings. The aim of the present study was to develop a resilient performance training programme for UK defense and security operators. An intervention mapping (IM) method was used to guide the development of the programme. Typically, IM follows six sequential phases. In the present work, these phases were shaped by insights from prior research (e.g. systematic review and end user interviews), the input of a dedicated working group (N = 13) and from practitioner focus groups. During the IM process, the importance of programme flexibility was emphasized by practitioners. As such, the enAbling REsilieNt performAnce (ARENA) training programme was designed to be agile and include both face-to-face training and online learning modules. Theoretical behavior change principles, closely aligned to findings of earlier work on resilient defense and security performance, were used to underpin programme content and delivery. Future research should seek to gather data on the impact of the ARENA programme, in the targeted biological, psychological and social factors that previously been associated with resilient performances.

Psychological resilience: Predictors and measurement among Israel Defense Force combat officer candidates

The goal of the current study was to develop a resilience selection tool for combat officers that would augment the test battery at the Israel Defense Force (IDF) Officer Selection Center (OSC). To enable this goal, we sought to explore the underlying structure of resilience in a diverse number of resilience predictors. Participants were 1,533 male candidates at the IDF OSC. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis followed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis, 159 items from 13 separate resilience scales were refined into a single, 18-item psychological resilience scale. The new scale emphasizes self-efficacy, competency and overall positive self-perception. The new scale is tailored specifically to military combat officers. Initial construct validity was demonstrated against Big Five dimensions and psychological evaluations at IDF OSC. Predictive validity was demonstrated against command and peer evaluations from IDF Officer Training School (OTS). Medium to strong positive correlations were found between the resilience scale and Big Five dimensions of Extroversion and Conscientiousness, as well as a medium negative correlation with Neuroticism. Low but significant correlations were found between the resilience measure and psychological evaluations of combat officer vocational congruence. Low but significant correlations were also found with command and peer evaluations from Officer Training School. Resilience scale scores were found to predict OTS commander evaluations, but not OTS peer evaluations, beyond standard OSC scores when controlling for demographic variables. The theoretical importance of findings as well as implications for military officer selection are discussed.

Adaptation in Young Military Recruits: Protocol for the Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) Prospective Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

Military services provide a unique opportunity for studying resilience, a dynamic process of successful adaptation (ie, doing well in terms of functioning and symptoms) in response to significant adversity. Despite the tremendous interest in positive adaptation among military service members, little is known about the processes underlying their resilience. Understanding the neurobiological, cognitive, and social mechanisms underlying adaptive functioning following military stressor exposure is essential for enhancing the resilience of military service members.

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of the Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) longitudinal study is to characterize the trajectories of positive adaptation among young military recruits in response to basic combat training (BCT), a well-defined, uniform, and 10-week period of intense stress (aim 1), and identify promotive and protective processes contributing to individual variations in resilience (aim 2). The secondary objective is to investigate the pathways by which neurobehavioral markers of self-regulation assessed using electroencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging contribute to adaptive trajectories (aim 3).

METHODS

ARMOR is an ongoing, prospective longitudinal cohort study of young military recruits who recently joined the National Guard but have not yet shipped out for BCT. Participants (N=1201) are assessed at 5 time points over the initial >2 years of military service beginning before BCT (baseline) and followed up at 2 weeks and 6, 12, and 18 months after BCT. Participants complete web-based questionnaires assessing vulnerability and protective factors, mental health, and socioemotional functioning at each time point and a battery of neurocognitive tests at time 0. A subset of participants also complete structured diagnostic interviews and additional self-report measures and perform neurobehavioral tasks before and after BCT during electroencephalography sessions and before BCT only during magnetic resonance imaging sessions.

RESULTS

This UG3/UH3 project was initially funded in August 2017, with the UG3 pilot work completed at the end of 2018. The UH3 phase of the project was funded in March 2019. Study enrollment for the UH3 phase began on April 14, 2019, and ended on October 16, 2021. A total of 1201 participants are enrolled in the study. Follow-up data collection for the UH3 phase is ongoing and projected to continue through February 2024. We will disseminate the findings through conferences, webinars, open access publications, and communications with participants and stakeholders.

CONCLUSIONS

The ARMOR study provides a rich data set to identify the predictors and mechanisms of resilient and nonresilient outcomes in the context of military stressors, which are intended to empirically inform the development of prevention and intervention strategies to enhance the resilience of military trainees and potentially other young people facing significant life challenges.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/51235.

Psychometric properties of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale in Chinese military personnel

Background

The 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) is a widely used assessment of resilience. However, psychometric properties of the Chinese version of CD-RISC-10 have not been well investigated in a Chinese military personnel sample.

Methods

A total of 3,129 Chinese military personnel completed the CD-RISC-10, Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS). Among them, 528 recruits completed the CD-RISC-10, SAS, and SDS again after 3-month basic military training (BMT). Meanwhile, the commanding officers were asked to rate recruits' training performance on the training performance rating scale for recruits (TPRS). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was implemented to examine the single-factor model of the CD-RISC-10, and multigroup CFA was conducted to test measurement invariance across military rank (officers vs. enlisted), gender (male vs. female), and time (before and after 3-month BMT). Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω, and test-retest reliability was tested using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The criterion-related validity of CD-RISC was evaluated using Pearson's correlation analysis between the CD-RISC-10 total score and SAS scores, SDS scores, and training performance ratings.

Results

The single-factor model of the CD-RISC-10 showed adequate fit (CFI = 0.955-0.970, TLI = 0.943-0.962, RMSEA = 0.059-0.072) in all examined subsamples (male, female, officer, and enlisted), and strict invariance was also supported across military rank, gender, and time (ΔCFI ≤ 0.001, ΔTLI ≤ 0.005, ΔRMSEA ≤ 0.006). The CD-RISC-10 showed good internal consistency in all subsamples (Cronbach's α of > 0.93 and McDonald's ω of > 0.93) and good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.88). Moreover, concurrent and predictive validity with the SAS and SDS scores were good (r = -0.68 to -0.49, p < 0.001). The resilience level of recruits at the beginning of BMT was significantly associated with training performance rated by supervisors after training (r = 0.29, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The psychometric evidence reported in this study suggests that the CD-RISC-10 is a reliable and valid assessment of resilience and a potential predictor for mental health and military performance in Chinese military personnel.

Predictors of resilience for people with spinal cord injury over two periods of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions: a 12-month longitudinal study using structural equation modelling

BACKGROUND

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is disproportionately impacting the health of people with disability. Resilience has remained an important health promoting characteristic during periods of social distancing restrictions. Factors promoting resilience for people with disability under the context of the pandemic remains poorly understood. Studies have yet to investigate evidence-based factors that promote resilience over multiple periods of restrictions for people with disability.

METHODS

A longitudinal study developed via a collaborative partnership between peer-support workers with lived experience of spinal cord injury (SCI) and university researchers was undertaken to fill knowledge gaps around factors promoting resilience for people with SCI during two periods of stringent social distancing restrictions within Victoria, Australia. Over 12-months, participants with SCI completed two surveys, towards the end of two lockdown periods. Evidence-based factors associated with resilience were measured. The Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire, the International SCI Quality of Life scale, and the 10-item Conor Davidson Resilience Scale, respectively measured autonomy and participation limitations, life satisfaction and psychological health, and resilience. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach established factors directly and indirectly associated with resilience.

RESULTS

A model with excellent fit was produced. During two extended lockdowns over the 12-month period, increased family role limitations and favourable psychological health were respectively, negatively (Lockdown 1 [n = 127]: β = -.251, p < .01, Lockdown 2: β = -.400, p < .01) and positively (Lockdown 1: β = .601, p < .01, Lockdown 2 [n = 65]: β = .430, p < .01) associated with resilience. Indirect negative associations between resilience and increased outdoor autonomy limitations (Lockdown 1: β = -.195, p < .01, Lockdown 2: β = -.255, p < .01) and social life limitations (Lockdown 1: β = -.217, p < .01, Lockdown 2: β = -.142, p < .05) existed, and these relationships were moderated by psychological health.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychological health, and participation and autonomy are determinants of resilience during periods of crisis. Health and social care providers and public health departments should prioritise programs promoting these domains, to counter the negative impact of social distancing.

Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) Prospective Longitudinal Study of Adaptation in Young Military Recruits: Protocol and rationale for methods and measures

Background

Military service provides a unique opportunity for studying resilience, a dynamic process of successful adaptation (i.e., doing well in terms of functioning and symptoms) in response to significant adversity. Despite tremendous interest in positive adaptation among military service members, little is known about the processes underlying their resilience. Understanding neurobiological, cognitive, and social mechanisms underlying adaptive functioning following military stressor exposure is essential to enhance the resilience of military service members.

Objectives

The primary objective of the Advancing Research on Mechanisms of Resilience (ARMOR) longitudinal study is to characterize trajectories of positive adaptation among young military recruits in response to Basic Combat Training (BCT), a well-defined, uniform, 10-week period of intense stress (Aim 1) and identify promotive and protective processes contributing to individual variations in resilience (Aim 2). The secondary objective is to investigate pathways by which neurobehavioral markers of self-regulation assessed by electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contribute to adaptive trajectories (Aim 3).

Methods

ARMOR is an ongoing, prospective longitudinal cohort study of young military recruits who recently joined the National Guard but have not yet shipped for BCT. Participants (N=1,201) are assessed at five timepoints over the initial 2+ years of military service beginning before BCT (baseline) and followed up at 2 weeks, 6, 12, and 18 months post-BCT. At each time point, participants complete online questionnaires assessing vulnerability and protective factors, mental health and social-emotional functioning, and, at Time 0 only, a battery of neurocognitive tests. A subset of participants also complete structured diagnostic interviews, additional self-report measures, and perform neurobehavioral tasks before and after BCT during EEG sessions, and, at pre-BCT only, during MRI sessions.

Results

Study enrollment began April 14, 2019 and ended in October 16, 2021. A total of 1,201 participants are enrolled in the study (68.9% male; mean age = 18.9, SD = 3.0). Follow-up data-collection is ongoing and projected to continue through March 2024. We will disseminate findings through conferences, webinars, open access publications, and communications with participants and stakeholders.

Conclusions

Results are expected to elucidate how young military recruits adapt to military stressors during the initial years of military service. Understanding positive adaptation of military recruits in the face of BCT has implications for developing prevention and intervention strategies to enhance resilience of military trainees and potentially other young people facing significant life challenges.

Exploring the efficacy of psychotherapies for depression: a multiverse meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Hundreds of randomised controlled trials and dozens of meta-analyses have examined psychotherapies for depression-yet not all points in the same direction. Are these discrepancies a result of specific meta-analytical decisions or do most analytical strategies reaching the same conclusion?

OBJECTIVE

We aim to solve these discrepancies by conducting a multiverse meta-analysis containing all possible meta-analyses, using all statistical methods.

STUDY SELECTION AND ANALYSIS

We searched four bibliographical databases (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials), including studies published until 1 January 2022. We included all randomised controlled trials comparing psychotherapies with control conditions without restricting the type of psychotherapy, target group, intervention format, control condition and diagnosis. We defined all possible meta-analyses emerging from combinations of these inclusion criteria and estimated the resulting pooled effect sizes with fixed-effect, random-effects, 3-level, robust variance estimation, p-uniform and PET-PEESE (precision-effect test and precision-effect estimate with SE) meta-analysis models. This study was preregistered (https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050197).

FINDINGS

A total of 21 563 records were screened, and 3584 full texts were retrieved; 415 studies met our inclusion criteria containing 1206 effect sizes and 71 454 participants. Based on all possible combinations between inclusion criteria and meta-analytical methods, we calculated 4281 meta-analyses. The average summary effect size for these meta-analyses was Hedges' g mean=0.56, a medium effect size, and ranged from g=-0.66 to 2.51. In total, 90% of these meta-analyses reached a clinically relevant magnitude.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The multiverse meta-analysis revealed the overall robustness of the effectiveness of psychotherapies for depression. Notably, meta-analyses that included studies with a high risk of bias, compared the intervention with wait-list control groups, and not correcting for publication bias produced larger effect sizes.

A systematic review of resilient performance in defence and security settings

A narrative systematic literature review was conducted to explore resilient performance in defence and security settings. A search strategy was employed across a total of five databases, searching published articles from 2001 onwards that assessed performance and optimal function in relation to resilience, in defence and security personnel. Following narrative synthesis, studies were assessed for quality. Thirty-two articles met inclusion criteria across a range of performance domains, including, but not limited to, course selection, marksmanship, land navigation, and simulated captivity. Some of the key findings included measures of mental toughness, confidence, and a stress-is-enhancing mindset being positively associated with performance outcomes. There was mixed evidence for the predictive value of biomarkers, although there was some support for cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and neuropeptide-y (NPY), and vagal reactivity. Interventions to improve resilient performance were focused on mindfulness or general psychological skills, with effects generally clearer on cognitive tasks rather than direct performance outcomes in the field. In sum, no single measure, nor intervention was consistently associated with performance over a range of domains. To inform future work, findings from the present review have been used to develop a framework of resilient performance, with the aim to promote theoretically informed work.

Can resilience promote calling among Chinese nurses in intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic? The mediating role of thriving at work and moderating role of ethical leadership

Background

Nurses working in the intensive care unit (ICU) clung tenaciously to their job during the COVID-19 pandemic in spite of enduring stressed psychological and physical effects as a result of providing nursing care for the infected patients, which indicates that they possessed a high degree of professionalism and career calling. The aim of this study was to explain the associations between resilience, thriving at work, and ethical leadership influencing the calling of ICU nurses.

Methods

From December 2020 to January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, a cross-sectional survey of 15 provinces in China was conducted using an online questionnaire. A total of 340 ICU nurses (effective response rate: 64.89%) completed sufficient responses to be used in the study. Sociodemographic factors, job demographic factors, resilience, calling, thriving at work, and ethical leadership were assessed using the questionnaire. General linear modeling (GLM), hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analysis, and generalized additive model (GAM) were performed to examine all the considered research hypotheses.

Results

Resilience was positively and significantly associated with calling. Moreover, thriving at work partially mediated the relationship between resilience and calling. The indirect effect of resilience on calling was 0.204 (p < 0.0001), and the direct effect of resilience on calling through thriving at work was 0.215 (p < 0.0001). The total effect of resilience on calling was 0.419 (p < 0.0001). In addition, ethical leadership played a moderating role in the relationship between resilience and calling (β = 0.16, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Greater resilience can positively predict increased calling among Chinese ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, thriving at work is a mechanism that partly transmits the positive effects of resilience on calling. Overall, nurses possessing greater resilience tend to maintain thriving at work in the face of such adversity, further resulting in subsequently increased calling. Besides, findings suggest that there is stronger influence of resilience on calling among nurses working in an organization managed by an ethical leader. The current findings may offer two insights for nursing practitioners and policymakers in the postpandemic world. First, resilience training and intervention are necessary to foster nurses' sense of thriving at work in the nursing industry, further promoting career calling. Second, better training and effort on the development of ethical leadership for leaders in nursing practice are essential to encourage followers to engage in social learning of ethical behaviors and abiding by normatively appropriate conduct, further enacting prosocial values and expressing moral emotions.

Mitigating Students' Anxiety: The Role of Resilience and Mindfulness Among Chinese EFL Learners

To manage the undesirable effect of anxiety on students, a wide scope of research has been dedicated to determining the triggers of anxiety and pedagogical interferences that can assist students with mitigating anxiety. Mindfulness is a relaxation strategy that has been related to constructive impacts when utilized as a managing technique for stress and anxiety. Originating from the construct of mindfulness, there is a multidimensional conception acknowledged as resilience as one of the notions in the Positive Psychology (PP) literature, which highlights the organizations and individuals' strengths and self-control to comply with accidental states. Given the eminence of mindfulness and resilience in learning situations, the present study sets forth to examine the role of these constructs in alleviating English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' anxiety. To meet this objective, 502 Chinese EFL learners took part in this research. They were asked to respond to the three questionnaires, namely resilience, mindfulness, and anxiety. To answer the research question of the study, a linear multiple regression was run and the findings demonstrated that mindfulness and resilience together could significantly predict anxiety. Consistent with the findings, some recommendations are presented concerning the implications of the present research.

Grit and Resilience as Predictors of Creativity Among Chinese English as a Foreign Language Teachers

Teachers have been viewed for many years as one of the most effective factors with an important role in academic and learning settings. Numerous studies have been carried out on teachers and their performances in the classroom. Feelings are one of the pillars of all humans which can have a crucial function in offering academia that can impact all domains of learning. Creativity is one of the subcategories of feelings that is worthy to people and the community. Nonetheless, as a significant mental attribute, it has not been attended to enough by experts in language teaching until now. Some factors that seem concerning creativity are grit and resilience, the grit has a basic function in the educational and teaching cycle because gritty educators are more inspired to handle difficulties in hard situations. Moreover, to beware of these difficulties as a response to unprecedented situations, a similar intellectual concept rises in positive psychology known as resilience, which explains the persistence and highlights individuals' skills. Therefore, the present study delineates the relationship of these notions with language teachers' creativity. To this end, through convenient sampling 264 male and female Chinese EFL teachers took part in the present study, and their creativity, grit, and resilience were scrutinized by filling out the related questionnaires. The results through correlation coefficients indicated that creativity was negatively but significantly related to grit, but it was positively and significantly related to resilience. The results of the multiple regression showed that both grit and resilience could significantly predict creativity although grit is a better predictor of creativity. Some educational implications of the research about the outcomes of the research under academic circumstances are suggested.

Behavioral health and treatment-seeking behaviors among deployed vs. non-deployed service members: How impactful is deployment on well-being?

Increasing attention has been dedicated to studying behavioral health of non-deployed military personnel. This investigation explored the impacts of a variety of sociodemographic and health factors on key behavioral health outcomes among active duty personnel. A secondary analysis was conducted using 2014 Defense Health Agency Health Related Behaviors Survey data (unweighted n = 45,762, weighted n = 1,251,606). Three logistic regression models investigated factors associated with reporting symptomatology consistent with depression, anxiety, and stress. We found that after adjusting for sociodemographic and other health variables (e.g., sleep), deployment was associated with stress but not anxiety or depression. Although deployed personnel were more likely to report increased levels of stress overall, few differences with respect to the sources of stressors were identified. While behavioral health screening and treatment needs may differ for non-deployed and deployed personnel, programs to support mental and physical well-being among all service members should be robustly promoted.

Efficacy, Effectiveness, and Quality of Resilience-Building Mobile Health Apps for Military, Veteran, and Public Safety Personnel Populations: Scoping Literature Review and App Evaluation

BACKGROUND

Military members (MMs) and public safety personnel (PSP) are vulnerable to occupational stress injuries because of their job demands. When MMs and PSP transition out of these professions, they may continue to experience mental health challenges. The development and implementation of resilience-building mobile health (mHealth) apps as an emergent mental health intervention platform has allowed for targeted, cost-effective, and easily accessible treatment when in-person therapy may be limited or unavailable. However, current mHealth app development is not regulated, and often lacks both clear evidence-based research and the input of health care professionals.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the evidence-based quality, efficacy, and effectiveness of resilience-building mobile apps targeted toward the MMs, PSP, and veteran populations via a scoping literature review of the current evidence base regarding resilience apps for these populations and an evaluation of free resilience apps designed for use among these populations.

METHODS

The studies were selected using a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, SocINDEX, Academic Search Complete, Embase, and Google and were guided by PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews). A narrative synthesis of the resulting papers was performed. The Alberta Rating Index for Apps was used to conduct a review of each of the identified apps. The inclusion criteria consisted of apps that were free to download in either the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store; updated within the last 3 years; available in English and in Canada; and intended for use by MMs, veterans, and PSP.

RESULTS

In total, 22 apps met the inclusion criteria for evaluation. The resilience strategies offered by most apps included psychoeducation, mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Overall, 50% (11/22) of apps had been tested in randomized controlled trials, 7 (32%) apps had been evaluated using other research methods, and 5 (23%) apps had not been studied. Using the Alberta Rating Index for Apps, the app scores ranged from 37 to 56 out of 72, with higher rated apps demonstrating increased usability and security features.

CONCLUSIONS

The mHealth apps reviewed are well-suited to providing resilience strategies for MMs, PSP, and veterans. They offer easy accessibility to evidence-based tools while working to encourage the use of emotional and professional support with safety in mind. Although not intended to function as a substitute for professional services, research has demonstrated that mHealth apps have the potential to foster a significant reduction in symptom severity for posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. In clinical practice, apps can be used to supplement treatment and provide clients with population-specific confidential tools to increase engagement in the treatment process.

The Role of Students' Self-Regulated Learning, Grit, and Resilience in Second Language Learning

It has been established that grit has a fundamental role in the learning and teaching process since gritty learners are more likely to take part in classroom activities and they are also motivated to deal with challenges in difficult circumstances. In addition, to guard against these hardships as well as self-control in responding to unpredicted circumstances, a similar construct arouses in positive psychology called resilience that describes perseverance and emphasizes people's abilities. Besides, language learners' engagement and performance in the foreign or second language classroom can be improved through self-regulated learning (SRL) which is viewed as one of the most inspected issues in learning and psychology. A present review has been conducted to scrutinize the relationship between language learners' SRL and learners' resilience and grit based on their positive theoretical relationship with educational success. Consequently, the issue of educator training and administrative training is illuminated through several aspects.

The Psychometric Properties of the Resilience Scale (RS-14) in Lithuanian Adolescents

In the current study, we provided the evidence of satisfactory validity of the RS-14 scale in the Lithuanian adolescents' sample (N = 1299; M age = 14.24; SD age = 1.26), based on its internal structure, and relations to other variables. The results of the study indicated an acceptable model fit for a single-factor structure of the scale with a high internal consistency (McDonald's omega = 0.89). We also confirmed the scalar measurement invariance across groups of adolescents in terms of their age (i.e., early and middle adolescence) and mental health profile as well as partial scalar gender invariance. Adolescents characterized by high levels of socio-emotional problems reported lower levels of resilience, in comparison to adolescents that reported low levels of socio-emotional problems. However, the data indicated that adolescents from emotional problems and behavioral problems groups cannot be differentiated with the RS-14 scale.

Prevalence and factors associated with psychological burden in COVID-19 patients and their relatives: A prospective observational cohort study

BACKGROUND

Due to the dramatic measures accompanying isolation and the general uncertainty and fear associated with COVID-19, patients and relatives may be at high risk for adverse psychological outcomes. Until now there has been limited research focusing on the prevalence of psychological distress and associated factors in COVID-19 patients and their relatives. The objective of our study was to assess psychological distress in COVID-19 patients and their relatives 30 days after hospital discharge.

METHODS

In this prospective observational cohort study at two Swiss tertiary-care hospitals we included consecutive adult patients hospitalized between March and June 2020 for a proven COVID-19 and their relatives. Psychological distress was defined as symptoms of anxiety and/or depression measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), i.e., a score of ≥8 on the depression and/or anxiety subscale. We further evaluated symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), defined as a score of ≥1.5 on the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R).

RESULTS

Among 126 included patients, 24 (19.1%) had psychological distress and 10 (8.7%) had symptoms of PTSD 30 days after hospital discharge. In multivariate logistic regression analyses three factors were independently associated with psychological distress in patients: resilience (OR 0.82; 95%CI 0.71 to 0.94; p = 0.005), high levels of perceived stress (OR 1.21; 95%CI 1.06 to 1.38; p = 0.006) and low frequency of contact with relatives (OR 7.67; 95%CI 1.42 to 41.58; p = 0.018). The model showed good discrimination, with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.92. Among 153 relatives, 35 (22.9%) showed symptoms of psychological distress, and 3 (2%) of PTSD. For relatives, resilience was negatively associated (OR 0.85; 95%CI 0.75 to 0.96; p = 0.007), whereas perceived overall burden caused by COVID-19 was positively associated with psychological distress (OR 1.72; 95%CI 1.31 to 2.25; p<0.001). The overall model also had good discrimination, with an AUC of 0.87.

CONCLUSION

A relevant number of COVID-19 patients as well as their relatives exhibited psychological distress 30 days after hospital discharge. These results might aid in development of strategies to prevent psychological distress in COVID-19 patients and their relatives.