Abstract
Resilience constructs and measures in the military context are of particular interest because of their association with general performance and mental health outcomes. However, in spite of the reported advantages, the use of resilience assessment models faces two challenges: firstly, measurement and, secondly, operational application within the military environment. This article aimed to provide preliminary validation for a Brief Sailor Resiliency Scale (BSRS) for use in the South African Navy (SAN) in order to discuss its operational application for individuals and groups. The study used a sample of active-duty SAN sailors, distributed throughout the fleet. Participants (N = 1312) completed the BSRS, together with established measures of resiliency and emotional regulation, and also provided socio-demographic information. The psychometric structure of the scale was examined, firstly, through confirmatory factor analysis within structural equation modelling, and secondly socio-demographic effects and construct validity were also explored. The model yielded acceptable fit and high internal consistency. Furthermore, the results support the construct validity of the scale. The data appear to support the contention that comprehensive resilience screening measures, while still brief and time-effective, could be employed to the benefit of navy personnel. This would facilitate a ‘screen-and-stream’ approach which allows military mental health practitioners (1) to screen military personnel comprehensively and (2) to identify and stream quickly those whose resilience appears to be compromised for further assessment and targeted intervention by appropriate support providers.
Highlights
The Brief Sailor Resiliency Scale (BSRS) is an instrument which aims to measure four core dimensions that are thought to contribute to a comprehensive and global measure of resilience within the military environment, namely mental, physical, social and spiritual fitness
An extensive body of research supports the idea that resilience constructs protect against the ill effects of stress on health and performance among a wide variety of civilian occupations and contexts (Bartone, 1989; Gerber et al, 2015; Giles et al, 2018; Maddi & Hess, 1992; Maddi & Kobasa, 1984)
Tests of univariate normality were conducted, and it was found that all skew index values were less than 2 and all kurtosis index values were less than 3 (Appendix 1, Table 1-A1), indicating that the distributions of responses were not necessarily problematic (George & Mallery, 2010)
Summary
The Brief Sailor Resiliency Scale (BSRS) is an instrument which aims to measure four core dimensions that are thought to contribute to a comprehensive and global measure of resilience within the military environment, namely mental, physical, social and spiritual fitness. A number of constructs fall under the umbrella of resilience, such as hardiness (Kobasa, 1979) and mental toughness (Clough, Earle, & Sewell, 2002). These constructs are generally conceptualised as psychological orientations that are associated with people who remain healthy and continue to perform well under a range of stressful conditions (Bartone, Roland, Picano, & Williams, 2008; Kobasa, Maddi, & Kahn, 1982). Hardy soldiers further appear less likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions after combat exposure (Bartone, 1999, 2000; Bartone, Hystad, Eid, & Brevik, 2012; Escolas, Pitts, Safer, & Bartone, 2013; Pietrzak, Johnson, Goldstein, Malley, & Southwick, 2009), and may adapt better both during and after operational deployments (Britt, Adler, & Bartone, 2001)
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