Insights of Infantry Soldiers: A Qualitative Exploration of Psychological Resilience and Stress

Abstract

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is currently struggling with a retention crisis. Within the CAF, The Canadian Army (CA) experiences the greatest attrition rates. Staffing shortages lead to an increase in job demands subsequently leading to greater stress, burnout, and turnover intentions. Psychological resilience has been found to buffer the negative effects of workplace stressors. There is a need to understand resilience within specific occupations to better inform resilience building interventions. This study aims to enhance knowledge of how infantry soldiers in the CA define resilience and what challenges they experience within the workplace that contribute to stress and how they cope with such stressors. A qualitative approach was used, with 14 semi-structured interviews conducted with CA personnel employed as infantry soldiers. Data were analyzed using a deductive content-analysis. Four themes emerged from the interviews: the nature of resilience, challenges of the profession, resilience strategies (attitudes), and resilience strategies (protective practices). The study provides unique insights into the experiences of infantry soldier’s and the mechanisms they employ to facilitate and maintain resilience.