Well-being Of Military Personnel Research Articles

Bible reading and human flourishing among U.S. military families

Bible reading and human flourishing among U.S. military families Sung Joon Jang and Byron R. Johnson, inspire us with their research on Bible reading and human flourishing among U.S. military families. Military service can create unique challenges for active and retired members and their families, such as frequent deployments or relocations and family separation. It also brings into their home lives the mental and physical consequences of war after tours of duty and post-combat experiences. Prior research shows that these stressors tend to have lasting, detrimental effects on the well-being of military personnel, veterans, and their families, including mental illness, poor health, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, marital and family problems, suicide, and domestic violence.

INSTITUTIONAL WELFARE AND RESILIENCE INITIATIVES FOR DEPLOYED MILITARY PERSONNEL AND FAMILIES: THEORY AND PRACTICE. A CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The recent unprecedented levels of deployment of troops in operations in the Horn of Africa region has dramatically changed the Military families’ growth due to the large number of troops being deployed. Families get affected by deployment-related family separation, combat injury, and death. With continued involvement in operations, there is a deep concern over parental deployment and its impact on the well-being of military families. Parental absence or loss invokes emotional uncertainty and ambiguity in the family. Through Institutional Resilience programmes, family members can successfully adapt to the situation with significant adversity or trauma through interactions with environmental factors such as community environment, the population, and risk factors. This paper therefore reviews extant conceptual and theoretical literature on common resilience programmes, proposes a theoretical framework for transition and wellbeing of military personnel and their families, proposes a definition for the construct ‘social welfare’ and makes recommendations on resilience and welfare initiatives for adoption by the Disciplined Forces and other organizations with employees in conflict prone areas in the Horn of Africa. KEY WORDS: Peacekeeping, Resilience, Welfare, Wellbeing, Counselling, Communication.

HEARJACK - The Ultimate Posture Enhancement and Skin Health Jacket for Military Excellence

HEARJACK is an innovative smart jacket designed to enhance the health and well-being of military personnel. This groundbreaking project addresses the crucial need for maintaining proper posture, monitoring heart health, and managing humidity-related skin issues. Spinal alignment and posture play a fundamental role in overall well-being, and deviations from a healthy alignment can lead to various health issues. HEARJACK integrates sensors like the MPU6050 for real-time posture monitoring, DHT11 for humidity insights, and a heart rate sensor for stress assessment. These sensors, combined with an IoT algorithm, enable continuous monitoring and data analysis. The results demonstrate a significant improvement in posture, reduced skin-related health concerns, and enhanced stress management, underscoring the potential of IoT-driven wearables in military healthcare. Further research and development promise to revolutionize health and military technology

Hazing in the military: A scoping review

LAY SUMMARY Initiation rituals have existed in the military for a very long time. The goal of these traditions is generally to introduce (new) military personnel to the organization, to learn about hierarchies, practices, and norms, and to make sure personnel are committed to and identify with the armed forces. However, hazing can also occur. Hazing refers to initiation activities that are abusive and include harassment and humiliation. These activities can cause severe mental and physical harm to the health and well-being of military personnel. Hazing can also negatively affect the functioning and effectiveness of individuals and entire units in times of peace and war. Many military organizations and scholars agree that hazing is dangerous and unethical. However, hazing still exists. This scoping review was conducted to gain more insight into what is known about hazing in the military, why it occurs, and what may be done to prevent it. Findings show that more research is needed, and military organizations may have to rethink their approaches to hazing if they want to prevent it and protect personnel from harm.

International standards for the protection and observance of the rights of prisoners of war

The main international standards for the protection and observance of the rights of prisoners of war and the legal acts that regulate them were considered. It was revealed that the main international standards regulating the protection and observance of the rights of prisoners of war include: Geneva Conventions, Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, Statute of the International Committee of the Red Cross, UN Resolution on the Protection of Human Rights in Counter-Terrorism, Art. 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention against Torture and other legal acts. Within the framework of the UN, there are also a number of resolutions aimed at protecting the rights of prisoners of war. The application of international standards regarding prisoners of war forms a system of international humanitarian law. Existing international standards and national laws and policies are aimed at the safety, health and wellbeing of military personnel, as well as at preventing violations of their rights during armed conflicts. It was determined that the Geneva Conventions set the minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners of war and civilians who are in the hands of the enemy during an armed conflict. Requirements for the maintenance of prisoners of war include: requirements for food, compliance with hygiene standards, the provision of the right to receive education and many more rights for prisoners, as well as requirements for the prevention of cruel treatment, humiliation, etc. The main principles are the principles of humanity, non-discrimination and reciprocity. Court cases regarding prisoners of war are decided in the Nuremberg and Tokyo courts, and there are no other special courts for the military. Currently, a number of problems have been identified with respect to the treatment of prisoners of war. Unsolved problems require finding new ways to solve them and improve the treatment of prisoners of war in the world.

Security providing leadership and work stress in Spanish Air Force

ABSTRACT Leadership plays a key role in the well-being of military personnel, either contributing to health improvement or, conversely, becoming a source of stress. In the present study we propose that security providing leadership can reduce work stress in the military context. Furthermore, we suggest that security-providing leaders exert their positive influence on work stress by creating a psychological safety climate and preventing organizational dehumanization. A sample of 204 members (72.5% men) of the Spanish Air Force volunteered to participate in this empirical study and completed an online questionnaire and both the direct and indirect structural equation models were analyzed. Results show a negative relationship between security providing leadership and work stress. Additionally, organizational dehumanization and psychological safety climate act as mediators in this relationship. These results support this novel approach to leadership in the military context. They also offer new ways to create better organizational environments. By treating their subordinates in a personalized manner and supporting them, security-providing leaders can improve employees’ perceptions of psychological safety climate and combat feelings of organizational dehumanization, which, in turn, can reduce work stress.

Integrating Leadership in Job Demand Resources (JD-R) for Personal Performance in Military Institution

The well-being and performance of military institutions, especially for personnel such as village superintendents serving in remote areas, is a significant concern that requires an expansion of resources. The research objective explored how leadership, job demands and resources, and green human resource practices (Green HR Practice) can interact to promote the well-being and performance of military personnel in Indonesia. The research method was an explanatory survey that collected cross-sectional data through the random distribution of questionnaires to 586 village superintendents across Java Island, including those in remote areas. The sampling method was simple random sampling. The multivariate analysis employed structural equation modeling (SEM) procedures. The research findings revealed that personnel in military institutions, amidst the broader demands of non-war activities, require support from stable and institutional resources that can enhance their well-being. Stable resources play a crucial role in promoting employee well-being and ensuring non-war performance in military institutions. Adopting a green transformational leadership (GTL) model not only brings about changes in the performance and well-being of military personnel but also entails a focus on transforming the HR governance system into a green system, thus showcasing ethical responsibility towards employee well-being and performance. The research further discussed the significance of leadership as a key resource that facilitates the implementation of green HR practices aimed at enhancing employee well-being and performance. Practical Implications: In military institutions, incorporating leadership into the JD-R model could lead to a better understanding of how leadership styles and behaviors impact personnel performance and inform strategies for improving performance through effective leadership development and management.

Factors That Affect Emergency Responder Wellbeing: Considerations for Public Health Responders.

The purpose of this study is to identify key risk factors that could negatively affect public health emergency responders' health and wellbeing. We seek to use this information to provide recommendations and strategies to mitigate such risks. A narrative review of the peer-reviewed literature on wellbeing of military personnel and other responders was conducted. Data was grouped and categorized according to overarching domains. Factors associated with wellbeing were categorized into 5 domains: (1) demographics; (2) mental health concerns; (3) social networks; (4) work environment; and (5) postdeployment life. The strategies identified to promote wellbeing included mental health assessments, preparedness trainings, debriefs in the field, postdeployment debriefs, resources in the field, and further postdeployment decompression strategies. This study provides a unique understanding of the risk factors associated with poor health and wellbeing outcomes in public health emergency response work by extending the body of knowledge that focuses on other types of emergency and military response.

Rationale and Methodology of the 2018 Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Mental Health Follow-up Survey (CAFVMHS): A 16-year Follow-up Survey: Raison D'être Et Méthodologie De L'enquête De Suivi Sur La Santé Mentale Des Membres Des Forces Armées Canadiennes Et Des Anciens Combattants, 2018 (ESSMFACM).

Objective:Knowledge is limited regarding the longitudinal course and predictors of mental health problems, suicide, and physical health outcomes among military and veterans. Statistics Canada, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Manitoba and an international team, conducted the Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Mental Health Follow-Up Survey (CAFVMHS). Herein, we describe the rationale and methods of this important survey.Method:The CAFVMHS is a longitudinal survey design with 2 time points (2002 and 2018). Regular Force military personnel who participated in the first Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 1.2—Mental Health and Well-Being, Canadian Forces Supplement (CCHS-CFS) in 2002 (N = 5,155) were reinterviewed in 2018 (n = 2,941). The World Mental Health Survey–Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) criteria.Results:The CAFVMHS includes 2,941 respondents (66% veterans; 34% active duty) and includes data on mental disorder diagnoses, physical health conditions, substance use, medication use, general health, mental health services, perceived need for care, social support, moral injury, deployment experiences, stress, physical activity, military-related sexual assault, childhood experiences, and military and sociodemographic information.Conclusions:The CAFVMHS provides a unique opportunity to further understand the health and well-being of military personnel in Canada over time to inform intervention and prevention strategies and improve outcomes. The data are available through the Statistics Canada Research Data Centres across Canada and can be used cross-sectionally or be longitudinally linked to the 2002 CCHS-CFS data.

Life in the army reserves – the balance of work, training and physical activity: an ethnographic study

ABSTRACT Physiological, psychological and social risk factors influence the health and wellbeing of military personnel and units. Whilst evidence has investigated employment within the regular military, the same cannot be said for reserve personnel. Reservists negotiate civilian employment whilst balancing the rigours of military life. Little is known about the lives and experiences of these individuals despite their reliance within the military. The current study sought to understand the health, lives and experiences of reservists through an ethnography consisting of observations, lived experience, conversations and semi-structured interviews. Forty personnel participated in the study which took place in one combat unit of the British Army. Data were collected across training exercises and weekly meetings. In total 300 hours of data were analysed using an iterative process. ‘Life as a reservist’, ‘the risk factors and implications for health and wellbeing’ and ‘the critical promotion of physical activity and health within the Army’ were identified within the data. While the training the Army Reserves undertake is supportive of health and wellbeing, the structure within the Army reduces choice and control. Enriching training and social support can mitigate these antecedents of ill-being. Further effective training can provide a setting to foster resilience and prepare personnel for deployment. The study highlights the differences and similarities between full-time personnel and the experiences of reservists, both in terms of health, wellbeing and the training undertaken. Future research may seek to understand the differences in theatres of operation, and attitudes of those responsible for promoting health and wellbeing.

Effects of Social Support on the Stress-Health Relationship: Gender Comparison among Military Personnel.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the role of workplace social support and gender affect the relationship between work stress and the physical and mental health of military personnel in Taiwan. The analysis results reveal that military personnel expressed significantly high perceptions of work-related stress. Social support from supervisors and colleagues is a crucial factor in buffering the effect of work-related stress on perceived health, and increasing the physical and mental health among military personnel. This study shows that male personnel who perceived higher stress and gained more social support from supervisors and colleagues than female personnel were less likely to have physical and mental issues than female personnel. Managerial implications and suggestions could serve as references in managing work-related stress, enhancing social support occurring in the military workplace, and reducing job dissatisfaction, which in turn improves the health and well-being of military personnel in Taiwan.

What is Canada doing that produces better outcomes for Veterans?

The Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health aims to maximize the mental, physical, and social health and wellbeing of military personnel, Veterans and their families by disseminating world class research to a broad international and multidisciplinary readership of researchers, clinicians, administrators and policy makers. For more information on the scope of the journal and the types of articles published please see the journal’s web page at http://jmvfh.utpjournals.com.

Leading the way for military, Veteran, and family health and well-being

The Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health aims to maximize the mental, physical, and social health and wellbeing of military personnel, Veterans and their families by disseminating world class research to a broad international and multidisciplinary readership of researchers, clinicians, administrators and policy makers. For more information on the scope of the journal and the types of articles published please see the journal’s web page at http://jmvfh.utpjournals.com.

Narrative transformation among military personnel on an adventurous training and sport course.

In the wake of recent wars, some military personnel face considerable physical and mental health problems. In this article I explore the effects of an adapted sport and inclusive adventurous training course for military personnel who have experienced physical injury and/or psychological trauma. Using a dialogical narrative approach, I analyzed stories shared by six soldiers during the course to explore the effects of involvement. Participation in the course seemed to facilitate a narrative transformation or opening corresponding to a broadening identity and sense of self. Story plots progressed from a failing monological narrative, through a chaos narrative, toward a dialogical quest narrative prioritizing immersion in an intense present, a developing self, and a relational orientation. On the basis of narrative theory, I suggest this transformation holds positive consequences for the health and well-being of military personnel who have experienced injury and/or trauma.

Military Deployment and the Spouse Left Behind

Recently, the impact of deployment, especially war-zone experiences on the well-being of military personnel and veterans, has received much attention. Findings show that combat exposure may be linked to an array of negative health consequences, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for the deployed individual and stress that is placed on the family. Married U.S. college students from Camp Lejeune and Fort Bragg, North Carolina, were asked to complete a survey measuring depression, anxiety, social support, and marital satisfaction. Comparisons of means between participants with spouses in the military and participants with a civilian spouse showed no significant differences in depression and anxiety. Participants with a military spouse did report significantly higher social support, and the same group was more likely to report marital discord. Implications for these findings, especially the prevalence of high marital discord associated with lengthy military deployment, are discussed.

An introduction to the special section on U.S. Military operations: Effects on military members' partners and children.

The deployment of U.S. military personnel to global hot spots, whether as combatants or as peacekeepers, has increased attention to the psychological well-being of military personnel and their family members. Despite the growing awareness that deployments have reverberating effects on all family members, theoretical explanations and empirical research on the impact of deployment on couple, family, and child adjustment, factors that serve to protect families from the demands of military employment, and effective methods of treating the mental health needs of military families are needed. The seven papers in this section increase our understanding of how the demands of U.S. military operations impact couples, family functioning, parenting, and child psychological adjustment and provide an additional resource for mental health professionals who work with these families.

Smokeless tobacco cessation in military personnel: A randomized controlled trial

Military personnel are twice as likely as civilians to use smokeless tobacco (ST). This study evaluated the efficacy of a minimal-contact ST cessation program in military personnel. Participants were recruited from 24 military dental clinics across the United States during annual dental examinations. Participants were 785 active-duty military personnel who were randomly assigned to receive a minimal-contact behavioral treatment (n = 392) or usual care (n = 393). The behavioral treatment included an ST cessation manual, a videotape cessation guide tailored for military personnel, and three 15-min telephone counseling sessions using motivational interviewing methods. Usual care consisted of standard procedures that are part of the annual dental examination, including recommendations to quit using ST and referral to extant local tobacco cessation programs. Participants were assessed at 3 and 6 months after enrollment. Participants in the ST cessation program were significantly more likely to be abstinent from all tobacco, as assessed by repeated point prevalence at both 3 and 6 months (25.0%), and were significantly more likely to be abstinent from ST use for 6 months, as assessed by prolonged abstinence (16.8%), compared with participants in usual care (7.6% and 6.4%, respectively). These results indicate that a minimal-contact behavioral treatment can significantly reduce ST use in military personnel and has the potential for widespread dissemination. If ST users were identified in dental visits and routinely referred to telephone counseling, this could have a substantial benefit for the health and well-being of military personnel.

War & military mental health: the US psychiatric response in the 20th century.

Involvement in warfare can have dramatic consequences for the mental health and well-being of military personnel. During the 20th century, US military psychiatrists tried to deal with these consequences while contributing to the military goal of preserving manpower and reducing the debilitating impact of psychiatric syndromes by implementing screening programs to detect factors that predispose individuals to mental disorders, providing early intervention strategies for acute war-related syndromes, and treating long-term psychiatric disability after deployment. The success of screening has proven disappointing, the effects of treatment near the front lines are unclear, and the results of treatment for chronic postwar syndromes are mixed. After the Persian Gulf War, a number of military physicians made innovative proposals for a population-based approach, anchored in primary care instead of specialty-based care. This approach appears to hold the most promise for the future.