Training resilience for high-risk environments: Towards a strenght-based approach within the military
bookPart
In this chapter, we introduced the concept of resilience as especially relevant for soldiers as they nowadays operate in cumulative stressful environments. Resilience is different from traditional approaches to building, maintaining and restoring soldiers’ adaptation capabilities, because it focuses on positive adjustment besides the absence of pathology after a potentially traumatic event. We introduced the definition of military resilience the ability to maintain optimal performance during acute situations, positively recover afterwards, and sustain combat motivation under chronic stressful circumstances. Whether a soldier is resilient depends on the available internal and external resources. Several internal and external resources have been identified. However, not many studies have investigated the interplay between internal and external resources. More knowledge on the combined effects of these resources could provide valuable insights in how to best enhance military resilience.
We discussed existing resilience interventions for personnel in high-risk occupations. Most interventions focused on individual resources and were based on cognitive principles that aim to enhance awareness and knowledge that will enable a soldier to better cope with stressful situations. Although these interventions addressed the positive adaptation perspective of resilience, the full range of resources has yet to be capitalized upon. In addition, only a few interventions explicitly aim to enhance resilience through external resources. Future interventions should include the positive adaptation perspective and address external resources to enhance effectiveness of resilience interventions.
We discussed existing resilience interventions for personnel in high-risk occupations. Most interventions focused on individual resources and were based on cognitive principles that aim to enhance awareness and knowledge that will enable a soldier to better cope with stressful situations. Although these interventions addressed the positive adaptation perspective of resilience, the full range of resources has yet to be capitalized upon. In addition, only a few interventions explicitly aim to enhance resilience through external resources. Future interventions should include the positive adaptation perspective and address external resources to enhance effectiveness of resilience interventions.
Topics
TNO Identifier
461846
ISBN
9780470974131
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Source title
International Handbook of Workplace Trauma Support
Editor(s)
Hughes, R.
Kinder, A.
Cooper, C.L.
Kinder, A.
Cooper, C.L.
Place of publication
Chichester
Pages
313–330
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