Psychological resilience allows one to cope successfully with adversities occurring during stressful periods, which may otherwise trigger mental illness. Recent models suggest that inhibitory control (IC), the executive control function which supports our goal-directed behavior and regulates our emotional response, may underlie resilience. However, the ways in which this is manifested during stressful situations in real life is still unclear. Here, we examined the relationship between IC, psychological resilience, psychological distress, and anxiety among 138 female and male participants in a stressful situation: during their initial combat training in the military. Using a mobile app, we assessed IC using emotional and non-emotional variations of the Go/No-Go task. Psychological resilience, psychological distress, and anxiety were assessed using mobile versions of self-report questionnaires. We found that psychological resilience is significantly correlated with non-emotional IC (r = 0.24, p < 0.005), but not with emotional IC; whereas, psychological distress and anxiety are correlated with emotional IC (r = −0.253, p < 0.005 and r = −0.224, p < 0.01, for psychological distress and anxiety, respectively), but not with non-emotional IC. A regression model predicting emotional IC confirmed non-emotional IC and distress as unique contributors to the variance, but not psychological distress. In addition, associations between psychological distress and emotional IC were found only for female participants. Collectively, the results clarify the link between IC, resilience, and mental health in real-life stressful situations, showing separate mechanisms of IC involved in resilience on the one hand, and mental health on the other hand. These results have implications for building mobile resilience interventions for youth and young adults facing stressful situations.
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Psychological resilience, mental health, and inhibitory control among youth and young adults under stress
APA Citation:
Afek, A., Ben-Avraham, R., Davidov, A., Cohen, N. B., Ben Yehuda, A., Gilboa, Y., & Nahum, M. (2021). Psychological resilience, mental health, and inhibitory control among youth and young adults under stress. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.608588
Focus:
Deployment
Mental health
Branch of Service:
Army
Military Affiliation:
Active Duty
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
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Afek, Anet; Avraham, Rhina B; Davidov, Alexander; Cohen, Noa B; Yehuda, Ariel B; Gilboa, Yafit; Nahum, Mor
2021
Structural examination of moral injury and PTSD and their associations with suicidal behavior among combat veterans
APA Citation:
Battles, A. R., Jinkerson, J., Kelley, M. L., & Mason, R. A. (2021). Structural examination of moral injury and PTSD and their associations with suicidal behavior among combat veterans. 13(4). https://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/jces/vol13/iss4/14
Focus:
Mental health
Physical health
Trauma
Veterans
Branch of Service:
Air Force
Army
Marine Corps
Navy
Multiple branches
Military Affiliation:
Veteran
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)
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Battles, Allison; Jinkerson, Jeremy; Kelley, Michelle; Mason, Richard
2021
Moral injury and post-traumatic stress disorder are argued to be distinct yet related constructs. However, few studies have evaluated the factors distinguishing moral injury from PTSD. The present study sought to extend the work of Bryan et al. (2018) by differentiating the symptomology of moral injury and PTSD and their associations with suicidal behaviors among combat veterans. The study evaluated data from 129 combat veterans exposed to potentially morally injurious events. Exploratory structural equation modeling evaluated a measurement and structural model. Results revealed a four-factor solution, with the relevant factors being PTSD symptoms, guilt/shame, psychiatric comorbidities, and meaning in life. Guilt/shame and psychiatric comorbidities had significant positive effects on suicidal behaviors. The present findings suggest that combat veterans have a complex, dimensional response to combat trauma and pMIE exposure. These results diverged from previous research to suggest that moral injury symptoms may not constitute a single factor but rather a multifaceted constellation of symptoms. The present study also provided evidence that moral injury symptoms are both unique and overlapping with PTSD symptoms. Suicidal behaviors are a major area of concern among veterans, and the findings here implicate guilt/shame and psychiatric comorbidities as related to these suicidal behaviors.
Demographic, deployment and post-deployment experiences predict trajectories of meaning in life in OEF/OIF/OND veterans
APA Citation:
Park, C. L., Sacco, S. J., Kraus, S. W., Mazure, C. M., & Hoff, R. A. (2023). Demographic, deployment and post-deployment experiences predict trajectories of meaning in life in OEF/OIF/OND veterans. Journal of Positive Psychology, 18(1), 167-177. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2021.1991452
Focus:
Deployment
Veterans
Mental health
Physical health
Branch of Service:
Multiple branches
Military Affiliation:
Veteran
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
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Research
Park, C. L.; Sacco, S. J.; Kraus, S. W.; Mazure, C. M.; Hoff, R. A.
2023
Research consistently links U.S. military veterans’ meaning in life to better mental health and well-being. Yet, because meaning in life is usually studied as a precursor of other aspects of wellbeing, much remains to be learned about veterans’ meaning in life itself. Two key questions are (1) how well do veterans maintain a sense of meaning in life over time? and (2) what determines their sense of meaning in life over time? We sought to answer these questions across a one-year period in a sample of 542 Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation New Dawn veterans following military service. Three distinct meaning trajectories were identified: (1) moderately high and stable, (2) low and increasing, and (3) low and decreasing, with group membership approximately 79%, 16% and 5%, respectively. Predictors of trajectory membership included demographic factors (i.e., gender and race), deployment experiences (i.e., combat exposure and aftermath, unit support, and meaningful engagement) and post-deployment resources (i.e., social support and religiousness). These results suggest that a substantial minority of veterans experience low and even declining meaning in life that may substantially impair their quality of life and well-being. Suggestions for identifying veterans vulnerable to low levels of life meaning and for interventions to increase meaning are provided.
Pain and smoking study (PASS): A comparative effectiveness trial of smoking cessation counseling for veterans with chronic pain
APA Citation:
Bastian, L. A., Driscoll, M., DeRycke, E., Edmond, S., Mattocks, K., Goulet, J., Kerns, R. D., Lawless, M., Quon, C., Selander, K., Snow, J., Casares, J., Lee, M., Brandt, C., Ditre, J., & Becker, W. (2021). Pain and smoking study (PASS): A comparative effectiveness trial of smoking cessation counseling for veterans with chronic pain. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 23, 100839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2021.100839
Focus:
Physical health
Substance use
Veterans
Branch of Service:
Multiple branches
Military Affiliation:
Veteran
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)
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Research
Bastian, Lori A.; Driscoll, Mary; DeRycke, Eric; Edmond, Sara; Mattocks, Kristin; Goulet, Joe; Kerns, Robert D.; Lawless, Mark; Quon, Caroline; Selander, Kim; Snow, Jennifer; Casares, Jose; Lee, Megan; Brandt, Cynthia; Ditre, Joseph; Becker, William
2021
Introduction Smoking is associated with greater pain intensity and pain-related functional interference in people with chronic pain. Interventions that teach smokers with chronic pain how to apply adaptive coping strategies to promote both smoking cessation and pain self-management may be effective. Methods The Pain and Smoking Study (PASS) is a randomized clinical trial of a telephone-delivered, cognitive behavioral intervention among Veterans with chronic pain who smoke cigarettes. PASS participants are randomized to a standard telephone counseling intervention that includes five sessions focusing on motivational interviewing, craving and relapse management, rewards, and nicotine replacement therapy versus the same components with the addition of a cognitive behavioral intervention for pain management. Participants are assessed at baseline, 6, and 12 months. The primary outcome is smoking cessation. Results The 371 participants are 88% male, a median age of 60 years old (range 24–82), and smoke a median of 15 cigarettes per day. Participants are mainly white (61%), unemployed (70%), 33% had a high school degree or less, and report their overall health as “Fair” (40%) to “Poor” (11%). Overall, pain was moderately high (mean pain intensity in past week = 5.2 (Standard Deviation (SD) = 1.6) and mean pain interference = 5.5 (SD = 2.2)). Pain-related anxiety was high (mean = 47.0 (SD = 22.2)) and self-efficacy was low (mean = 3.8 (SD = 1.6)). Conclusions PASS utilizes an innovative smoking and pain intervention to promote smoking cessation among Veterans with chronic pain. Baseline characteristics reflect a socioeconomically vulnerable population with a high burden of mental health comorbidities.
