Psychological Resilience in West Point Graduates: Results From a Nationally Representative Study.
Melissa M Thomas1, Robert H Pietrzak1, Dana R Nguyen2
1Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Chronic Stress (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)
|November 11, 2021
Summary
Psychological resilience in West Point graduates is linked to purpose in life, positive military experiences, social support, and grit. These factors are modifiable and can inform interventions for high-stress professions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Military Science
- Sociology
Background:
- Psychological resilience is crucial for individuals in high-stress environments.
- West Point graduates represent a unique population with extensive stress training and exposure to trauma.
- Previous research has not extensively studied resilience correlates in this specific demographic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To operationalize psychological resilience using a dimensional approach in a trauma-exposed, highly trained population.
- To identify psychosocial factors, character traits, health, military experiences, and coping strategies associated with resilience.
- To investigate potential gender moderation of these resilience associations.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1342 West Point graduates (classes 1980-2011).
- Operationalized psychological resilience via a discrepancy-based approach, regressing distress symptoms on trauma burden.
- Employed multivariable linear regression to identify independent correlates of resilience scores.
Main Results:
- Purpose in life (29.8% RVE), fewer negative military experiences (20.6% RVE), social support (9.6% RVE), and grit (9.5% RVE) were strongest correlates for both genders.
- Time in service positively correlated with resilience in women only.
- Identified key modifiable factors associated with psychological resilience.
Conclusions:
- Purpose in life, social support, grit, and positive military experiences are key correlates of resilience in West Point graduates.
- Findings suggest targets for stress prevention and treatment interventions.
- These insights are relevant for military personnel, healthcare providers, and first responders.
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