Peer-based intervention for acute stress reaction: adaptations by five militaries

Area of Science:

• Military Psychology
• Trauma Management
• Intervention Science

Background:

• Acute stress reactions (ASR) impair military service members' ability to function, risking mission success and team safety.
• A peer-based intervention, initially developed by the Israel Defense Forces, aids service members in managing acute stress in colleagues.
• Adapting this intervention across different military cultures is crucial for its widespread adoption and effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review how five countries adapted the peer-based ASR intervention.
• To assess the interoperability and mutual intelligibility of adapted ASR management protocols among military allies.
• To identify essential elements retained across national adaptations of the ASR intervention.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of national adaptations of a peer-based ASR intervention.
• Review of protocol adjustments made by Canada, Germany, Norway, the UK, and the USA.
• Examination of cultural modifications while preserving core intervention components.

Main Results:

• Five countries successfully adapted the ASR intervention to their specific organizational cultures.
• Essential elements of the original protocol were retained across diverse national adaptations.
• The adapted protocols suggest potential for interoperability and mutual understanding in ASR management among allied militaries.

Conclusions:

• A peer-based intervention for acute stress reactions can be effectively adapted by different military forces.
• Adaptation to national contexts while retaining core elements facilitates interoperability among military allies.
• Further research is needed on intervention effectiveness, long-term impact, and individual differences in ASR management.