Identifying psychological risk and resilience in high-risk military personnel

Combat exposure has been associated with the emergence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in military personnel; however, not all veterans are negatively impacted by their operational experience. In many instances, the absence of symptoms following operational service is attributed to resilience. This study explored the construct of resilience by examining the relationship between levels of deployment-related exposures and psychological symptoms, as well as identifying factors that may contribute to resilience and emerging risk.

Participants were special forces personnel who completed self-report questionnaires 1 month before deployment and 4 months post deployment. Subgroups were created based on psychological reactivity to deployment exposures, representing risk, vulnerability and resilience. Regression analysis assessed the contribution of factors that were predictive of risk or resilience groups specifically.

Results showed the overall levels of psychological reactivity in this population post deployment were low; however, differences between risk and resilience subgroups were found. Subthreshold indicators of psychological reactivity, as well as deployment factors such as increased deployment frequency and time spent away from home, were found to contribute to differences between risk and resilient trajectories.

Findings reflect a military population with low psychological symptoms despite high trauma exposure. However, subtle underlying differences between subgroups suggest that the early identification of risk and emerging trajectories is possible. Risk and resilience in military populations needs to consider subthreshold indicators and individual differences over time.