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Emotion Regulation and Coping in Active Military Personnel: A Systematic Review.
Rebecca Kirkham1, Chang Liu1, Teresa Wulundari2
1School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
Summary
Effective emotion regulation (ER) is crucial for military performance and mental health. This review found limited research on ER in active-duty military personnel, highlighting a need for more high-quality studies on its impact.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Military Science
- Performance Psychology
Background:
- Emotions significantly influence decision-making, teamwork, and resilience in high-pressure military roles.
- Effective emotion regulation (ER) is vital for performance and mental health in these demanding occupations.
- Existing research on ER within active-service military populations presents knowledge gaps regarding measurement, variables, and relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review measurement tools for ER in active-service military personnel.
- To identify variables studied alongside ER in this population.
- To explore the relationship between ER and performance/military outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines, with preregistration on PROSPERO.
- Searched multiple databases (Scopus, Web of Science, etc.) for English peer-reviewed publications on ER or coping strategies in active-service military populations.
- Tabular synthesis of 46 relevant studies, assessing data, ER measures, strategies, outcomes, and risk of bias.
Main Results:
- Seventeen ER measurement tools were identified; the COPE and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire were most common.
- Psychological factors (personality, resilience, stress) were most frequently studied (54%).
- Performance (6.5%) and military variables (13%) were less frequently examined, with 50% of these showing high risk of bias.
Conclusions:
- A significant scarcity of research exists on ER's relationship with performance and military variables in active-duty military members.
- While a potential association between ER and performance/military outcomes is suggested, findings must be interpreted cautiously due to study quality and bias.
- Further high-quality research is essential to elucidate the nuanced role of ER in the military context.
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