Increasing Resiliency in U.S. Air Force Personnel: A Multi-Site Trial Protocol.

Area of Science:

• Military Psychology
• Intervention Science
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Military personnel face unique stressors impacting mental well-being.
• Resilience training is crucial for maintaining performance and health in high-stress environments.
• Existing programs may lack accessibility and adaptability for active-duty service members.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of Stress Management and Resilience Training (SMART) in enhancing resilience among U.S. Air Force personnel.
• To compare the effectiveness of in-person versus computer-based training modalities.
• To investigate the impact of self-selection versus randomized assignment on training outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Recruitment of up to 500 active component Air Force personnel.
• Two-arm randomization to compare in-person and computer-based training (CBT) across multiple sites.
• Longitudinal assessment of resilience, stress, anxiety, and quality of life (QoL) at 12, 24, and 36 weeks post-intervention using mixed-effects models.

Main Results:

• Analysis will compare pre-post intervention changes in key psychological metrics.
• Effectiveness will be reported using confidence intervals and effect size estimates.
• Longitudinal trends will be analyzed to understand sustained intervention effects.

Conclusions:

• The study will provide evidence on the effectiveness of SMART for military resilience.
• Findings will inform the optimal delivery methods (in-person vs. CBT) for resilience training.
• Results will contribute to evidence-based strategies for supporting military mental health and well-being.