Resilience as a dynamic process among military recruits exposed to basic combat training stressors

Area of Science:

• Military psychology
• Developmental psychopathology
• Emerging adult development

Background:

• Basic Combat Training (BCT) presents significant stressors for new military recruits.
• Understanding predictors of psychological adaptation is crucial for recruit well-being and military readiness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively examine individual difference variables predicting psychological adaptation to BCT.
• To investigate the direct and moderating effects of risk and resilience factors on recruit distress.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of 657 military recruits assessed before and after BCT.
• Hierarchical linear regressions analyzed predictors of internalizing distress.
• Examined variables including prior adversity, self-regulation, cognitive ability, gender, and social support.

Main Results:

• Higher prior adversity and self-regulatory difficulties predicted increased post-BCT internalizing distress.
• Unexpectedly, higher general cognitive ability also predicted worsening distress.
• No significant associations were found for gender, social support, or MPQ scales; no moderation effects were detected.

Conclusions:

• Bolstering emotion regulation skills is vital for recruits, particularly those with prior adversity.
• The adaptive function of cognitive ability may be context-dependent, as suggested by its association with distress in the BCT environment.
• Findings inform strategies for preventing psychopathology and enhancing adaptation in military personnel.