Testing a Resilience Model Among Canadian Forces Recruits
Abstract
Evidence suggests that personal characteristics serve as resilience factors, and may protect military personnel against the development of psychological distress, even during stressful conditions. Structural equation modeling analyses were conducted on data from Canadian Forces candidates undertaking their basic training (N = 200) to test the fit of a model of resilience that is comprised of several individual characteristics, such as personality, hardiness, and coping. The most parsimonious model of resilience with the best fit to the data was identified. This model consisted of neuroticism, military hardiness, and problem-solving coping. The results of the study were consistent with previous research, showing that personality, military hardiness, and coping are important predictors of life satisfaction and health. The proposed resilience model offers a useful approach for the development of training programs to enhance readiness and recovery in the military context.
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Canadian studies of resilience in MMs have independently and not always cohesively explored constructs including personality, positive affect, mastery, social support, neuroticism, military hardiness, problem-solving coping, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and positive social interactions.
“the Canadian studies of resilience in MMs have independently and not always cohesively explored the constructs of personality, positive affect, mastery, and social support [53]; neuroticism, military hardiness, and problem-solving coping [54]; and conscientiousness, emotional stability, and positive social interactions [55].”
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Voth, M., Chisholm, S., Sollid, H., Jones, C., Smith-MacDonald, L., & Brémault-Phillips, S. (2022) · JMIR mHealth and uHealth · doi:10.2196/26453 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
“…in MMs have independently and not always cohesively explored the constructs of personality, positive affect, mastery, and social support [53]; neuroticism, military hardiness, and problem-solving coping [54]; and conscientiousness, emotional stability, and positive social interactions [55].”
- Authors
- Skomorovsky, A., & Stevens, S.
- Affiliations
- Defence Research and Development Canada (CA)
- Saint Mary's University (CA)
- ORCID
- Stevens, Sonya
- Venue
- Military Medicine
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2013-08
- Volume
- 178
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 829-837
- ISSN
- 0026-4075 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-613X
- OpenAlex
- W2190876701
- Cited by
- 32
- References
- 72
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 2.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Military Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Keywords
- resilience, military recruits, basic training, neuroticism, hardiness, coping, problem-solving coping, personality, life satisfaction, psychological distress, military preparedness, Canadian Armed Forces
- MeSH terms
- Neuroticism, Adaptation, Psychological, Anxiety Disorders, Canada, Humans, Military Personnel, Models, Psychological, Personal Satisfaction, Personality, Personality Inventory, Surveys and Questionnaires, Resilience, Psychological
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