Beyond the Line: Military and Veteran Health Research
Abstract: Caring for veterans returning from service is just as important as preparing troops for deployment. Beyond the Line is a collection of current research presented by the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research, an organization committed to finding the best solutions to address the range of health issues arising from military service. Bringing together work by defence scientists and researchers and clinicians from several Canadian universities, contributors present their findings on topics such as mental, physical, social, rehabilitative, and occupational health, in addition to combat care. Diverse topics, ranging from technology to programs for children, add depth and dimension. Providing expert insight into healthcare for armed forces, veterans, and their families, Beyond the Line engages the research community towards the common goal of improved healthcare services for Canada's military population.
Abstract: U.S. Air Force remotely piloted aircraft (USAF RPA) personnel face diverse stressors negatively affecting psychological health and military readiness. Prior research in diverse populations supports predictable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on occupational stressors, burnout, and more distal outcomes. Extending earlier studies linking broad variables (e.g., COVID-19 threat → work stress → burnout), the current study tests and refines an expanded mediation model based on multiple distinct pandemic concerns, occupational stressors, and burnout facets as antecedents of psychological distress mid-pandemic in RPA personnel (N = 496). Differential representation of demands, resources, and rewards evident across distinct occupational stressors in light of job demands/resources theory guided specification of mediated pathways. SEM analysis yielded moderate fit. Following removal of non-significant paths and addition of two interpretable direct paths, fit was improved, yielding seven dominant pandemic concern → occupational stressor → burnout → psychological distress pathways. In support of domain specification, five 'hub' variables (pandemic-driven change, personal stressors, workload, leader communication, and exhaustion) emerged as key intervention targets in mitigating distress in the USAF RPA community and similar populations during future pandemic-related crises.