Traumatic tear of the pectoralis major muscle during military parachute jumping

Abstract:The ongoing conflict following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not only affected those directly involved but also thousands of NATO troops stationed across Europe, who find themselves in a prolonged state of readiness. This paper explores the psychological stresses these service members face, including diminished motivation, potential negative impacts on mental health, and long-term health consequences. Drawing from insights gained in previous conflicts, the importance of primary prevention strategies in safeguarding mental health and resilience among allied forces is emphasized. Individual strategies focus on sleep management and mental skills integration such as psychological grounding, deep breathing, and self-talk. Team strategies emphasize cohesion, emotional contagion management, and the reinforcement of team purpose and values by leaders. Additionally, the paper addresses the management of anger, which can be both adaptive and problematic, by recommending emotion regulation techniques such as emotion labeling and cognitive-behavioral strategies. By implementing these strategies, which align with established models of support during adversity, this paper argues for a deliberate reinforcement of stress-mitigating measures to enhance military readiness and ensure the sustained mental health of service members amidst ongoing global conflicts.

Read the full article
Report a problem with this article

Related articles

  • More for Researchers

    Pandemic concerns, occupational stressors, burnout, and psychological distress among U.S. Air Force remotely piloted aircraft personnel: A multidimensional mediation model

    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.