Suchergebnisse

LAY SUMMARY There is a growing need to recognize resilience as an acquired skill for graduates in higher education, such as universities and colleges, particularly for those entering demanding occupations like the military. To help the administrators of Canada's Military Colleges (CMCs) make decisions about the development and implementation of resilience programs, the authors carried out a review of current resilience education programs within Ontario universities and the U.S. Federal Service Agencies (U.S. FSAs). Findings showed that only seven Ontario Universities and two U.S. FSAs offered resilience education, with none of these programs having any published scientific reports of their effectiveness (how well they work to improve resilience). This article offers recommendations for CMC administrators to use to build resilience education for Canadian officer and naval cadets.

Abstract. Background: Previous research demonstrates the importance of close relationships on our physical health. However, to what extent the quality of our social relationships impacts our health, relative to other important health behaviors (e.g., smoking, drinking alcohol, and physical exercise), is less clear. Aims: Our goal was to use a nationally representative sample of Canadian adults to assess the relative importance of the quality of one's social relationships (close emotional bonds and negative social interactions), relative to important health behaviors on physical health outcomes previously linked to social relationship quality. Method: Data ( N = 25,113) came from the Canadian Community Health Survey in 2012, a cross-sectional survey administered by Statistics Canada (2013) . The predictor variables were the presence of close emotional bonds, negative social relationships, type of smoker, type of drinker, and weekly hours of physical activity. The outcome variables were a current or previous diagnosis of high blood pressure, cancer, stroke, reports of current illness or injury, pain, and self-reported physical health. Results: Using regressions, we found that negative social interactions were more important than other health behaviors in relation to current injury/illness and pain. Physical activity was most strongly related to self-rated health, followed by negative social interactions and then close emotional bonds. Alcohol consumption was more related to the prevalence of stroke. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that negative social interactions may be more related to acute or minor physical health conditions, but social relationships may not be more strongly related to more chronic, life-threatening health conditions than other health behaviors.

Introduction: This secondary analysis compared three groups of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members in their demographics and attitudes toward mental health care: those with a need who have sought help (help-seekers), those with a need who have not sought help (non-help seekers) and those with no current need (no-need). Methods: Data from the 2013 Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey, which included responses from 6,996 Regular Force and 1,469 Reserve Force members, was used. Several variables were applied to classify members according to mental health need and help-seeking status. Results: The three groups had distinct demographic profiles. In addition, results from a discriminant function analysis indicated group differences in attitudes toward mental health care. Help-seekers reported more negative attitudes toward acquiring mental health care for reasons that relate to stigma and career implications, while non-help seekers reported more negative attitudes toward mental health care that reflect a distrust of professionals and preference for self-management. Discussion: These findings suggest more can be done to further support help-seekers who report stigma and to support non-help seekers who may have attitudinal barriers to traditional care but may benefit from innovative care solutions.

AbstractWe explored adult attachment and spousal perceptions of intrapersonal and relationship functioning during military deployments. In Study 1, spouses of military members experiencing a separation were assessed, and in Study Two, spouses of military members experiencing a reunion were assessed. Study 3 entailed a large‐scale survey of relationship perceptions of spouses of military members. In Studies One and Two, attachment dimensions were related to perceptions of intrapersonal and relationship functioning during the separation and reunion, with associations moderated by days separated/reunited. In Study 3, attachment dimensions were related to relationship perceptions, with associations moderated by deployment stages. This research not only contributes to the knowledge of attachment processes in military contexts but also has the potential to inform policies and services supporting military families.

LAY SUMMARY The goal of this study was to understand whether spousal attachment is related to the quality of post-deployment interactions and issues of conflict reported by spouses of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members during a post-deployment reunion. A total of 104 spouses of CAF Regular Force personnel who had recently been reunited with their partners after a deployment were surveyed. Results showed that both attachment anxiety (fear of rejection and abandonment) and attachment avoidance (discomfort with emotional intimacy and closeness) were related to lower-quality post-deployment interactions and the reported frequency of particular conflict issues. Specifically, attachment anxiety was related to more reports of unmet emotional needs, difficulties re-establishing intimacy, finances, and being less likely to describe the conflict in positive terms. The relationship between attachment anxiety and the quality of post-deployment interactions was explained by feeling as though one's original expectations of the reunion were not met.