There is evidence from epidemiological studies of recent armed conflicts that resilience and the ability to recover from adversity might be common amongst Service personnel. Despite this, neither has yet been directly assessed within U.K. military. The military policy of Rest and Recuperation (R&R) is thought to play an important role in promoting resilience, recovery and wellbeing; however, as yet there is no empirical evidence to support its effectiveness. The current study aimed to develop a measure of experiences of and satisfaction with R&R (R&R-RQ), in order to evaluate its effectiveness in promoting resilience, psychological wellbeing and recovery from deployment. It further aimed to investigate the relationship between exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and resilience and wellbeing, before and after a period ofR&R. A total of97 participants were recruited who completed self-report measures of mental health, resilience and exposure to PTEs, as well as the new measure ofR&R- RQ. Statistical analysis indicated that R&R-RQ was a reliable measure within the current sample. Recovery following R&R was associated with greater resilience and fewer symptoms of mental health difficulties. Furthermore, exposure to PTEs was associated with some mental health measures but not with resilience. The findings provide information that furthers our understanding of the role ofR&R and its capacity to promote resilience and wellbeing amongst Service personnel. Future research could focus on replicating and extending these findings within the U.K. military as well as further developing and refining R&R-RQ.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:589452 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Parsole, Laura |
| Publisher | University of London |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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