A randomised controlled trial of resilience training in the military

We will use a clustered randomised controlled trial to determine the efficacy of the Mental Fitness Training program. Assignment to one of the two intervention conditions will be randomised by platoon, which is a common practice in military training evaluations in order to avoid cross-contamination of training content. Of the seven platoons commencing second-class Royal Military College in January 2018, three platoons will receive the BattleSMART program (40 minutes) and exercises relevant to Royal Military College training (75 minutes). The remaining four platoons will receive the Mental Fitness Training. After the initial 40-minute Mental Fitness Training, Cadets will complete a coping self-reflection activity weekly for five weeks as part of a workbook. In the Mental Fitness Training group, this will consist of questions asking Cadets to reflect on and critically examine their approaches to coping with the stressors they have encountered in the previous week. The BattleSMART program was developed to build the resilience of military ADF personnel and includes the teaching of several cognitive-behavioural skills designed to enhance adaptive coping in personnel. All Cadets receive the BattleSMART program in third-class (initial 6 months) within Royal Military College. In this way, all Cadets involved in the study had previously received the BattleSMART program 6 months prior. Typically, Cadets in second class receive the BattleSMART program again. For the purpose of this study, the BattleSMART program will be replaced with the Mental Fitness Training in second-class for four platoons. The other three platoons will received the 40 minute BattleSMART program and communication skills training to balance the dose experienced by each group (e.g., contact time). Both intervention programs will be delivered by psychologists from the Royal Military College. These psychologists have considerable years experience working with Army soldiers and the delivery of resilience training in the military context. The lead Mental Fitness Training developer will provide oversight and guidance regarding the administration of the Mental Fitness Training. Cadets will be asked to complete three surveys: (1) at baseline (prior to the intervention), an initial post-training survey, and a long-term follow-up survey. Immediately after survey completion, Cadets will be asked to review their responses and edit if they feel necessary before sealing the envelopes provided. The long-term follow-up survey will occur just over three months from the completion of the Mental Fitness Training. Dates for administration will be decided upon in negotiation with Royal Military College instructional staff. All surveys will be completed using pen and paper. All interventions and surveys take place at the Royal Military College in a large lecture theatre. The Mental Fitness Training was developed in collaboration with Army psychologists and the lead second-class instructor from Royal Military College over a 12-month period. Mental Fitness Training was intended to strengthen Cadet psychological resilience using a guided coping self-reflection tool. Cadets in the Mental Fitness Training group received a 40-minute brief about the training program. This initial brief covered: (1) understanding how the experience of stressors can strengthen resilience, tolerance and performance, (2) understanding where mental-fitness plays a role in performance, (3) how reflecting on stressors and setbacks in one’s life can enhance resilience, (4) identification of leadership values in relation to coping under pressure, and (5) how to complete the questions in the workbook. Each week during the five weeks following the initial brief, Cadets complete a 15-minute guided self-reflection writing task in a workbook. The purpose of this task is to help the Cadets reflect on their stressor experiences, develop an awareness of their approaches to coping, consider the effectiveness of these strategies, and improve the application of coping for the future. To achieve this goal, the workbook required Cadets to address the same series of reflective questions for the initial three-weeks. On the fourth week, similar questions are used to examine the behaviour of others and in the final week Cadets read back over their reflections to understand their own pattern of coping.