The relationship between resilience and neurophysiological stress in Special Operations Forces combat service members
Abstract
Military resilience research is increasing due to the growing literature associating resilience with stress adaptation. This study aimed to investigate which physiological stress adaptation components were associated with resilience in Special Operations Forces combat service members. Special Operations Forces combat service members (n = 117) self‐reported resilience (ER89) and lifetime clinician‐confirmed mild traumatic brain injury history. Participants also underwent transcranial Doppler ultrasonography to measure middle cerebral artery velocity during rest and a breath‐holding task. Neither resilience nor mild traumatic brain injury history was significantly associated with middle cerebral artery velocity percent increase following breath‐holding; younger Special Operations Forces combat service members had a higher percent increase in middle cerebral artery velocity following a breath‐holding task. Resilience was negatively associated with time to return to baseline middle cerebral artery velocity following peak velocity; whereas, mild traumatic brain injury history did not have a significant association. The Special Operations Forces combat service members that scored higher in resilience tended to return to baseline middle cerebral artery velocity following peak velocity faster than their less resilient counterparts. More resilient Special Operations Forces combat service members recovered faster from physiological stress (breath‐holding) than less resilient counterparts. This is the first study to investigate resilience and cerebrovascular stress response and recovery in this population. Our initial findings indicated that the Ego Resiliency Scale may be an optimal resilience psychometric and should be used to evaluate effective military resilience trainings, which aim to improve performance and mental health.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Feb 06, 2021
- Source ID
- 10.1111/ejn.15109
Entities
People
- Adam W. Kiefer
- Gary E. Means
- James H. Lynch
- Jason P Mihalik
- Marybeth Bailar‐heath
- Nikki E. Barczak‐Scarboro
- Patricia Combs
- Patrick J. Depenbrock
- Riley J. Burke
- Shawn F Kane
- Stephen M. Delellis
Organizations
- Air Force Special Operations Command
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine
- United States Army Medical Research and Development Command
- United States Army Special Operations Command
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill