The Military Leaders Survey: NATO Military Leaders' Perspectives on Psychological Support on Operations

Abstract

This paper reports on a military leaders survey conducted by members of the NATO HFM RTO Task Group on "Stress and Psychological Support in Modern Military Operations" (HFM-081/RTG). The goal of the survey was to assess military leaders' attitudes on the psychological support to unit personnel provided on operations. Sixteen NATO nations participated in the project between June 2005 and January 2006, which included either a face-to-face interview or a postal questionnaire approach. There were 172 responses, or about 10 surveys per nation. Findings emphasized the importance military leaders across nations placed on psychological support on operations, and the need for integrated mental health support at pre-deployment, during deployment, and at post-deployment. In general, the participating military leaders reported perceiving little stigma associated with stress-related responses and help-seeking behaviour. Respondents also stated their preferences for concrete and specific information related to recognizing and managing psychological stress reactions on deployment. The information obtained here will be used to guide the development of a HFM-081/RTG booklet containing information and practical guidelines for military leaders on managing operational stress.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA472681

Entities

People

  • Amy B Adler
  • Coen Van Den Berg
  • Jose Puente
  • Paul Cawkill
  • Philippe Arvers
  • Yves Cuvelier

Organizations

  • Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Army Personnel
  • Deployment
  • Electronic Mail
  • Families (Human)
  • Health
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Materials
  • Medical Personnel
  • Mental Health
  • Military Families
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Science
  • Questionnaires
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.