Military PsychologyPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-02-10DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2026.2621635
Lea Itzik
{"title":"Navigating dual roles: The psychological well-being and role perception of ex-soldiers who served as military correctional guards.","authors":"Lea Itzik","doi":"10.1080/08995605.2026.2621635","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08995605.2026.2621635","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While imprisonment's impact on correctional staff has been widely studied, little attention has been given to military prisons. Addressing this gap, the study examines role perception and mental well-being among 18 former Israeli soldiers who served as correctional guards. Using qualitative methodology and semi-structured interviews, the research reveals three key themes: the complexity of working with diverse inmate populations, navigating multiple prison authorities, and balancing burnout with a strong sense of mission and responsibility. Findings highlight the unique dual identity of military prison guards, caught between rigid military discipline and rehabilitative mandates. This tension shapes a paradoxical maneuvering space: while military discipline can heighten burnout, commitment to rehabilitation sustains meaning and purpose. By focusing on this overlooked context, the study offers practical insights for military correctional systems and introduces a dynamic theoretical model explaining how these competing institutional logics simultaneously challenge and motivate correctional officers within military settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":18696,"journal":{"name":"Military Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"717-728"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13592127/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146157810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Military PsychologyPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-11-13DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2025.2585770
Dustin Wood, Leonard M Giambra, Kevin Mullaney
{"title":"Relating character to conduct violations at US service academies.","authors":"Dustin Wood, Leonard M Giambra, Kevin Mullaney","doi":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2585770","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2585770","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Military service academies hold the promotion and development of <i>leaders of character</i> to be central to their mission, and institutional systems for identifying and penalizing instances of misconduct serve an important role toward this end. Here, we explore how items and scales within an early version of the Values in Action (VIA) instrument completed by several cohorts of cadets at the United States Naval Academy and United States Coast Guard Academy predicted their cumulative number of conduct offenses recorded while at the academy. At both academies, similar dimensions of the VIA predicted the number of conduct offenses committed by cadets: Self-Regulation, Modesty/Humility, and especially Prudence scales predicted fewer conduct offenses, whereas the Social Intelligence, Originality/Creativity, and Humor/Playfulness scales predicted more conduct offenses. Analysis of the 240 individual items of the VIA demonstrated significantly improved prediction of conduct offenses relative to the instrument's 24 broader scales. The results indicate a consistent profile of character attributes predicting the commission of conduct offenses at both service academies, and may be expected to predict levels of misconduct in other contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":18696,"journal":{"name":"Military Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"580-595"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13592120/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145513625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Military PsychologyPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2024-11-22DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2024.2430578
Fabio Ibrahim, Eliran Feildboy, David Nagy, Yannik Huber, Jürgen Hennig, Philipp Yorck Herzberg
{"title":"Predicting closed quarters battle capability - Examining the influence of personality, attentional ability, 2D:4D-ratio and mindfulness on tactical performance.","authors":"Fabio Ibrahim, Eliran Feildboy, David Nagy, Yannik Huber, Jürgen Hennig, Philipp Yorck Herzberg","doi":"10.1080/08995605.2024.2430578","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08995605.2024.2430578","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Close Quarters Battle (CQB) is an operational approach in confined spaces gaining increasing significance in urban combat missions. Due to its high psychophysiological demands, the CQB ability is an essential selection criterion for special forces. Until now, there has been no research on predictors of CQB capability. This study examined the influence of the Big Five personality traits, self-esteem, resilience, attentional ability, 2D:4D digit ratio, and mindfulness on the CQB performance. The German sample comprised a total of <i>n</i> = 45 individuals (<i>n</i> = 29police special forces; <i>n</i> = 16 unspecialized soldiers) who conducted psychometrics and a CQB test consisting of three scenarios. In these scenarios, two independent experts evaluated tactical behavior, weapon handling, gaze behavior, response time, and failures using a standardized behavioral observation instrument based on video recordings (external cameras and mobile eye-tracking). The results revealed that only extraversion predicted the CQB performance (β = -.40, <i>p</i> = .035). However, the mean 2D:4D ratio was strongly associated with gaze behavior (<i>r</i> = .45, <i>p</i> = .007), tactical behavior (<i>r</i> = .41, <i>p</i> = .019), and attentional ability (<i>p</i> = .57, <i>p</i> < .001). Surprisingly, the findings indicate that CQB, as a high-risk and analytical task, is better performed by introverted personnel.</p>","PeriodicalId":18696,"journal":{"name":"Military Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12785213/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142687696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Military PsychologyPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2024-12-04DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2024.2434361
Tyler J Mulhearn, Kinsey B Bryant-Lees, Kristin L Galloway, Neal E Scheuneman, Floyd M Manley, Tyler C McDaniel, Rachael N Martinez
{"title":"Time for a break? Perceptions and impacts of reconstitution among United States Air Force remotely piloted aircraft personnel.","authors":"Tyler J Mulhearn, Kinsey B Bryant-Lees, Kristin L Galloway, Neal E Scheuneman, Floyd M Manley, Tyler C McDaniel, Rachael N Martinez","doi":"10.1080/08995605.2024.2434361","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08995605.2024.2434361","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>United States Air Force remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) aircrew and support personnel perform critical missions in support of military operations around the world. The high value placed on the work of these individuals has resulted in increased workload and heightened risk of adverse psychological health outcomes. The impact of this can be detrimental to the health of the individual as well as the success of the RPA mission. To address these concerns, a combat-to-reconstitution policy was developed to provide additional downtime and recovery to RPA personnel, and recently piloted in some units within the RPA community. A total of 397 RPA personnel, of which 26% (<i>n</i> = 103) indicated their schedule was either internal or external reconstitution, completed an anonymous occupational health assessment sometime between November 2021 and July 2022. Responses included a mixture of both positive and negative experiences during the implementation of reconstitution, along with recommendations for improvements. Certain reconstitution-related sources of stress (e.g. work overload, lack of resources), were found to increase risk of burnout or psychological distress. Overall, this preliminary study provides a foundational landscape for the scientific and operational understanding of reconstitution as an operational intervention to improve recovery.</p>","PeriodicalId":18696,"journal":{"name":"Military Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"13-24"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12785219/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142780469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Military PsychologyPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-07-28DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2025.2540657
Shiri Shinan-Altman, Inbar Levkovich
{"title":"War-time experiences and adaptation of foreign volunteers.","authors":"Shiri Shinan-Altman, Inbar Levkovich","doi":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2540657","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2540657","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study describes the wartime experiences of foreign volunteers-Jewish foreign nationals who volunteered for the Israeli military - during the Swords of Iron War. Interviews with 20 participants revealed three themes. 1) Between Two Worlds: Foreign Volunteers' Relationships with Family Members Back Home During Wartime highlights the emotional strain, communication challenges, and selective disclosure involved in maintaining transnational family ties. 2) From Strangers to Brothers in Arms: The Social Integration Journey of Non-Israeli Soldiers in Israeli Military Units explores their transition from cultural outsiders to integral members of their units, forming a bicultural military identity. 3) Beyond Combat: Personal and Psychological Journeys of Foreign Volunteers Serving Far from Support Systems addresses the emotional challenges of grief, instability, and loss, alongside personal growth and resilience. The findings emphasize the importance of institutional support, social networks, and cultural adaptation, recommending improved family connection tools, enhanced integration programs, and tailored support initiatives for foreign volunteers.</p>","PeriodicalId":18696,"journal":{"name":"Military Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"418-429"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313213/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144732349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Military PsychologyPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-05-14DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2025.2502182
Charles A Hayes, Rachel K Bieu, Ryan W Schroeder
{"title":"Examining prolonged exposure outcomes when session frequency is limited: Preliminary findings from a Veteran sample.","authors":"Charles A Hayes, Rachel K Bieu, Ryan W Schroeder","doi":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2502182","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2502182","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Unlike in efficacy trials, there can be notable variability in session frequency when PTSD treatment protocols, such a Prolonged Exposure (PE), are disseminated in clinical practice. The current study aimed to examine the impact of PE session frequency on treatment outcomes in a clinical Veteran sample. This study utilized retrospective data drawn from the Veterans Health Administration's Corporate Data Warehouse, a national data repository which includes Electronic Health Records. The extracted cohort of 648 Veterans was majority White-non-Hispanic and male [(<i>M</i><sub><i>age</i></sub> = 55.66 (14.08)]. All Veterans had a diagnosis of PTSD and completed in-person PE in outpatient Veterans Affairs behavioral health clinics between 2017 and 2018. The treatment outcome measure was the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Linear multiple regression analyses did not find that session frequency predicted treatment outcome. Likewise, t-test results did not find differences in PCL-5 change scores based on session frequency. Effect sizes for pre- to post-treatment PCL-5 change scores ranged from <i>d</i> = 1.25 to 1.40. Overall, the current study suggests that PE may still be a useful intervention even when the treatment manual recommendation of weekly or twice weekly sessions cannot feasibly be conducted in clinical practice. Cross-validation is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":18696,"journal":{"name":"Military Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"326-336"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313277/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144079112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Military PsychologyPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-04-21DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2025.2493392
Mike Young, Victor Dulewicz
{"title":"A model of command, leadership and management competency as a predictor of the performance, potential and rate of advancement of Royal Navy senior officers.","authors":"Mike Young, Victor Dulewicz","doi":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2493392","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2493392","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The CLM \"supra-competencies\" of 481 senior RN officers were measured by relevant personality and motivation scales and compared with their formal organizational appraisal and promotion data. Results suggest the CLM Competency Model is reliable, valid and adds important insight into the appraised Performance and Potential along with previous Rate of Advancement (ROA) of senior RN Officers. This study demonstrates the potential for criterion-anchored and validated competencies, such as the CLM Model, to add insight to organizational selection and development. Results could be cautiously applied to other militaries but need to be replicated with civilian directors and senior executives to demonstrate equal value outside the services. This is a rare example of a study into a large population of very senior leaders, validated against both formal appraisal data and actual rates of advancement.</p>","PeriodicalId":18696,"journal":{"name":"Military Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"250-266"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13108345/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144033524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Military PsychologyPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-03-19DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2025.2470480
Liat Kulik, Anita Zorchinsky
{"title":"Contribution of social support and partner communication quality to mental health among combatants' partners.","authors":"Liat Kulik, Anita Zorchinsky","doi":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2470480","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2470480","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigated the relationship between social support and communication quality among combatants and their partners, and the partners' mental health during Israel's Swords of Iron War against Hamas. Mental health was assessed through emotional, social, and psychological dimensions. Communication quality was evaluated by assessing both positive and negative aspects of electronic and face-to-face channels. The sample included 201 women in various relationship statuses with men who were recruited as combatants: married, cohabiting, and in a stable relationship. Most women reported positive electronic and face-to-face communication with their partners during the war. Nonetheless, nearly 20% mentioned an increase in the negative aspects of face-to-face communication compared to pre-war conditions. Negative communication correlated with poorer psychological health. No direct link was found between positive communication and mental health. However, an indirect relationship was observed, with perceived social support serving as a mediator. The psychological dimension ranked highest among the mental health dimensions, followed by the social dimension, with the lowest ranking found for the emotional dimension.</p>","PeriodicalId":18696,"journal":{"name":"Military Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"123-138"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12934157/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143663942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Military PsychologyPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-07-29DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2025.2485711
Leanne K Knobloch, Travis N Ray, Karen Tannenbaum, Hope S McMaster
{"title":"Availability, predictors, and outcomes of actual support for military spouses during deployment and reunion: Findings from the Millennium Cohort Family Study.","authors":"Leanne K Knobloch, Travis N Ray, Karen Tannenbaum, Hope S McMaster","doi":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2485711","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2485711","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Military spouses with unmet needs for support are particularly vulnerable to stress during cycles of deployment and reintegration. To complement the literature on <i>perceived support</i>, we investigated <i>actual support</i> as the assistance people actually use to manage stressors. Our study sought to identify <i>who uses</i> actual support, <i>what barriers</i> to actual support exist, and <i>what effects</i> actual support has during reintegration. We examined data from 1,325 military spouses participating in the Millennium Cohort Family Study who had experienced deployment and reunion within the past 6 months. Weighted analyses revealed low levels of both formal and informal support during deployment. Only 16.5% of military spouses reported participating in a formal reintegration program; the biggest barriers were a lack of awareness (45.4%) and having no such program available (40.5%). More support from formal sources during deployment was reported by spouses who were non-Hispanic Black, spouses of officers, and spouses with less household income. More support from informal sources during deployment was reported by spouses who were employed and spouses of officers. Spouses were more likely to participate in a reintegration program if they were employed outside the home, if they were non-Hispanic, if they were affiliated with the Army compared with the Air Force, and if the service member experienced combat during deployment. Informal support during deployment was the strongest predictor of military spouses' well-being during reintegration. These findings suggest helping military spouses by facilitating more comprehensive support, enriching existing services, and combating disparities.</p>","PeriodicalId":18696,"journal":{"name":"Military Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"225-238"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13108349/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144743136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Military PsychologyPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-06-24DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2025.2521951
Jonathan W Murphy, Dale L Smith, Kevin Hiner, Joseph Zolper, Sarah Pridgen, Blake Schroedter, Philip Held
{"title":"Examining treatment outcomes for military service members in an intensive treatment program for posttraumatic stress disorder.","authors":"Jonathan W Murphy, Dale L Smith, Kevin Hiner, Joseph Zolper, Sarah Pridgen, Blake Schroedter, Philip Held","doi":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2521951","DOIUrl":"10.1080/08995605.2025.2521951","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To date, few studies have evaluated treatment outcomes for military service members who complete massed treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Furthermore, no studies have directly compared treatment outcomes between service members and veterans in a massed treatment setting. In the present study, we evaluated treatment outcomes for military service members who completed an intensive treatment program (ITP) for PTSD and compared their outcomes to military veterans who completed the same program. Data were collected from 558 participants who identified as U. S. military service members (<i>n</i> = 68) or veterans (<i>n</i> = 490) during a two-week, cognitive processing therapy-based ITP. Results showed that service members and veterans experienced large reductions in PTSD (<i>d</i> = 1.26 & <i>d</i> = 1.35, respectively) and depression (<i>d</i> = .82 & <i>d</i> = 1.01, respectively) severity after treatment. In addition, the reductions in PTSD and depression severity for service members were equivalent to those of veterans using a Bayes factor equivalence approach. This study contributes to the limited literature on treatment outcomes for service members who complete massed treatments for PTSD. This research is particularly important as lawmakers and military leaders continue to remove barriers to treatment for service members suffering with PTSD.</p>","PeriodicalId":18696,"journal":{"name":"Military Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"474-482"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313276/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144476029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}