Page 40 - Biobehavioral Resilence to Stress

Prediction of Resilience 17

of resilience, we need to better understand how multiple factors might
interrelate or interact.

Enlistment Standards

Enlistment standards should be directly informed by research fi ndings
related to performance and outcome. While this may seem noncontroversial
as a point of principle, it is less straightforward in practical terms. Simply put,
potentially useful raw data are too often and in too many ways left inacces-

sible to military researchers. To correct this problem, the National Research
Council (2006) has identified the need to improve military data manage-

ment such that data from military recruitment and enlistment processing
stations can be linked with other datasets of interest (e.g., attrition, health,

training, and promotion). This would, in effect, provide a database to sup-

port the identification of enlistment standards with demonstrable relevance
to outcome. With this in mind, we recommend that updated processes be
developed to support information collected at recruitment and military
enlistment processing stations. Enlistment data currently recorded using
paper and pencil forms should instead be gathered or entered by the use of
computer-administered forms on a secure Web site.

Psychological Screening

The primary purpose of this chapter has been to call attention to the need

for better military psychological screening to identify individuals who are
vulnerable or resilient to stress. By the end of this year, the Lackland BQ
will have been administered to approximately 32,000 U.S. Air Force recruits.

The resulting data will then be assessed to determine their predictive value

with respect to attrition. This will provide a timely context for updated cost–

benefit analysis, review, and practical directives. We would recommend that
these eff orts be led by a joint services panel of subject matter experts and a
newly convened National Research Council working group. Key objectives
should include careful consideration of newly accrued data and analyses and

the formulation of specific recommendations for the improvement of mili-
tary psychological screening instruments and procedures.
It is reasonable to consider whether or how existing measures of resilience
might be used for preenlistment or early enlistment screening. Because the
Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory (King et al., 2003) was designed
specifically to evaluate personnel returning from deployment, it would likely

be diffi cult to adapt to the context of early screening. However, other meas-
ures might be more useful. For example, it may be relatively easy and helpful
to adapt and implement existing measures of hardiness (e.g., Bartone, 1999).

12/10/2007 3:46:31 PM
CRC_71777_Ch001.indd 17 12/10/2007 3:46:31 PM
CRC_71777_Ch001.indd 17