Psychobiological Evaluation of the Army Resilience Training

Psychological Stress Clinical Trial

— OpPHX  

Official title:

Psychobiological Evaluation of the Army Resilience Training

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03242837
• Other study ID #: Project ID 2017-00841
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: August 14, 2017
• Est. completion date: August 17, 2018

Study information

• Verified date: January 2019
• Source: Military Academy at ETH Zurich
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study evaluates the influence of a resilience training on psychobiological factors which are related to stress and resilience in young healthy male cadets. Half of participants will join in the resilience training, while the other half take part in a control-training (diversity management training).

Description:

The resilience training (Army Resilience Training / ART) is a stress prevention program based on well established methods from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Positive Psychology adapted for the needs of Swiss Armed Forces. ART is designed for healthy subjects to learn how to get over strain.

Diversity management training (DMT) aims to promote social skills and acts as control condition. DMT is part of the military training but not mandatory for the study population.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 91
• Est. completion date: August 17, 2018
• Est. primary completion date: July 31, 2018
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Male
• Age group: 18 Years to 28 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• military cadets of the Swiss Army Infantry Officers School Inf OS 10-1/17

Exclusion Criteria:

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Psychological Adaptation
• Psychological Stress
• Stress, Psychological

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Army Resilience Training
The Army Resilience Training consists four training sessions of 90 minutes each. Participants learn to reflect their stress management (including thinking, emotions, behavioral consequences; coping strategies) and build resilience using specific strategies.

Other:
• Diversity Management Training
Diversity Management Training consists four training sessions of 90 minutes each. Participants learn about diversity and social awareness reflecting different situations and settings.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Switzerland	Swiss Military Caserne	Liestal	Basel-Land

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Military Academy at ETH Zurich	Swiss Armed Forces

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Switzerland, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Resilience	Resilience measured by following questionnaire: Brief Resilience Scale	Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Psychological Resistance	Psychological Resistance measured by following questionnaire: Resilience Scale RS-11	Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Perceived Stress	Stress management measured by following questionnaire: Perceived Stress Questionnaire	BWeeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Stress Reactivity	Stress management measured by following questionnaire: Stress Reactivity Scale	BWeeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Coping Strategies	Stress management measured by following questionnaire: Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations	Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Cognitive Emotion Regulation	Stress management measured by following questionnaire: Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire	Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Personality	Personality measured by following questionnaire: NEO-Five Factor Inventory	Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Dark Triad	Dark Triad measured by following questionnaire: Dark Triad / Dirty Dozen	Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Self-Esteem	Self-Esteem measured by following questionnaire: Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale	Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Optimism	Optimism measured by following questionnaire: Life Orientation Test	Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Social Support	Social Support measured by following questionnaire: Berlin Social Support Scales	Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Health	Health measured by following questionnaire: Maastricht Vital Exhaustion Questionnaire	Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Sleep	Sleep measured by following questionnaire: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index	Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
Other	Leadership	Leadership measured by following questionnaire: Leader Member Exchange	Follow-up (+7 months)
Primary	Change in heart rate variability (HRV)	Change is the difference from HRV at baseline (week 2) and after resilience training (intervention) in week 9	Weeks 2 (baseline) and 9 of the military training
Primary	Area under the curve (AUC) with respect to changes of salivary cortisol titer	During stress exposure; six saliva samples will be taken and analyzed for cortisol reactivity.	Weeks 2 and 9 of the military training
Primary	Change of Testosterone Levels	During stress exposure; four saliva samples will be taken and analyzed for testosterone levels.	Weeks 2 and 9 of the military training
Secondary	Intensity of acute psychological stress	Perceived stress intensity measured by Visual Analogue Scale	Weeks 2, 9 and 12 of the military training
Secondary	Affect of acute psychological stress	Perceived stress measured by Positive Negative Affect	Weeks 2, 9 and 12 of the military training
Secondary	Stress Appraisal	Perceived stress appraisal measured by Primary and Secondary Appraisal	Weeks 2, 9 and 12 of the military training