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Resilience in the Military: The Double-Edged Sword of Military Culture

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Military and Veteran Mental Health

Abstract

The military organizational culture influences service members through the use of artifacts, values, and underlying assumptions. Among the explicit and implicit messages conveyed in military culture is the idea that resilience is paramount for individual and unit success. While the emphasis on resilience helps build military-relevant skills, these same skills can both help and hinder individuals as they transition back to civilian life. Awareness of how these resilience skills need to be adapted in civilian life can help individuals and providers reframe what otherwise could be regarded as maladaptive behaviors and attitudes.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This chapter primarily describes US Army culture and data from studies with soldiers. The authors have primarily worked with the Army, but believe that this chapter’s analysis will apply to the other branches after taking into account nuanced cultural distinctions.

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in this chapter are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the US Army, or the Department of Defense.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA

    Amy B. Adler & Walter J. Sowden

Authors
  1. Amy B. Adler
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  2. Walter J. Sowden
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Correspondence to Amy B. Adler .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA

    Laura Weiss Roberts

  2. US Army Medical Department Active Duty, Fort Stewart, Georgia, USA

    Christopher H. Warner

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Adler, A.B., Sowden, W.J. (2018). Resilience in the Military: The Double-Edged Sword of Military Culture. In: Roberts, L., Warner, C. (eds) Military and Veteran Mental Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7438-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7438-2_4

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