Clinical trial NCT03242837: Psychobiological Evaluation of the Army Resilience Training
Official title: Psychobiological Evaluation of the Army Resilience Training
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Psychological Stress
Psychological Adaptation
Lead sponsor: Military Academy at ETH Zurich
Sponsor class: OTHER_GOV
Collaborators: name: Swiss Armed Forces
First posted: 2017-08-08
Enrollment: 91
Sex: MALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 28
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief 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).

Detailed 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.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

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

Exclusion Criteria:

* no

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in heart rate variability (HRV)
timeFrame: Weeks 2 (baseline) and 9 of the military training
measure: Area under the curve (AUC) with respect to changes of salivary cortisol titer
timeFrame: Weeks 2 and 9 of the military training
measure: Change of Testosterone Levels
timeFrame: Weeks 2 and 9 of the military training
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Intensity of acute psychological stress
timeFrame: Weeks 2, 9 and 12 of the military training
measure: Affect of acute psychological stress
timeFrame: Weeks 2, 9 and 12 of the military training
measure: Stress Appraisal
timeFrame: Weeks 2, 9 and 12 of the military training
Other outcomes:
measure: Resilience
timeFrame: Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Psychological Resistance
timeFrame: Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Perceived Stress
timeFrame: BWeeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Stress Reactivity
timeFrame: BWeeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Coping Strategies
timeFrame: Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Cognitive Emotion Regulation
timeFrame: Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Personality
timeFrame: Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Dark Triad
timeFrame: Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Self-Esteem
timeFrame: Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Optimism
timeFrame: Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Social Support
timeFrame: Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Health
timeFrame: Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Sleep
timeFrame: Weeks 1 and 15 of the military training and follow-up (+7 months)
measure: Leadership
timeFrame: Follow-up (+7 months)
Locations:
city: Liestal
country: Switzerland
facility: Swiss Military Caserne
state: Basel-Land
Study officials:
affiliation: Military Academy at ETH Zurich
name: Hubert Annen, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: