235151 Evaluation of a resilience training program: Preliminary results on knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and satisfaction

Monday, October 31, 2011: 2:58 PM

Salvatore Libretto, PhD , Military Medical Research, Samueli Institute, Alexandria, VA
Lara G. Hilton, MPH , RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA
Courtney Lee, MA , Military Medical Research Programs, Samueli Institute, Alexandria, VA
Weimin Zhang, PhD , Military Medical Research Programs, Samueli Institute, Alexandria, VA
Dawn B. Wallerstedt, MSN, CRNP , Military Medical Research Programs, Samueli Institute, Alexandria, VA
Joan A.G. Walter, JD, PA-C , The Samueli Institute, Alexandria, VA
Heidi P. Terrio, MD, MPH, COL, USA , Department of Deployment Health, United States Army, Ft. Carson, CO
Background: A resilience training program was designed to provide stress management information and self-regulating skills to Service Members to manage their stress, enhance resilience, maximize performance, and facilitate re-integration. The Samueli Institute is conducting a systematic program evaluation of this training program that will rigorously appraise the program's structure, process, and outcomes in order to generate information about its merit, worth, and significance. To this end, the paper presents the first set of results on participants' knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and satisfaction of the training program.

Methods: A mixed-methods program evaluation was conducted to assess the feasibility and impact of a resilience training program designed to aid service members in managing combat stress and enhancing resilience to maximize performance. The training was delivered to over 4,000 soldiers in two Brigade Combat Teams at Fort Carson, CO at three time points in 2009 and 2010.

Results/Conclusions: This presentation will discuss results on the effectiveness of the training in increasing soldiers' knowledge about the signs and symptoms of stress during the deployment cycle as well as on the understanding of the relationship between the brain and the effects of stress on the body. Preliminary results will also be presented on changes in solders' beliefs and attitudes regarding their self-reported ability to perform in stressful situations. In addition, this presentation will address soldiers' satisfaction with the training.

Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs

Learning Objectives:
1. List the components of program evaluation. 2. Describe the results of a resilience training program's effect on participants knowledge, attitudes, beliefs. 3. Describe the satisfaction level reported by participants of a resilience training program.

Keywords: Health Promotion, Public Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I conducted data collection, analysis, and wrote the results for this presentation.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Resilience and recovery from mental illness
See more of: Mental Health