Characteristics and relationship between psychological resilience and time perspective among military personnel

Objective To investigate the current situation of psychological resilience among military personnel, analyze its possible influencing factors, and improve their mental health.

Methods In March 2023, 200 grassroots military personnel from a unit were surveyed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI). Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were used to explore the relationship between psychological resilience and time perspective among these personnel.

Results A total of 196 valid questionnaires were collected, with a recovery rate of 98.0%. There was no significant difference in the scores of time perspective and psychological resilience dimensions among these grassroots military personnel with different ages, genders, military service times, educational levels, and marital status (P > 0.05). The total score of psychological resilience was (70.86 ± 13.48). Among the dimensions of time perspective, the scores of the past positive and future dimensions were higher. Linear regression analysis showed that for every one-point increase in the scores of past positive and future dimensions, the total score of psychological resilience increased by 6.046 and 7.722 points, respectively (P < 0.001).

Conclusions The level of psychological resilience among these grassroots military personnel was good, and their time perspective tended to be past positive and future. Past positive and future might be predictive factors of good psychological resilience. It is suggested that military personnel with higher scores of past positive and future in the time perspective should be recruited to improve the overall level of psychological resilience among military personnel.