Introduction

Purpose of the Guide

Leaders at all levels have a key role in sustaining the mental readiness of service personnel under their command. The aim of this guide is to provide military leaders with information and practical strategies for dealing with stress and the provision of psychological support. The goal is to enhance personal and unit effectiveness in modern military operations, whether at home or on deployment.

It is important for CAF personnel and leaders to understand that the effects of stress are experienced by all military personnel. Recognizing and managing the effects of stress is a leadership responsibility. Leaders should remember that the more soldiers/sailors/air men and women know about normal reactions to stress, the more resilient they will be at dealing with the stress of military operations. Leaders should not underestimate their influence on the morale and well-being of personnel in their command.

A commander’s skill as a leader and his/her ability to provide support is critical and is often all that is needed to assist members through the normal recovery after stressful incidents. In fact, evidence has shown that while most persons may experience some physical or emotional symptoms after an exposure to a potentially traumatizing event, the great majority of these persons will recover. It is therefore imperative that CAF personnel at all levels refrain from assuming that the normal human response to potentially traumatizing events will result in a requirement for medical attention.

Definitions

Mental Health: How we think, feel and act as we cope with life. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Like physical health, mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. The CAF Definition in DAOD 5017-0 is: “Mental health is the state of psychological and social well-being from which the capacity to function effectively in both occupational and personal relationships is derived.”
“Mental Toughness is the ability to bring to life whatever skills and talents you have — on demand. That may come down to an ability to fight sleepiness, or to stay relaxed and calm or to not surrender your spirit when the odds are against you.” James Loehr in Brain: The Complete Mind, National Geographic, 2009.
Adverse situations: the duties performed on operations can expose military personnel to stressful and traumatic events. The stressors are likely to vary by operation, mission, and occupation.
Military Resilience is defined as the capacity of a CAF member to recover quickly, resist, and possibly even thrive in the face of direct/indirect traumatic events and adverse situations in garrison, training and operational environments.

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2023-07-13

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Introduction

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