Model of Psychological Adaptation in Peace Support Operations: An Overview

摘要

Canada has a long and distinguished history of peacekeeping service, yet research from within the Canadian Forces indicates that the psychological and interpersonal toll of these missions on CF personnel can be quite high E.G., 1; 2; 3; 4; 5. The Peace Support Operations Adaptation Model (PSOAM), introduced here, details the adaptation process beginning during predeployment, continuing through the deployment and post-deployment phases. The model adds to existing conceptual models of deployment stress by incorporating individual, group, and organizational level variables at each stage of the deployment cycle, factors assumed integral to short and long term adaptation. Of particular interest are the influence of predeployment factors upon individuals' coping efforts and resiliency. The effects of Personality Factors (e.g., hardiness, self-efficacy, mastery, dispositional optimism, internal locus of control) and predeployment expectations (e.g. deployment goals, beliefs concerning upcoming deployment) on predeployment motivational facto rs (e.g., level of motivation, perceptions of preparedness, perceptions of risk, level of intrapersonal conflict) are of specific concern. These predeployment factors, together with self assessments of coping resources during deployment are assumed to directly affect the quality of adaptation and serve as the primary influences on individuals' resiliency to the stress associated with peace support operations. Our focus on the precursors of the adaptation process also allows us to contribute to efforts to recommend modifications to training content and delivery that may avert later maladaptive responses. Moreover, this focus allows for the specification of individual difference variables of relevance to personnel selection in instances where training cannot completely ameliorate the effects of negative deployment events.