An exploratory investigation of relationships among mental skills and resilience in warrior transition unit cadre members

Abstract

Warrior transition unit (WTU) cadre members are exposed to a variety of stressors that put them at risk for adverse conditions and events. Resilience may be a construct capable of moderating some of these potential negative outcomes. In turn, mental toughness is a concept associated with resilience that may provide a unique framework from which to train resilient behavior. This article explored associations between resilience and several mental skills that are assumed to be related to mental toughness, in a sample ( n = 27) of WTU cadre members in the U.S. Army. Instruments included the Ottawa Mental Skills Inventory (OMSAT-3) and the Resilience Scale (RS). Both cognitive mental skills and emotion management skills were positively associated with resilience. Results also indicated a model specifying emotion management as a mediator of the relationship between cognitive skills and resilience was consistent with the study data.