Resiliency in U.S. Air Force Personnel

NCT05700435 | Terminated

• 1 other identifier: UNM HRRC 22-317
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 46
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 5

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to examine the effectiveness of the Stress Management and Resilience Training (SMART) in increasing resilience in a population of U.S. Air Force personnel at Joint Base Andrews, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Nellis Air Force Base, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. 1.When delivered in real-world conditions, to what extent does SMART increase levels of resiliency and decrease levels of stress in a sample of active component U.S. Air Force personnel?
2. 2.Does SMART have a sustained effectiveness from baseline to 12, 24 and 36-weeks after training completion in a sample of active component U.S. Air Force personnel?
3. 3.Does SMART provided via an in-person/video-teleconference (VTC) or Computer-Based Training (CBT) modality demonstrate equivalent effectiveness in increasing resilience and decreasing stress in active component Air Force personnel?

Conditions

Stress; Quality; Anxiety; Resilience

Keywords

military; Air Force; resilience; stress

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Changes in Connor-Davidson 10-Item Scale (CD-10)

  Resilience will be measured using the CD-10, a 10-item scale derived from the original, 25-item Connor Davidson Resilience Scale. Respondents can answer each item using a five-point rating ranging from not true at all (0) to true nearly all the time (4). A total CD-RISC score is calculated by summing the score of all 10 items for a total possible score of 40, with a higher score reflecting a greater level of resilience. The CD-10 has a reported Cronbach's alpha of .85 and has demonstrated construct validity.

  Changes in self-reported CD-10 from Baseline at 12, 24, and 36 weeks post-SMART completion

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Changes in Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)

  Changes in self-reported PSS from Baseline at 12, 24, and 36 weeks post-SMART completion

• Changes in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7)

  Changes in self-reported GAD-7 from Baseline at 12, 24, and 36 weeks post-SMART completion

• Changes in Quality of Life (QOL)

  Changes in self-reported QOL scores from Baseline at 12, 24, and 36 weeks post-SMART completion

Study Arms (2)

Randomization

EXPERIMENTAL

At two study sites, we will randomly assign participants to the VTC/in-person group or CBT group using a ratio of 2:1 to assign participants to the VTC/in-person or CBT training modalities. We anticipate 84 participants (42 per site) will be assigned to the CBT modality and 168 (84 per site) will be assigned to the VTC/in-person modality.

Behavioral: Stress Management and Resilience Training

Self-selection

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

At two study sites, participants will be able to self-select which SMART training modality they will complete (VTC/in-person or CBT).We aim to recruit 250 participants in the self-selection arm.

Behavioral: Stress Management and Resilience Training

Interventions

Stress Management and Resilience Training BEHAVIORAL

The Stress Management and Resilience Training (SMART) program focuses on improving the practices of gratitude, mindful presence, kindness, and developing a resilient mindset. In this proposed study, SMART will be provided via either a two-hour, video teleconference (VTC) or in-person training or by completion of a self-paced, on-line version completed over a period of four to eight weeks. The modalities VTC and in-person are the two intervention conditions.

Randomization; Self-selection

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Active Component Air Force personnel assigned or attached to the:
• th Medical Wing, including the 59th Medical Operations Group, 59th Medical Support Group, 559th MDG, 959th MDG, 59th Training Group, and 59th Dental Group (Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX \[JBSA-L\])
• th Medical Group (Joint Base Andrews, MD \[JBA\])
• th Medical Group (Nellis AFB, NV)
• th Human Performance Wing (HPW), including the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM), and the 88th Medical Group (MDG) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH (WPAFB)
• Able to provide informed consent
• ≥ 18 years of age

You may not qualify if:

• Personnel at the above locations who are not Active Component Air Force personnel (e.g. individuals on temporary duty \[TDY\] at the location or civilian personnel):
• Unable to provide informed consent
• Basic Military Trainees (BMTs)
• \< 18 years of age
• Prisoners

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of New Mexico: lead
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas: collaborator
• Johns Hopkins University: collaborator

Study Sites (5)

Mountain Home Air Force Base

Mountain Home, Idaho, 83648, United States

Location

Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing (Joint Base Andrews)

Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, United States

Location

University of Nevada Las Vegas, School of Nursing (Nellis Air Force Base)

Las Vegas, Nevada, 89154, United States

Location

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Dayton, Ohio, 45433, United States

Location

Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland

San Antonio, Texas, 78236, United States

Location

Related Publications (15)

• Meredith LS, Sherbourne CD, Gaillot SJ, Hansell L, Ritschard HV, Parker AM, Wrenn G. Promoting Psychological Resilience in the U.S. Military. Rand Health Q. 2011 Jun 1;1(2):2. eCollection 2011 Summer.

  PMID: 28083176 BACKGROUND

• Thompson SR, Dobbins S. The Applicability of Resilience Training to the Mitigation of Trauma-Related Mental Illness in Military Personnel [Formula: see text]. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. 2018 Jan/Feb;24(1):23-34. doi: 10.1177/1078390317739957. Epub 2017 Nov 15.

  PMID: 29139325 BACKGROUND

• Rocklein Kemplin K, Paun O, Godbee DC, Brandon JW. Resilience and Suicide in Special Operations Forces: State of the Science via Integrative Review. J Spec Oper Med. 2019 Summer;19(2):57-66. doi: 10.55460/BQES-AM8H.

  PMID: 31201752 BACKGROUND

• Committee on the Assessment of Resiliency and Prevention Programs for Mental and Behavioral Health in Service Members and Their Families; Board on the Health of Select Populations; Institute of Medicine; Denning LA, Meisnere M, Warner KE, editors. Preventing Psychological Disorders in Service Members and Their Families: An Assessment of Programs. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2014 Feb 11. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK222170/

  PMID: 25057692 BACKGROUND

• Connor KM, Davidson JR. Development of a new resilience scale: the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Depress Anxiety. 2003;18(2):76-82. doi: 10.1002/da.10113.

  PMID: 12964174 BACKGROUND

• Sood A, Prasad K, Schroeder D, Varkey P. Stress management and resilience training among Department of Medicine faculty: a pilot randomized clinical trial. J Gen Intern Med. 2011 Aug;26(8):858-61. doi: 10.1007/s11606-011-1640-x. Epub 2011 Jan 29.

  PMID: 21279454 BACKGROUND

• Chesak SS, Bhagra A, Schroeder DR, Foy DA, Cutshall SM, Sood A. Enhancing resilience among new nurses: feasibility and efficacy of a pilot intervention. Ochsner J. 2015 Spring;15(1):38-44.

  PMID: 25829879 BACKGROUND

• Campbell-Sills L, Stein MB. Psychometric analysis and refinement of the Connor-davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC): Validation of a 10-item measure of resilience. J Trauma Stress. 2007 Dec;20(6):1019-28. doi: 10.1002/jts.20271.

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• Harris PA, Taylor R, Thielke R, Payne J, Gonzalez N, Conde JG. Research electronic data capture (REDCap)--a metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support. J Biomed Inform. 2009 Apr;42(2):377-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jbi.2008.08.010. Epub 2008 Sep 30.

  PMID: 18929686 BACKGROUND

• Cohen, S., & Williamson, G. (1988). Perecived stress in a probablility sample of the United States. In S. Spacapan & S. Oskamp (Eds.), The social psychology of health (pp. 31-67). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

  BACKGROUND

• Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. A global measure of perceived stress. J Health Soc Behav. 1983 Dec;24(4):385-96. No abstract available.

  PMID: 6668417 BACKGROUND

• Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Lowe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006 May 22;166(10):1092-7. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.

  PMID: 16717171 BACKGROUND

• Locke DE, Decker PA, Sloan JA, Brown PD, Malec JF, Clark MM, Rummans TA, Ballman KV, Schaefer PL, Buckner JC. Validation of single-item linear analog scale assessment of quality of life in neuro-oncology patients. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007 Dec;34(6):628-38. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2007.01.016. Epub 2007 Aug 20.

  PMID: 17703910 BACKGROUND

• Campbell-Sills L, Flynn PJ, Choi KW, Ng THH, Aliaga PA, Broshek C, Jain S, Kessler RC, Stein MB, Ursano RJ, Bliese PD. Unit cohesion during deployment and post-deployment mental health: is cohesion an individual- or unit-level buffer for combat-exposed soldiers? Psychol Med. 2022 Jan;52(1):121-131. doi: 10.1017/S0033291720001786. Epub 2020 Jun 10.

  PMID: 32517825 BACKGROUND

• Rubin, D.B., Causal inference using potential outcomes. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 2005. 100(469): p. 322-331.

  BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Stephen Hernandez, PhD

  University of New Mexico

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Cluster randomized, pragmatic-explorative two-arm multi-site study. Arm 1: Randomization Arm 2: Self-selection

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 12, 2023
• First Posted: January 26, 2023
• Study Start: October 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: July 31, 2025
• Study Completion: July 31, 2025
• Last Updated: August 27, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (5)