Evaluation of a Group-based, Skills Training for Increasing Mental Toughness

NCT07050238 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: USUHS.2025-152
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 2,400
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of the Life Force study is to (1) evaluate the efficacy of targeted, skills-based training for enhancing mental toughness and mitigating harmful and high-risk behaviors in active-duty Soldiers, and (2) to determine who benefits the most from this type of training. Researchers will compare the training group to a control group. All participants will complete a baseline survey and two follow up surveys at 6 and 12 months post-baseline. The group assigned to the Life Force training condition will also complete a 5-session, group-based, skills training program.

Conditions

Mental Toughness; Resilience

Keywords

Mental Toughness; Active-duty Military; Risk Reduction; Prevention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Risky/Harmful Behaviors

  Self-reported or administratively recorded

  Within the 12 months following completion of the baseline assessment

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Poor Performance

  Within the 12 months following completion of the baseline assessment

• Mental Toughness

  Within the 12 months following completion of the baseline assessment

• Military Readiness, Satisfaction, & Career Plans

  Within the 12 months following completion of the baseline assessment

• Suicide-related behaviors

  Within the 12 months following completion of the baseline assessment

• Role Functioning (occupational, personal, and social)

  Within the 12 months following completion of the baseline assessment

Study Arms (2)

Life Force program

EXPERIMENTAL

The Life Force program is a 5-session, group-based, skills training program tailored specifically for active duty Soldiers. The program uses evidence-based strategies to mitigate harmful and high-risk behaviors and promote Mental Toughness.

Behavioral: Life Force

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Standard of care with 6- and 12-month follow up assessments.

Interventions

Life Force BEHAVIORAL

5-session, group-based, skills training program tailored specifically for active-duty Soldiers aimed at mitigating harmful and high-risk behaviors and promote Mental Toughness.

Life Force program

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Active duty Soldiers in the regular Army
• Age 18 or older
• Stationed at Fort Hood, TX

You may not qualify if:

• Soldiers with self-identified plans of leaving active duty service within 12 months of the baseline assessment
• Soldiers having a planned permanent change in station (PCS) or deployment within 12 months of the baseline assessment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine: collaborator
• Defense Health Agency: collaborator
• Harvard University: collaborator
• Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences: lead
• Regents of the University of Michigan: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Fort Hood

Killeen, Texas, 76544, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Risk Reduction Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Life Force Study

CONTACT

301-295-3485; life-force-study-ggg@usuhs.edu

Study Design

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

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 25, 2025
• First Posted: July 3, 2025
• Study Start: January 6, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2029
• Last Updated: April 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-05

Locations

US (1)