Date

12-19-2024

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Debra Braboy

Keywords

ACES, Mental health, mental toughness, military

Disciplines

Counseling | Psychology

Abstract

Military members’ mental health has been in the spotlight for many years. Although Australia and the United States have strong, robust forces, exposure to this high-stress environments can take its toll. This study is important to keep our armed forces in top mental and physical health and look after them post-service. We need to know what can protect mental health and how to minimize the risks to health and well-being. The purpose of this study is to ask the question, “To what extent are Adverse childhood experiences related to military members' mental health status, and is this relationship mediated by mental toughness?

In this quantitative correlational study, military participants were surveyed online for demographics and mental health status using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Questionnaire (DASS21), the Adverse Childhood Experience Survey (ACE), and the Mental Toughness Inventory. Results were analyzed using Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient, Ordinal Regression, and the Mann Whitney U Test to look for differences between the two countries. Significant relationships were found between military members' ACE scores and their mental health levels. The more ACES they had, the greater the impact on their mental health scores. However, it was also found that the participants also had high mental toughness scores. There was no evidence found that Mental Toughness (MT) was a mediator in the relationship between Adverse Childhood experiences (measured by ACEs) and mental health outcomes (Measured by DASS21) in military members.

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