The Comparison of Mental Health, Personality Traits, and Psychological Empowerment in the Two Groups of Newly Arrived and Discharged Soldiers

Paying attention to psychological issues and characteristics of military service is one of the points that must be assessed by senior planners and commanders.

In the present descriptive correlational study, 604 soldiers serving in the barracks of Kerman province in 2021 were studied. Cluster sampling was used to select the statistical sample from the two barracks of Martyr Ashraf Ganjavii and Martyr Bahonar of the police force. Three characteristics of Mental Health, Personality Traits and Psychological Empowerment were compared in two groups of newly arrived and discharged soldiers.

Two hundred fifty-seven people (42.5%) were in the group of newly arrived soldiers, and 347 people (57.5%) were in the other group. The average scores of the discharged group in all aspects of mental health were lower than those of the newly arrived group (p<0.05). The average scores of two dimensions of neuroticism and extraversion in the discharged group was significantly higher than that of the newly arrived group (p<0.05). Also the two groups had a significant difference in competence score (p=0.048).

According to the results of this study, military service has had a negative effect on the mental health of soldiers. Nonetheless, it cannot be alleged that military service had a significant effect on the psychological empowerment of soldiers. Consequently, it seems obligatory to use psychological and clinical consultants and doctors for appropriate interventions to increase mental health, such as education, counseling, and psychotherapy.