Psychological resilience training in the Australian defence force

The Australian Department of Defence (ADF) is currently confronted with modern-day veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, who have been exposed to risks that may result in the development of mental health problems. In an attempt to mitigate the development of such problems in ADF personnel, psychological resilience has become an area of increasing interest. Psychological resilience in the military context is defined as the "sum total of psychological processes that permit individuals to maintain or return to previous levels of well-being and functioning in response to adversity"1. The develop-ment of psychological resilience training within the ADF begins with the theoretical and empirical foundations of psychological resilience. At the corner stone of psychological resilience training in the ADF is the stress and coping model (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984), and arousal and emotional regulation techniques. Resilience training based on these elements has been incorporated into ADF training programs in an effort to bolster each individual's inner resources and strengths as a preventive measure to enhance future adjustment. The psychological resilience training program within the ADF is known as BattleSMART (Self Management and Resilience Training). This chapter will describe how the ADF is capitalising on the construct of psychological resilience in an effort to prevent psychological distress in its members.