Relationship between family resilience and mental health in military personnel in view of the dual-factor model of mental health

To explore the relationship between family resilience and mental health in military personnel from the perspective of the dual-factor model of mental health.

A total of 8 094 soldiers were selected as subjects. Family Resilience Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and Short-Form version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) were applied to investigate the relationship of family resilience with positive indicators of mental health, life satisfaction, negative indicators of mental health, as well as depression, anxiety, and stress.

Ten first-order factors, 2 second-order factors and total scores of family resilience were positively correlated with life satisfaction (r=0.242~0.469, P<0.01), and negatively correlated with DASS-21 (r=-0.333~-0.126, P<0.01). The life satisfaction scores of subjects at different families resilience levels showed a linear downward trend, with significant differences (F=162.153~924.656, P<0.01). The DASS-21 scores of subjects at different families resilience levels displayed a linear upward trend (F=35.783~335.658, P<0.01). The correlation coefficients of family resilience and life satisfaction were greater than the absolute values of the DASS-21 correlation coefficients. Regression analysis showed that family belief and family strength showed significant effects on life satisfaction, and could jointly predict 22% variation of positive mental health. Family strength had a significant influence on the DASS-21 scores, while family belief had no effect on DASS-21 scores, and could predict 11% variation of negative mental health.

There is a correlation between military family resilience and military mental health, and family resilience is the key point to promote military mental health.