Optimizing military mental health and stress resilience training through the lens of trainee preferences: A conjoint analysis approach

Effective mental health and stress resilience (MHSR) training is essential in military populations given their exposure to operational stressors. The scarcity of empirical evidence supporting the benefits of these programs emphasizes the need for research dedicated to program optimization. This paper aims to identify the relative importance of MHSR training attributes preferred by military members. Conjoint analysis (CA), an experimental method used to prioritize end-user preferences for product feature development, was conducted using an online survey with 567 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel. Participants made a series of choices between hypothetical MHSR training options that were systematically varied across seven training attributes. Each training attribute consisted of 3–4 variations in the nature of the attribute or its intensity. Participants also completed questions on health beliefs, mental health and previous MHSR training experiences, and demographics, to assess whether preferences varied by individual characteristics. CA demonstrated that instructor type, leadership buy-in, degree of skills practice, and content relevance/applicability were attributes of highest and relatively equal importance. This was followed by degree of accessible supplemental content. Lowest importance was placed on degree of behavioral nudging and demographic similarity between the trainee and trainer. Sociodemographic factors were not associated with MHSR training preferences. Programs that incorporate expert-led instruction, demonstrate leadership buy-in, embed practical applications within simulated stress environments, and provide a digitally-accessible platform to augment training may be well-received among military members. Understanding and accommodating personal preferences when designing MHSR training programs may increase relevance, foster acceptance and trust, and support sustained engagement.

鉴于军事人员长期暴露于各类作战应激源，高效的心理健康与压力韧性（Mental Health and Stress Resilience, MHSR）训练不可或缺。当前缺乏支撑此类训练项目效益的实证依据，这凸显了开展针对性项目优化研究的迫切性。本研究旨在明确军事人员所偏好的MHSR训练属性的相对重要性。本研究采用联合分析（Conjoint analysis, CA）——一种用于优先排序终端用户对产品功能开发偏好的实验方法——面向567名加拿大武装部队（Canadian Armed Forces, CAF）人员开展线上调查。参与者需在一系列假设的MHSR训练方案中完成选择任务，这些方案围绕7项训练属性进行系统性变量设置，每项训练属性包含3至4种属性类型或强度变体。参与者还需填写关于健康信念、心理健康状况、既往MHSR训练经历以及人口统计学特征的问卷，以探究个体特征是否会影响训练偏好。联合分析结果显示，教官类型、领导层支持度、技能练习程度以及内容相关性/适用性为最重要且重要程度相对均等的四项训练属性。排名紧随其后的为可获取补充内容的丰富程度。重要程度最低的两项为行为引导程度以及受训者与教官的人口统计学相似度。社会人口学因素与MHSR训练偏好并无显著关联。若训练项目融入专家主导的教学环节、体现领导层支持、在模拟应激环境中嵌入实操应用，并提供可数字化访问的平台以辅助训练，或将受到军事人员的广泛认可。在设计MHSR训练项目时，充分理解并兼顾个体偏好，能够提升训练内容的相关性，增强受训者的接受度与信任感，并助力维持长期参与度。