Trouble with the curve: the 90-9-1 rule to measure volitional participation inequalities among Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets during training.

Objective: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Study includes longitudinal multimodal assessments of RCMP cadets from pre-training (i.e., starting the Cadet Training Program [CTP]) to post-deployment and for five years thereafter. The data allow for investigating the multidimensionality of volitional participation in digital health data collection frameworks within serial data collection platforms and the impact of participation inequalities by classifying cadets using the 90-9-1 rule. By classifying cadets as Lurkers, Contributors, and Superusers formally described by the 90-9-1 rule, where 90% of actors do not participate, 9% seldom contribute, and 1% contribute substantially allows for the assessing of relationships between participation inequalities in self-monitoring behaviors as well as whether mental health disorder symptoms at pre-training (i.e., starting the CTP) were associated with subsequent participation. Methods: Participants were asked to complete a Full Assessment prior to their training at CTP, as well as short daily surveys throughout their training. Participation frequency was described using a process where participants were rank ordered by the number of daily surveys completed and classified into one of three categories. Full assessment surveys completed prior to their training at CTP included screening tools for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), and panic disorder (PD). The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to assess differences in participation rates between mental health disorder symptom screening groups for each measure at pre-training, and Spearman's Rho was used to test for associations amongst self-reported Full Assessment screening tool responses and the number of daily surveys completed during CTP. Results: There were 18557 daily survey records collected from 772 participants. The rank-ordering of cadets by the number of daily surveys completed produced three categories in line with the 90-9-1 rule: Superusers who were the top 1% of cadets (n=8) and produced 6.4% of all recordings; Contributors who were the next 9% of cadets (n=68) and produced 49.2% of the recordings; and Lurkers who were the next 90% of cadets (n=695) and produced 44.4% of daily survey recordings. Lurkers had the largest proportion of positive screens for self-reported mental health disorders at pre-training. Conclusion: The creation of highly individualized, population-based mental health injury programs has been limited by an incomplete understanding of the causal relationships between protective factors and mental health. Disproportionate rates of disengagement from persons who screen positive for mental health disorders further compounds the difficulty in understanding the relationships between training programs and mental health. The current results suggest persons with mental health challenges may be less likely to engage in some forms of proactive mental health training. The current results also provide useful information about participation, adherence, and engagement that can be used to inform evidence-based paradigm shifts in health-related data collection in occupational populations.

Prevalence of current chronic pain in Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets.

Background: Nearly half of active duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers report experiencing current chronic pain (43%; i.e. pain lasting longer than 3 months). Most RCMP officers who report chronic pain indicate that the pain started after working as RCMP officers (91%). Baseline data on chronic pain prevalence among RCMP cadets has not been available. Aims: The current study was designed to provide cross-sectional estimates of chronic pain prevalence among RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program and to assess for sociodemographic differences among participants. Methods: The RCMP Study uses a longitudinal prospective sequential experimental cohort design to create a clustered randomized trial that engages individual participants for 5.5 years. The current article provides cross-sectional associations between chronic pain prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics. Participants were RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program (n = 770). Location, intensity (on a 0-10 scale and days per week experienced), and duration (number of months) of chronic pain were reported. Differences across sociodemographic characteristics were examined. Results: Few RCMP cadets reported experiencing chronic pain (10%); lower back pain was rated as the most severe in terms of intensity and duration and second most frequently reported in number of days experienced per week. Prevalence of chronic pain was lower among RCMP cadets than among RCMP officers. Conclusions: Chronic pain prevalence among active duty RCMP officers may result from or be moderated by operational duties, as well as routine aging. Future researchers could examine ways to mitigate chronic pain development during RCMP officer careers.

Contexte: Près de la moitié des agents de la Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC) en service actif déclarent souffrir de douleur chronique (43 %; c'est-à-dire une douleur qui dure plus de trois mois). La plupart des agents de la GRC qui déclarent souffrir de douleur chronique indiquent que la douleur a commencé après avoir travaillé comme agents de la GRC (91 %). Il n'existe pas de données de référence sur la prévalence de la douleur chronique chez les cadets de la GRC.Objectifs: La présente étude a été conçue pour fournir des estimations transversales de la prévalence de la douleur chronique chez les cadets de la GRC qui commencent le Programme de formation des cadets et évaluer les différences sociodémographiques entre les participants.Méthodes: L'étude sur la GRC utilise un devis de cohorte expérimental séquentiel prospectif longitudinal pour créer un essai randomisé en grappes impliquant des participants individuels pendant 5,5 ans. Le présent article présente des associations transversales entre la prévalence de la douleur chronique et les caractéristiques sociodémographiques. Les participants étaient des cadets de la GRC qui commençaient le Programme de formation des cadets (n = 770). Le lieu, l'intensité (sur une échelle de 0 à 10 et selon le nombre de jours par semaine où la douleur était ressentie), de même que la durée (nombre de mois) pendant laquelle la douleur chronique était ressentie, ont été déclarés.Résultats: Peu de cadets de la GRC ont déclaré souffrir de douleur chronique (10 %); la douleur lombaire a été évaluée comme la plus sévère en termes d'intensité et de durée, et la deuxième la plus fréquemment rapportée en nombre de jours par semaine. La prévalence de la douleur chronique était plus faible chez les cadets de la GRC que chez les agents de la GRC.Conclusions: La prévalence de la douleur chronique chez les agents de la GRC en service actif peut résulter des tâches opérationnelles ou être modérée par celles-ci, ainsi que par le vieillissement normal. Les futurs chercheurs pourraient examiner les moyens d'atténuer le développement de la douleur chronique au cours de la carrière des agents de la GRC.

Metodología para incrementar la velocidad de reacción durante la defensa personal en cadetes

La preparación física, como parte del entrenamiento de los cadetes, busca poner en óptimo estado al practicante, perfecciona sus aptitudes naturales y desarrolla al máximo sus capacidades físicas por medio de ejercicios sistemáticos. En ese sentido, la velocidad de reacción durante la defensa personal constituye un importante aspecto a tratar; sin embargo, la observación y análisis de la realidad educativa en el Instituto de Enseñanza Superior del Ministerio del Interior, en Santiago de Cuba, reveló insuficiencias que limitan el logro de altos niveles en la velocidad de reacción. El objetivo del estudio consistió en elaborar una metodología para el desarrollo de la velocidad de reacción durante la defensa personal, en los cadetes de la carrera Ciencias de la Seguridad del Estado del Ministerio del Interior. En esa línea de pensamiento, se realizó una investigación con enfoque mixto y diseño cuasi experimental que empleó como métodos empíricos la revisión documental, la observación científica y la entrevista no estructurada; se utilizó la estadística inferencial por medio de la prueba de rangos de Wilcoxon para muestras relacionadas, lo que permitió conocer la eficiencia de los ejercicios especiales que se aplicaron. La calidad de la metodología quedó corroborada por los resultados obtenidos en la aplicación del criterio de expertos en la variante "Delphi" y del prexperimento, confirmados por diferentes técnicas estadísticas que resaltan la funcionalidad, sostenibilidad, pertinencia y factibilidad de la propuesta.

A preparação física, como parte do treinamento dos cadetes, busca colocar o praticante em ótimas condições, aperfeiçoar suas aptidões naturais e desenvolver ao máximo suas capacidades físicas por meio de exercícios sistemáticos. Nesse sentido, a velocidade de reação durante a defesa pessoal é um aspecto importante a ser abordado; no entanto, a observação e a análise da realidade educacional no Instituto de Ensino Superior do Ministério do Interior, em Santiago de Cuba, revelaram insuficiências que limitam a obtenção de altos níveis de velocidade de reação. O objetivo do estudo foi elaborar uma metodologia para o desenvolvimento da velocidade de reação durante a autodefesa, em cadetes do curso de Ciências de Segurança do Estado do Ministério do Interior. Nessa linha de pensamento, foi realizada uma pesquisa com abordagem mista e desenho quase experimental, utilizando como métodos empíricos a revisão documental, a observação científica e a entrevista não estruturada; foi utilizada a estatística inferencial por meio do teste de postos de Wilcoxon para amostras relacionadas, o que permitiu conhecer a eficiência dos exercícios especiais aplicados. A qualidade da metodologia foi corroborada pelos resultados obtidos na aplicação de critérios de especialistas na variante "Delphi" e no pré-experimento, confirmados por diferentes técnicas estatísticas que destacam a funcionalidade, a sustentabilidade, a relevância e a viabilidade da proposta.

Physical preparation, as part of training of the cadets, seeks to put the practitioner in optimal condition, perfects their natural aptitudes and develops their physical capabilities to the maximum through systematic exercises. In this sense, the speed of reaction during self-defense is an important aspect to address; however, the observation and analysis of the educational reality at the Institute of Higher Education of the Ministry of the Interior, in Santiago de Cuba, revealed insufficiencies that limit the achievement of high levels in reaction speed. The objective of the study was to develop a methodology for the development of reaction speed during self-defense, in the cadets of the State Security Sciences career of the Ministry of the Interior. In this line of thought, research was carried out with a mixed approach and quasi-experimental design that used documentary review, scientific observation and unstructured interviews as empirical methods; inferential statistics was used through the Wilcoxon rank test for related samples, which made it possible to know the efficiency of the special exercises that were applied. The quality of the methodology was corroborated by the results obtained in the application of expert criteria in the "Delphi" variant and of the pre-experiment, confirmed by different statistical techniques that highlight the functionality, sustainability, relevance and feasibility of the proposal.

Psychometric properties of the wellbeing literacy 6-item scale in Chinese military academy cadets.

Background: Positive psychology is a vibrant field of study, and conceptualizations of the components of well-being have received a great deal of attention from researchers. The study of well-being literacy thus provides an innovative perspective for enhancing and sustaining individuals' experiences of well-being. Objective: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the wellbeing literacy 6-item (Well-Lit 6) scale in Chinese military academy cadets. Methods: A total of 3,218 undergraduate students from five military academies in China were recruited to complete questionnaires online. Results: (1) The items of the scale showed high discrimination; (2) The alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.986 and the split-half reliability was 0.981, indicating high homogeneous reliability and split-half reliability; (3) The scale model fitted well and displayed structural validity; (4) The correlation between well-being literacy and related indicators was significant, and the calibration correlation and convergent-discriminant validity of the scale were high; (5) After gradually adding demographic variables, known predictors factors and well-being literacy, the ∆R2 for subjective well-being, life satisfaction, depression, and anxiety ranged from 0.036 to 0.067, 0.184 to 0.340, and 0.009 to 0.017, respectively, showing high incremental validity; (6) the total well-being literacy scores differed significantly by gender, grade, and parenting style. Conclusion: The Chinese version of the Well-Lit 6 is reliable and valid in predicting and accessing the subjective well-being, life satisfaction, emotion regulation, and psychological resilience of Chinese military academy cadets.

Impact of army morale on suicidal ideation: The mediating role of grit and the moderating role of social support in a Chinese Navy population.

This study constructed a moderated mediation model to examine whether increased army morale could reduce suicidal ideation. The mediating role of grit and the moderating role of social support were also examined. A total of 1029 male navy cadets in China were recruited to complete the survey. The measures used in the study included the Army Morale Scale, Grit Scale, Social Support Scale, and Self-rated Idea of Suicide Scale. The results indicated that: increased army morale could significantly reduce suicidal ideation; the impact of army morale on suicidal ideation could be partially mediated by grit; and social support moderated the impact of army morale on suicidal ideation. Specifically, relatively higher levels of social support could reduce suicidal ideation among individuals with lower levels of army morale, but the effect is not significant when the morale is at a high level. The study revealed that increased army morale could reduce suicidal ideation. Moreover, the mediating role of grit and the moderating role of social support were also revealed.

Alterations in white matter fiber tracts and their correlation with flying cadet behavior.

An increasing number of studies have shown that flight training alters the human brain structure; however, most studies have focused on gray matter, and the exploration of white matter structure has been largely neglected. This study aimed to investigate the changes in white matter structure induced by flight training and estimate the correlation between such changes and psychomotor and flight performance. Diffusion tensor imaging data were obtained from 25 flying cadets and 24 general college students. Data were collected in 2019 and 2022 and analyzed using automated fiber quantification. This study found no significant changes in the flight group in 2019. However, in 2022, the flight group exhibited significant alterations in the diffusion tensor imaging of the right anterior thalamic radiation, left cingulum cingulate, bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus, and left arcuate fasciculus. These changes occurred within local nodes of the fiber tracts. In addition, we found that changes in fiber tracts in the 2022 flight group were correlated with the reaction time of the psychomotor test task and flight duration. These findings may help improve flight training programs and provide new ideas for the selection of excellent pilots.

Impact of personality on cadet academic and military performance within mediating role of self-efficacy.

Background: The current operational military environment is changing, complex, unpredictable, and ambiguous. Due to such situations, soldiers are constantly forced to think about their values, norms, and roles that should be part of their profession. Consequently, they must first be educated and trained on how to behave in a particular operational military environment. Pursuing an officer's education at military academies is very difficult not only physically but also psychologically. Cadets are required to be prepared to lead in extreme environments upon graduation. Despite the fact that military tasks are technically complex, the individual operational activities of soldiers are gaining more and more strategic meaning. Therefore, the importance of selecting the process and military education programs of soldiers is increasingly stressed. Cognitive abilities and skills individually predict performance in academic and professional settings, but it is less clear how personality can influence performance. Therefore, this study focused on the explanation of the individual factors that affect the achievements of the cadets. Specifically, the objective of this study was to examine direct and mediated relationships between personality traits and the military and academic performance of cadets. Methods: This study followed a quantitative method analysis. The research models were assessed using the structural equation modeling technique. Bootstrap was applied to evaluate a 95% level confidence interval on estimates with 5,000 bootstrap samples, and to evaluate direct and indirect effects. The analysis was based on a sample of 120 cadets from the Lithuanian Military Academy. The effects on military and academic performance were evaluated using the Self-Efficacy scale, the Big Five personality trait scale, academic performance was evaluated through academic grades and military performance was evaluated using instructor ratings. Results: To support our hypotheses, it was found that self-efficacy has a mediating effect on the performance of cadets. Additionally, the traits of conscientiousness, openness to experience and extraversion were related to both military and academic performance. Furthermore, self-efficacy appeared as a partial mediator of the relationship between personality traits and cadet performance. Conclusion: The findings of this study help clarify the relationship between the personality traits of the cadets and the military and academic performance. In addition, these results may be useful for the further development of military education and training, for the development of testing, and selection of military personnel.

Cardioautonomic lability assessed by heart rate variability changes in Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets during the cadet training program.

Objective: The current study examined variations in cardioautonomic lability during the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Cadet Training Program (CTP) between cadets starting their training who did or did not screen positive for one or more mental health disorders (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], major depressive disorder [MDD], social anxiety disorder [SAD], generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], panic disorder [PD], alcohol use disorder [AUD]). Methods: Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals integrated into Hexoskin garments were used to record ECG and heart rate Over the 26-week CTP. There were 31 heart rate variability (HRV) parameters calculated using Kubios Premium HRV analysis software. Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to perform groupwise comparisons of participant raw values and HRV during the CTP. Results: A total of 157 cadets (79% male) were screened for any mental disorder using self-report surveys and then grouped by positive and negative screening. Analyses indicated a statistically significant (p < 0.05) decrease in low frequency (LF): High Frequency (HF) variability during CTP, but only for cadets who endorsed clinically significant anxiety symptoms on the GAD-7 at the start of their training. There were no other statistically significant groupwise differences. Conclusion: The results indicate the participants have excellent cardiac health overall and suggest potentially important differences between groups, such that cadets who endorsed clinically significant anxiety symptoms on the GAD-7 showed less variability in the LF:HF ratio over the course of the CTP. The relatively lower variability suggests decreased parasympathetic tone in those without clinically significant anxiety symptoms. The results also have important implications for future investigations of cardioautonomic dysfunction and chronic hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis deviations in policing populations with anxiety disorders; specifically, cardioautonomic inflexibility related to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In any case, the current results provide an important baseline for future cardiac research with cadets and serving officers.

Research on a post-competency model of civil aviation flight cadets.

The initial evaluation index system of civil aviation flight cadets' competency was established using NVivo version 11.0 through qualitative analysis. The competency evaluation index system of civil aviation flight cadets was determined using questionnaire surveys and SPSS version 26.0, and includes four dimensions - core quality, ethical discipline, psychological quality and leadership - and another 23 indexes. The competency model was constructed using AMOS version 23.0 through factor analysis and a structural equation model, and the weight coefficient of each index at all levels was finally determined. The results showed that self-confidence and optimism, attention distribution and situational awareness are the three most important indicators affecting the competency of civil aviation flight cadets. Therefore, the model can provide references for the scientific evaluation of civil aviation flight cadets' competence and provide support for airlines and colleges to train flight cadets.

[The support of health maintenance of under age trainees on shipboard].

The international conventions and national state educational standards specify mandatory practical training on shipboard for acquiring through programs of secondary professional education professional habits and skills by students of swimming specialties. For cadets, specified temporary regime of work and rest is established. Other items concerning organization of labor activity, apply to them same rights and obligations as to regular members of crew as declared in ship's role. Since during internship the age of cadets does not exceed 18 years, occurrence of possible disorders of their mental health is urgent concern and high-risk factor for shipowner. The article describes in detail rules of organizing practical training of cadets on shipboard. The responsible persons are identified. The responsibilities of shipowner in relation to trainees are revealed. The current problematic aspects are marked and appropriate preventive measures are proposed.

Daily survey participation and positive changes in mental health symptom scores among Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cadets.

Introduction: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers self-report high levels of mental health disorder symptoms, such as alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Participation in regular mental health monitoring has been associated with improved mental health disorder symptom reporting and may provide an accessible tool to support RCMP mental health. The current study assessed relationships between self-reported mental health disorder symptoms and the completion of daily surveys (i.e., daily mental health disorder symptom monitoring) by RCMP cadets during the Cadet Training Program (CTP). Methods: Participants were RCMP cadets (n = 394; 76.1% men) in the Standard Training Program who completed the 26-week CTP and daily self-monitoring surveys, as well as full mental health assessments at pre-training (i.e., starting the CTP) and pre-deployment (i.e., ~2 weeks prior to deployment to the field). Symptoms of alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder were assessed. Changes in mental health disorder symptom reporting from pre-training to pre-deployment were calculated. Spearman's rank correlations were estimated for number of daily surveys completed and change in mental health disorder symptom scores between pre-training and pre-deployment. Results: There were statistically significant inverse relationships between number of daily surveys completed and number of mental health disorder symptoms reported; specifically, cadets who completed more daily surveys during CTP reported fewer symptoms of alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Conclusion: An inverse correlation between number of daily surveys completed and mental health disorder symptom scores indicated that participation in daily mental health monitoring was associated with improvements in self-reported mental health disorder symptoms between pre-training and pre-deployment. Regular self-monitoring of mental health disorder symptoms may help to mitigate mental health challenges among RCMP cadets and officers.

CADETS' MOTIVATION FOR MOTOR ACTIVITY AS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN IMPROVING THEIR HEALTH.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To investigate cadets' motivational priorities for physical exercises and sports in the process of their training and the dynamics of their health indicators. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The research was conducted at the National Academy of Internal Affairs in 2018-2022. The research of motivational priorities involved 372 male cadets from the 1st to the 4th instructional years aged 17 to 22. Two groups were formed to investigate the state of cadets' health: group A (n = 39) included motivated cadets who were additionally engaged in sports, group B (n = 66) was represented by insufficiently motivated cadets who undertook training according to the traditional physical education program and did not additionally engage in physical exercises and sports. RESULTS: Results: It was found that the motivational priorities of cadets for physical exercises and sports vary depending on the instructional year. Group A cadets showed a significantly better level of health than those from group B, by 2.98 points (p ≤ 0.001) during the 4th instructional year. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: A high level of cadets' health formed in the process of physical exercises and sports during training will contribute to the mastering of the educational program and, in the future, will ensure the effectiveness of their service activities. Therefore, the formation of cadets' conscious motivation for motor activities during training in order to improve their health is an important task of higher educational institutions.

Omega-3 Index improves after increased intake of foods with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids among US service academy cadets.

The inclusion of omega-3 fatty acids in our dietary intake is important for performance and recovery and may reduce the risk of various health issues. Studies have shown the omega-3 fatty acid status of US service members is low. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether offering fish and omega-3-enhanced foods would increase the Omega-3 Index (O3I). We hypothesize cadets will increase O3I with enhanced omega-3 options more than fish alone. Food service venues at 3 US service academies offered fish and other omega-3 foods to cadets for 12 weeks. Questionnaires were used to collect information on the dietary habits and omega-3 food intake of participants. The O3I of each participant was measured at baseline, mid- (6 weeks), and after data collection (12 weeks) time points. Following the 12 weeks, we found a significant increase in O3I. More specifically, the intake of other omega-3 foods, smoothies (3 per week) and toppings (3 per week), increased O3I in cadets. This study identified a strategy encouraging omega-3 food intake and improving O3I among cadets. These results help us understand how we can more effectively impact military service member nutrition for optimal health and performance.

Sex differences in hardiness, coping, and health in new West Point cadets.

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point places young men and women in a highly demanding world of extreme mental and physical challenges. As such, it provides an excellent natural laboratory in which to study how people respond and adapt to highly stressful conditions. The present study explores the role of personality hardiness and coping as stress resilience resources in new (freshmen) cadets at West Point, while also considering sex differences. Using survey methods, N = 234 cadets were assessed during their first year at West Point. Measures included personality hardiness, coping strategies, health symptoms, and number of hospitalizations for all causes. Results show that female cadets are higher in hardiness and emotion-focused coping, as well as somewhat higher in symptoms reports. For the total group, hardiness is linked to better health, both in terms of symptoms reports and hospitalizations. Multiple regression results indicate symptoms are predicted by lower hardiness, higher avoidance coping, and female sex. Conditional process path analysis reveals that the effect of hardiness on symptoms is mediated by emotion-focused coping, and that emotion-focused coping can have both positive and negative effects. This study confirms hardiness is an important stress resilience resource for both men and women in the highly stressful first year at West Point. These findings lend further support to a growing body of evidence that hardiness influences health in part via the coping strategies that people choose to apply in dealing with stressful situations.

Examining mental health knowledge, stigma, and service use intentions among Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets.

Background: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers experience an elevated risk for mental health disorders due to inherent work-related exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events and occupational stressors. RCMP officers also report high levels of stigma and low levels of intentions to seek mental health services. In contrast, very little is known about the levels of mental health knowledge and stigma of RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program (CTP). The current study was designed to: (1) obtain baseline levels of mental health knowledge, stigma against peers in the workplace, and service use intentions in RCMP cadets; (2) determine the relationship among mental health knowledge, stigma against peers in the workplace, and service use intentions among RCMP cadets; (3) examine differences across sociodemographic characteristics; and (4) compare cadets to a sample of previously surveyed serving RCMP. Methods: Participants were RCMP cadets (n = 772) starting the 26-week CTP. Cadets completed questionnaires assessing mental health knowledge, stigma against coworkers with mental health challenges, and mental health service use intentions. Results: RCMP cadets reported statistically significantly lower levels of mental health knowledge (d = 0.233) and stigma (d = 0.127), and higher service use intentions (d = 0.148) than serving RCMP (all ps < 0.001). Female cadets reported statistically significantly higher scores on mental health knowledge and service use and lower scores on stigma compared to male cadets. Mental health knowledge and service use intentions were statistically significantly positively associated. For the total sample, stigma was inversely statistically significantly associated with mental health knowledge and service use intentions. Conclusion: The current results indicate that higher levels of mental health knowledge were associated with lower stigma and higher intention to use professional mental health services. Differences between cadets and serving RCMP highlight the need for regular ongoing training starting from the CTP, designed to reduce stigma and increase mental health knowledge. Differences between male and female cadets suggest differential barriers to help-seeking behaviors. The current results provide a baseline to monitor cadet mental health knowledge and service use intentions and stigma as they progress throughout their careers.

Mental Health of Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the Start of the Cadet Training Program.

OBJECTIVE: Serving Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have screened positive for one or more mental disorders based on self-reported symptoms with substantial prevalence (i.e., 50.2%). Mental health challenges for military and paramilitary populations have historically been attributed to insufficient recruit screening; however, cadet mental health when starting the Cadet Training Program (CTP) was unknown. Our objective was to estimate RCMP Cadet mental health when starting the CTP and test for sociodemographic differences. METHOD: Cadets starting the CTP completed a survey assessing self-reported mental health symptoms (n = 772, 72.0% male) and a clinical interview (n = 736, 74.4% male) with a clinician or supervised trainee using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview to assess current and past mental health. RESULTS: The percentage of participants screening positive for one or more current mental disorders based on self-reported symptoms (15.0%) was higher than the diagnostic prevalence for the general population (10.1%); however, based on clinical interviews, participants were less likely to screen positive for any current mental disorder (6.3%) than the general population. Participants were also less likely to screen positive for any past mental disorder based on self-report (3.9%) and clinical interviews (12.5%) than the general population (33.1%). Females were more likely to score higher than males (all ps<.01; Cohen's ds .23 to .32) on several self-report mental disorder symptom measures. CONCLUSIONS: The current results are the first to describe RCMP cadet mental health when starting the CTP. The data evidenced a lower prevalence of anxiety, depressive, and trauma-related mental disorders than the general population based on clinical interviews, contrasting notions that more rigorous mental health screening would reduce the high prevalence of mental disorders among serving RCMP. Instead, protecting RCMP mental health may require ongoing efforts to mitigate operational and organizational stressors.

Putative risk and resiliency factors among Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets.

Objective: Mental health disorders are prevalent among active-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers. The current study was designed to assess whether RCMP cadets commencing the Cadet Training Program are inherently at greater risk of developing mental health challenges by statistically comparing cadet putative risk and resiliency scores to scores from young adult populations. The study was also designed to assess for sociodemographic differences in putative risk and resiliency variables among RCMP cadets in order to facilitate future comparisons. Methods: Cadets (n = 772; 72.2% men) completed self-report measures of several putative risk variables (i.e., anxiety sensitivity, fear of negative evaluation, pain anxiety, illness and injury sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, and state anger) and resiliency. Scores were statistically compared to samples from Canadian, American, Australian, and European young adult populations. Results: Cadets had statistically significantly lower scores on all putative risk variables and statistically significantly higher resiliency scores compared to the young adult populations. In the cadet sample, there were statistically significant differences in putative risk and resiliency variables across gender and sex. Conclusion: Cadets' significantly lower scores on putative risk variables and higher scores on resiliency suggest that they may be psychologically strong; as such, it may be that the nature of police work, as opposed to inherent individual differences in risk and resiliency, accounts for active-duty RCMP officers' comparatively higher prevalence of mental health disorders over time.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier NCT05527509.

Flight training changes the brain functional pattern in cadets.

Introduction: To our knowledge, this is the first study to use MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) before and after an intensive flight training. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of flight training in civil flying cadets. Methods: The civil flying cadets and controls completed two study visits. Visit 1 was performed in 2019, and high spatial resolution structural image and resting-state functional MRI data were collected. The second visit was completed in 2022. In addition to the MRI data mentioned above, participants completed the cognitive function assessment at the second visit. Results: Mixed-effect regression model analysis found that flight training enhanced the degree centrality (DC) values of the left middle frontal gyrus and left lingual gyrus. The subsequent correlation calculation analysis suggested a possible relationship between these alterations and cognitive function. Discussion: These results suggest that flight training might promote the DC value of the prefrontal and occipital cortices and, in turn, enhance their executive function.

FORMATION OF PSYCHOPHYSICAL READINESS OF CADETS DURING APPLIED EXERCISES.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: is to study the level and dynamics of the development of physical and psychological qualities of the cadets in the process of engagement in pentathlon classes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The research involved 18-23 years old cadets (men) of the first-fourth years of training. The level of the cadets' physical qualities was assessed by their results in the 100 m run, pull-ups, 3 km run, overcoming of the obstacle course. The level of the cadets' psychological qualities was studied using the following methods: well-being-activity-mood methodol¬ogy; methods of self-assessment of psycho-emotional state; methods of determining the level of the development of volitional self-regulation of the individual. RESULTS: Results: The positive influence of pentathlon classes on the development of physical and psychological qualities in the cadets and the improvement of their psycho-emotional state was established. The greatest effect was found in exercises aimed at de-veloping endurance and agility as well as coordination skills. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: It was found that pentathlon classes are more effective than the traditional physical training classes; they affect the level of the development of all cadets' physical qualities. The high level of physical and psychological qualities of the cadets will help to improve their future professional activities.

Assessment of mental health and psychosocial factors in French merchant officer cadets.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated the existence of psychological pathologies and psychosocial risks among seafarers, particularly merchant navy officers. To date, there is no study of merchant navy officer cadets. First aims are to assess anxiety and depression disorders, framework, work strain and social support in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire including demographic and sailing data to which we added the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and Karasek questionnaire was developed. All students were approached and completed the questionnaire anonymously by electronic means. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy questionnaires could be included. The population was predominantly male (76.4%), and the average age of the students was 21.7 years. The means of the HAD anxiety and HAD depression were 6.9 and 5.37, respectively. According to Karasek classification, we noted that the "active" class was the most represented with 29.4% of students, followed by the "high strain" and "low strain" classes with 27.6%. The "passive" class was the least represented with 15.3%. CONCLUSIONS: We found a predominance of anxiety disorders but few signs of depression. Signs of "high strain" according to Karasek were found in 27.6% of the population of these young officers. Job demand was linked to mean of anxiety and depression disorders declared in HAD questionnaire. Being a woman was associated with anxiety but not depression symptoms. Prevention programme to decrease the level of job demand and increase decision latitude and social support seems relevant for mental health disorders in merchant officers.