Question: Risk And Resilience Factors

Resilience factors, such as a strong social support system, can contribute to a soldier's ability to cope with traumatic events during deployment and can ultimately facilitate his or her readjustment upon returning home. Similarly, risk factors, such as prior exposure to trauma, can be detrimental to a soldier's ability to cope during deployment and can impair his or her readjustment upon returning home. There are exceptions, of course. For example, even the most resilient soldier can be pushed beyond his or her capacity to cope with a traumatic event. Conversely, a soldier who exhibits risk factors will not necessarily develop a psychological disorder. This is why assessment is critical at all stages of a soldier's exposure to combat and war.