Sustained positive behaviour change of wounded, injured and sick UK military following an adaptive adventure sports and health coaching recovery course

IntroductionA rising trend has occurred in the physical and mental health challenges faced by recovering UK service personnel. To support these individuals, bespoke inclusive multiactivity and adventurous training courses (MAC) have been developed. This study investigated the MAC’s influence on part...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ military health 2023-12, Vol.169 (6), p.499-504
Main Authors: Sutton, Rebecca J, Kay, C W P, McKenna, J, Kaiseler, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
adult psychiatry
Armed forces
Behavior
Health Promotion
Humans
Mental disorders
Mental Health
Mentoring
Military Personnel
Original Research
rehabilitation medicine
social medicine
sports medicine
United Kingdom
Well being
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Summary:IntroductionA rising trend has occurred in the physical and mental health challenges faced by recovering UK service personnel. To support these individuals, bespoke inclusive multiactivity and adventurous training courses (MAC) have been developed. This study investigated the MAC’s influence on participants’ ability to sustain day-to-day changes that facilitate positive mental health and psychological need satisfaction.MethodsThe 146 UK service personnel who participated in this study attended a five-day MAC 12 months ago. To investigate how the supportive experience influenced participants’ lives, quantitative and qualitative data were collected via an online survey. Open-ended questioning and abductive analysis were conducted to understand mechanisms, influential aspects of the course and positive behaviour change.ResultsPositive behaviour changes were reported by 74% of the respondents. These changes align with positive psychological well-being (98%). Impactful elements of the course experienced by participants mostly aligned with the three basic psychological needs of autonomy (34%), competence (36%) and relatedness (61%).ConclusionsRecovery support programmes that encompass health coaching adventurous activities, such as the MAC, can initiate long-term positive behaviour change for recovering military personnel. In this specific context, the concurrence of the self-determination theory concepts that underpin the course delivery and participant outcomes is a powerful endorsement of implementation fidelity.
ISSN:2633-3767
2633-3775
2633-3775
DOI:10.1136/bmjmilitary-2021-001784