352 Journal of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies N. 4 / 2014 STRESS MANAGEMENT IN THE ARMED FORCES 1. INTRODUCTION Over the course of the last decade, different psychological strengthening programmes have made their appearance in military spheres, the objective of this type of activity being to buffer the effect that stressors linked to the military profession have on military staff. Be that as it may, this interest in incorporating techniques that stem from psychology into military training is not as recent as it may seem. For example, documented evidence shows that the US military had already been employing stress management and stress resilience programmes for military personnel who were to serve in counter-intelligence roles during the Second World War1. Current psychological strengthening programmes used within NATO use evidence-based models (meaning that their effectiveness has been proved empirically) and originate in positive psychology. Some of these programmes are fairly well known, such as CSF (Comprehensive Soldier Fitness)2 used by the US military or TRiM (Trauma Risk Management) of the Royal Marines.3 One of the variables that carries most weight in these programmes is leadership.4 1 Quoted by Bardera and Silgo (2013): “candidates for espionage positions were sent to an assessment centre on a farm in Washington where they not only took part in tests with pen and paper and interviews but also exercises that determined whether they could withstand the stress and severity of work behind enemy lines. This week on the farm aimed at determining all the strengths and weaknesses that the subjects might have possessed. The personality study was a key element in these centres”. 2 For more on CSF, please refer to: JUANES-CUARTERO, Antonio P.: “Comprehensive Fitness Soldier. En busca del soldado resiliente” Comprehensive Fitness Soldier. Seeking the Resilient Soldier, Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies Position Paper, Vol. 42, 2012. 3 For a review of resilience programmes used in the armed forces, see: GARCÍA SILGO, Mónica: “Revisión de programas de resiliencia basados en la evidencia en los ejércitos” Review of Evidence-based Resilience Programmes Used in the Armed Forces, Sanidad Militar Military Health, Vol. 69 (3), 2013. 4 See GARCÍA SILGO, Mónica and CASTELLANOS, Jose Luis: “Preparación psicológica a través
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