Researchers at Lawson Health Research Institute have been given a $40,000 boost to see whether certain personality traits among military veterans can predict mental health disorders.
Veterans Affairs Canada put up the money for the London-based study, Lawson announced on Thursday.
Researchers will examine personality traits including openness, agreeableness, emotionality, honesty-humility, conscientiousness, extraversion, and resiliency in Canadian Armed Forces veterans. The aim is to see whether a veteran's personality traits can predict levels of depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
"Veterans and military members experience uniquely challenging events when compared to the general population,” said Dr. Rachel Plouffe, study co-lead and Lawson postdoctoral associate. “Past research has identified some risk factors, including history of childhood trauma, age, gender, and education. However, no one to date has investigated the role that personality traits might play in veterans’ symptoms of mental health conditions.”
The study will compare the relationship between personality traits, exposure to stressful experiences during military operations, and mental health outcomes through data provided by 500 veterans.
“Ultimately, our hope is to help improve the ability of Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans to thrive even in the face of great adversity," said Plouffe. "With the findings from our research, military organizations and mental health treatment centres could use the information from this study to predict which patients may be at greater risk of developing mental health disorders, and provide tailored treatment for these individuals."