ABSTRACT
This chapter entails a literature review on the mental and psychological resilience of Special operations forces (SOF) personnel and compares the resilience and health outcomes of SOF and non-SOF personnel and the individual and occupational factors that contribute to these differences. Given the rigorous selection process for SOF employment, it is not surprising that successful graduates evidence personality traits associated with resiliency and high levels of functioning. It is clear that SOF training is rigorous and demanding. In fact, it may be contended that the physical training of SOF personnel is more demanding than that of a physical athlete. SOF personnel also have a higher locus of control than their non-SOF counterparts. Locus of control refers to the extent to which individuals believe they can control events affecting them. It is not surprising that SOF personnel report high levels of job satisfaction and that this satisfaction has been linked to the level of cohesion in their units.
