Encyclopedia of Heroism Studies

This reference work is an important resource in the growing field of  heroism studies. It presents concepts, research, and events key to  understanding heroism, heroic leadership, heroism development, heroism  science, and their relevant applications to businesses, organizations,  clinical psychology, human wellness, human growth potential, public  health, social justice, social activism, and the humanities. The  encyclopedia emphasizes five key realms of theory and application: Business and organization, focusing  on management effectiveness, emotional intelligence, empowerment,  ethics, transformational leadership, product branding, motivation,  employee wellness, entrepreneurship, and whistleblowers; clinical-health psychology and public health, focusing  on stress and trauma, maltreatment, emotional distress, bullying,  psychopathy, depression, anxiety, family disfunction, chronic illness,  and healthcare workers’ wellbeing; human growth and positive psychology, discussing  altruism, authenticity, character strengths, compassion, elevation,  emotional agility, eudaimonia, morality, empathy, flourishing, flow,  self-efficacy, joy, kindness, prospection, moral development, courage,  and resilience; social justice and activism,  highlighting anti-racism, anti-bullying, civil disobedience, civil  rights heroes, climate change, environmental heroes, enslavement heroes,  human rights heroism, humanitarian heroes, inclusivity, LGBTQ+ heroism,  #metoo movement heroism, racism, sustainability, and women’s suffrage  heroes; and humanities, relating to the mythic hero’s journey,  bliss, boon, crossing the threshold, epic heroes, fairy tales, fiction,  language and rhetoric, narratives, mythology, hero monomyth, humanities  and heroism, religious heroes, and tragic heroes.       </p

Sexual harassment and sexual violence in the military

Modern, well-functioning, agile and responsive militaries rely on personnel with an eclectic range of skills and attributes. This, by definition, requires a diverse workforce. Militaries are historically predominantly male, but across NATO, Allied forces are looking to recruit and retain more women in their ranks. Women still only occupy an average of 9 to 16% of roles across NATO Allies, and shocking reporting in mainstream media of military rape cultures and rife sexual violence may detrimentally impact the future recruitment and retention of women in militaries. Whilst these behaviours are unfortunately not new, the social movement helped to raise the issue across media and other sectors. Other institutions have also been exposed as complicit in covering up, and in some cases, engaging in sexually abusive behaviours. For example, the Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts of America (international) and the BBC have all been involved in sexual violence scandals. And the military has not been immune.</p

"I don't feel like that's for me': Overcoming barriers to mental healthcare in women veterans.

Approximately 13.6%, or approximately 250,000 of the 1.85 million veterans in England and Wales are female, with numbers expected to increase alongside the number of women recruited to the UK Armed Forces. Despite this, veteran research focused on mental health support needs and help-seeking experiences continues to be predominantly focused on men</p

Where are all the women? Recognition and representation: UK Female Veterans' Experiences of Support in Civilian Life.

This report highlights the limited research and recognition of UK female veterans and their unique experiences and needs. With only 13.6% of the total veteran population being women, there is a  lack of understanding about their post-service requirements and whether existing services cater to them. The UK government, through the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, has commissioned this qualitative research to explore the experiences of female veterans and improve the support offered to them. This report details findings on the impact of military service on physical and mental health, accessing support services, key civilian life issues, and public perceptions of UK female veterans. </p

“Dropping in and out’: Social media and internet-based communication amongst Naval families during separation

The ‘Impact of Service Life on the Military Child: The Overlooked Casualties of Conflict Update and Review Report’ identified a gap in our understanding related to how significant leaps in technology over the past few decades have impacted on parent-child communication during military separation. Based on this, the NCC commissioned the Veterans and Families Institute (VFI) to undertake some follow on research to explore the impact of social media and internet based communication on parent-child communication in Naval families. Deployment is an expected and integral part of military life in the UK Armed Forces, meaning military children can be separated from their serving parent for months at a time. Furthermore, separation of families during the week, or ‘weekending’, has become more common as Ministry of Defence (MOD) policies encourage military families to own their own home. Naval families in the UK experience both the longest deployments and the highest rates of ‘weekending’ compared to the Army and Royal Air Force. As such, Naval children often have to maintain their relationship with their serving parent remotely, pulling on range of different communication avenues, including social media

Understanding and mapping the psychosocial wellbeing support needs of veteran family members across the UK: a multi-methods study

The UK Veterans Family Study (UKVFS) is a cross- institutional, multi-stage, collaborative research project aimed at better understanding the psychosocial health and wellbeing needs of family members of veterans throughout the UK. The first published report of the UKVFS was a systematic review of studies,1 designed to provide a comprehensive picture of research conducted so far with this demographic amongst 5-Eyes alliance countries. This report, the second produced by the UKVFS, aims to address existing research gaps, in the veterans family space. It does so by firstly mapping the landscape of psychosocial wellbeing support provisions for family members of veterans across the UK. The mapping exercise was conducted in three sequential stages – a) searches of multiple databases of military and veteran charities and word-of-mouth referrals, b) searches of the web presence of each organisation, and c) searches of the Charity Commissions for England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland and Companies House websites to determine size, location and structure of each organisation including the size, location and number of organisations actively providing services to this demographic in each of the four nations. Qualitative interviews with family members and service providers across the UK then offered in-depth perspectives on how family members’ psychosocial wellbeing needs are currently being supported. Perceptions of accessibility and availability of existing support services, the degree of structure and formality of support services and how support services were meeting un/under met needs and preferences of family members were also explored

Mental Health and Recreational Angling in UK Adult Males: A Cross-Sectional Study

Exposure to aquatic environments (i.e., blue spaces) can lead to improved mental health and well-being. One meaningful way to spend time in blue spaces is through recreational angling, although limited scientific literature exists on this topic. The present study aims to examine the relationship between recreational angling and mental health and well-being in a sample of UK adult male anglers. A cross-sectional online survey asked questions about demographic characteristics, participation in recreational angling, physical activity levels, diagnosis of psychiatric disorders, and mental health and well-being. Relationships between angling status (i.e., how often and how long participants angled for) and mental health variables were determined using regression models adjusted for age. In total, 1752 participants completed the survey. The regression models found that those who took part in angling more regularly had reduced odds of having depression (p < 0.001), schizophrenia (p = 0.001), suicidal thoughts (p < 0.001), and deliberately self-harming (p = 0.012), in addition to having a higher mental well-being and lower symptoms of depression and anxiety compared to those taking part in angling less frequently. In general, the findings suggest that encouraging frequent participation in recreational angling could be a dual method strategy for promoting relaxation and positive mental health, as well as encouraging increased levels of physical activity in those with mental health issues.</p

The relationship between severe mental illness and physical multi-morbidity: a meta-analysis and call for action

Question: People with mental illness have a higher prevalence of several chronic physical health conditions and the prevalence of physical multi-morbidity is expected to rise. The aim of this study was to assess the strength of the association between severe mental illness (SMI) and physical multi-morbidity.Study selection and analysis We systematically searched PubMed/ Medline, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, PSYCInfo, and the behavioural sciences collection databases, from inception to the 31st of January 2023, for studies that investigated the association between SMI and physical multi-morbidity. Humans of any age either clinically diagnosed and/or currently receiving treatment for a SMI, specified as schizophrenia (and related psychotic disorders), bipolar disorder, and psychotic depression were eligible. Data from studies selected for inclusion were converted into odds ratios (ORs), with a subsequent meta-analysis conducted.Findings We included 19 studies with a total of 194,123 patients with SMI with different diagnoses and drawn from the general population. The pooled OR for physical multi-morbidity in people with versus without SMI was 1.84 (95% CI 1.33-2.54), with the analysis indicating a high level of heterogeneity (98.38%). The other 15 studies included in the systematic review, for which it was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis, showed strong associations between SMI and physical multi-morbidity.Conclusions The current evidence highlighted the link between SMI and physical multi-morbidity. A multidisciplinary approach, is now urgent, to develop the best models of services tailored to patients with SMI with physical multi-morbidities to improve physical, mental, and social outcomes</p