Psychology in the Military
Skilled psychologists are an integral part of the British military. A number of roles are available for psychologists in the military as the mental wellbeing, performance and technical development of the servicemen and women is imperative for their own happiness and the success of the military itself.
Stress in the Military and Psychology
In what is clearly a highly pressurised environment, the military has need for a number of psychologists to help understand, control and advise on the stress faced by servicemen and women. Although there are tight checks on the health and wellbeing of people in advance of them joining the military the fact that they may see active combat and other very difficult situations means that their mental health and ability to cope with stress must be monitored. Consequently, there is a great need for skilled psychologists in the military to talk to service personnel on a regular basis, and to deal with them on a one to one basis as necessary.In addition to the understanding required of servicemen and women on a day to day basis, psychologists in the military are also in demand for dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. This is a very challenging role that demands the most dedicated psychologists and one which is only suited to experienced psychologists who have worked with military personnel for many years, given that it is a very specific type of psychology.
Psychology of Performance
There are also roles in the military for psychologists dedicated to improving the performance of service personnel. This may be down to negative behaviour, self-doubt or any other type of emotion that can impact negatively on performance. Although this certainly sounds similar to performance psychology in the ‘civilian world’, such as sports or business psychology, the very particular world of the military means that it is very hard to ‘cross over’ from commercial psychology.Engineering Psychology
Another type of psychology that is specific to the military is that of engineering psychology. This is when the study of military equipment is undertaken to ensure that it is being used most effectively, and that the equipment itself is perfectly in tune with human behaviour in conflict situations. It is clearly evident that this is a highly specialised profession, and one which is the result of many years of military experience.Skills and Characters
All of these roles for psychologists in the military require the most dedicated people. It is a career that cannot be taken lightly. All roles require a psychology degree, although additional training is provided and further professional training is encouraged. It is impossible to offer a general salary guide for these roles as it greatly depends on the initial experience of the applicant, although starting salaries tend to be around £21,000. There is excellent job security, although the working conditions can be difficult for families not used to life in the military.Although a very different career choice to working as a psychology in other areas, working in the military is a varied, challenging and ultimately rewarding choice.
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