Influence of Personality Traits and Types of Operation on Mental Health of Military Personnel

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of personality traits and types of operation on mental health of military personnel. Cross-sectional survey design was adopted and data gathered from selected 238 military personnel in Odogbo barracks, Ibadan. More of the respondents 221 (92.9%) were males, while the other 17 (7.1%) were females. Age distribution ranged from 20 years old and 54 years, with an average age of 33.8 (SD = 8.8). Findings revealed that personality traits (extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience) jointly predicted mental health {R = .29; R2 = .09; F (5, 232) = 4.36; P<.01}; however, only conscientiousness (β = .20; t = 2.09; P<.05) independently predicted mental health. Finally, type of operation had no significant influence on mental health among military personnel [F (5, 232) = .19; P>.05]. It was therefore concluded that personality traits such as
extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness were significant correlates of mental health of military personnel. It was therefore recommended that profiles of military intake be made on their personality and possibly recruited and placed according to their personality traits. An individual with increased level of extroversion could be given upper hand in selection than someone low in extroversion.