Impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on stress among the Bruneian military personnel: a cross-sectional study
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction The COVID-19 outbreak has been associated with increased stress levels, with significant consequences for military personnel. This study aimed to explore stress levels and associated factors among Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) and Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) military personnel deployed to assist civilian authorities during the COVID-19 outbreak in Brunei Darussalam. Methods A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2022 using an online survey. A total of 1007 military personnel participated, consisting of 289 deployed and 718 non-deployed personnel, selected through purposive sampling. The survey, available in both Malay and English, collected data on demographics, military service details, involvement in COVID-19 management, psychological responses, work-related stress and stress-inducing factors, with some responses measured using a Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, t -tests, one-way analysis of variance, χ 2 tests, Pearson’s correlation and general linear regression were used to analyse the data, with stepwise linear regressions identifying the best predictors and a significance level set at p <0.05. Results Findings indicated that the stress level has changed significantly from before COVID-19 to during, indicating that during COVID-19, the stress level was significantly higher than before. No significant difference found in the mean level of stress between the deployed and non-deployed participants ( p =0.363). Main sources of stress were due to the high perceived risk of getting infected and infecting family members, and exhaustion due to increased workload, inadequate staffing and inadequate rest that were a result of lack of proper working structure and management practices, and also lack of leadership management. Conclusions The findings highlight the need to develop strategies for stress interventions for RBAF and MINDEF to maintain personnel well-being and performance throughout outbreaks and/or during similar emergencies should they occur in the future. Furthermore, the findings can also inform general stress interventions in the workplace during non-COVID-19 periods to improve overall workplace well-being and resilience.
Source: BMJ Military Health
Author: Tajidah Talip
Institution: Ministry of Defence
Language: English
Topic: COVID-19 and Mental Health
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4411494839