The Relationship of Resilience and Emotional Regulation with Life Expectancy among Soldiers

Entry into the military service affects the mental health of individuals and one of the effective factors in mental health, especially in the current world, is the hope for a healthy life. The most important effect of hope is the improvement of motivation and activation. Hope is one of the variables that influence the happiness of people in society, especially the younger generation. Objectives: The present study aimed at investigating the relationship of resilience and emotional regulation with life expectancy in soldiers. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive-correlational study was conducted in 2017 on 300 soldiers selected by convenience sampling method. The data collection instruments were the Conner and Davidson resiliency, the Gross and John emotional regulation, and the Miller life expectancy questionnaires. The reliability and validity of the questionnaires were confirmed in previous studies. In the current study, the reliability and validity of the instruments were determined using the Cronbach alpha coefficient, which were 0.89, 0.70, and 0.91, respectively. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 20. Results: The Pearson correlation coefficient showed the correlation of resilience and emotional regulation with soldiers’ life expectancy (P <0.001). Resilience and emotional regulation had the potential for life expectancy in soldiers (P <0.05). Discussion and Conclusion: The current study findings indicated a significant correlation of resilience and emotional regulation with life expectancy among soldiers. To increase the life expectancy in soldiers, the focused resilience training that increases the individual’s resistance to stress and emotion regulation that influences the individuals’ responses to different situations of life, especially in critical conditions, are essential.