Stress Inoculation Training

Stress Inoculatie Training, Stress Exposure Training en Reality Based Training

Om goed te presteren onder druk/stress is het essentieel om te ervaren  wat druk/stress met je doet (fysiek, mentaal, gedragsmatig) en hoe je onder het dichtst bij je optimale prestatieniveau kan komen. Je went aan de angst en bijbehorende veranderingen, je leer je taak onder relevante omstandigheden en je leert je aandacht richten terwijl je angstig bent. 

Het is belangrijk om duidelijkheid te krijgen over het na te streven doel en de uitgangssituatie. Wat is de ‘gap’ die overbrugd moet worden? 

Een graduele opbouw is van essentieel belang. Alles is gericht om in te behappen stappen richting je doel te bewegen. Maak het allemaal zo concreet mogelijk en oefen de interventies. SIT-NORCAL is een instrument om SIT goed onderbouwd te implementeren in leertrajecten. Lijkt mij erg zinvol mits het goed overdacht wordt gedaan in overleg met de doelgroep. 

SIT-NORCAL articles in JSOM

Previous research has demonstrated that individuals can be trained to minimize or overcome the destructive effects of stress on their health and performance. To address a critical gap in evidence-based/evidence-driven human performance training, SIT-NORCAL was configured as a tool to address such application in multiple forms. It has demonstrated early utility as an education and outreach tool and as performance enhancement, health sustainment, and health restoration protocol. It can be deployed fluidly by embedded assets, in community-based outreach within units and clinics, and individually or in groups. Preliminary results have demonstrated promise in group-based implementation of both SIT-NORCAL (human performance) modular form and SIT-NORCAL (health sustainment and restoration) for PTSD/TBI along the full spectrum of need, with minimal resources (i.e. personnel and material) and in naturalistic settings. The protocol provides a novel approach to the delivery of psychological performance training that has the potential to overcome barriers to success in traditional care, but further research is needed to determine the effectiveness and reach of SIT-NORCAL. 

The protocol retains a traditional tri-phasic design targeting Neuropsychological Optimization and Repair of Cognitive flexibility and agility, and Affect regulation (emotional control/physiological control skills), utilizing enhanced Learning science methods to increase efficiency in acquisition and recall of task and goal-orientated skill sets. 

Part 2 of the SIT-NORCAL article is a pilot study among explosive ordnance disposal Special Warfare enablers. Conclusion: Deployment of the elements in the SIT-NORCAL protocol demonstrated early feasibility and positive training impact on occupationally relevant skills that carried over into real-world events. 

Jackson S, Baity MR, et al. Stress Inoculation Training (SIT-NORCAL), Part 1. The development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Psychological Performance Training Tool. J Spec Oper Med Winter 2021;21(4):37-45