Young adults with SLD and/or ADHD conscripted for military service: risk, resources, and resilience

This study explored multisystem protective/risk factors for explaining resilience/adjustment in emerging adults with/without neurodevelopmental disorders facing the transition to a stressful non-academic context, mandatory military service. Participants were 904 conscripts (498 males, 55%) ages 18–25 years (M = 18.70, SD =.77) in four groups, with ADHD or SLD or comorbid ADHD+SLD or typical development (TD). Data collection tapped multiple information sources. Youngsters’ multidimensional protective/risk variables spanned three levels: (a) individual level–formally diagnosed disorders (SLD, ADHD, or ADHD+SLD), ego-resiliency, sense of coherence, attachment patterns; (b) family level–family cohesion/adaptability; and (c) community/system level–youngsters’ appraisal of their commander as a secure extrafamilial attachment figure. Youngsters’ five resilience/adjustment measures comprised: positive/negative affect, vocational-institutional satisfaction, social adaptation, and commander-rated overall functioning. MANOVAs yielded significant group differences on youngsters’ protective/risk factors and resilience measures. Regression analyses revealed significant risk posed by ADHD and/or SLD and significant protection offered by ego-resiliency, sense of coherence, attachment patterns, family cohesion, and commander as a ‘secure base’–for explaining youngsters’ resilience. Discussion focused on factors’ unique protective/risk value for explaining resilient functioning in ADHD, SLD, comorbid, and TD emerging adults, while facing highly demanding environment.