The Influential Factors Of Job Burnout Of Army Soldiers And Officers And The EEG/ERP Characteristics Of Cognitive Functions

BackgroundWith the transformation of modern high-tech war,the military environment is becoming more and more dangerous and complex.With the acceleration of the modernization of our army,a large number of advanced weapons and equipment are assembled in our army,which puts forward higher requirements for the operational ability and intelligence level of soldiers and officers.In addition,the increased military professional pressure from urgent and dangerous tasks,long-term field training and hard and closed camp life lead to various psychological problems among soldiers and officers.The psychological problems related to the military occupation have affected the military training,task completion and security of the army,which has aroused considerable attention in the world.President Xi pointed out in 2016 that close attention should be paid to the psychological work of the armed forces to start from grass-roots construction and improve the scientific management level.Because it is an important part of the military mental health service,doing a good job in the psychological care of soldiers and officers has become an urgent concern for the grassroots troops.It is reported that more than 90%of the grass-roots military officers are in long-term physical and psychological tension and 59.8% of soldiers and officers suffer from great pressure from work.Different levels of job burnout in grass-roots soldiers and officers have serious effects on their normal life,military training,task execution and sometimes it even leads to suicide and self injury.That’s the reason why many studies have focused on the problem and tried to find solution.However,most of them have investigated the job burnout of Chinese military soldiers and officers on the basis of their status quo surveys.Only a few studies have been performed on the mechanism of burnout and there is no literature review on the EEG/ERP features of the cognitive function of burnout among army soldiers and officers.Therefore,a comprehensive study on the burnout status,influenci al factors and cognitive functions of army soldiers and officers is of great theoretical value and practical significance for improving the psychological cultivation of grass-roots soldiers and officers,maintaining their mental health so as to ensure the stability of our army and enhance its combat effectiveness.ObjectivesTo understand the current situation of job burnout in army soldiers and officers and to clarify the effects of demographic factors,psychological capital and morale on job burnout of the army;To explore the EEG/ERP characteristics of the cognitive function of burnout in army soldiers and officers using the electroencephalophysiology technology,which aims at providing experimental evidence for the psychological evaluation and a new perspective for the targeted psychological nursing intervention of burnout in army soldiers and officers.MethodsThis study is divided into three parts and clarifies the influential factions of job burnout and the cognitive function of EEG/ERP characteristics of the army soldiers and officers based on the current situation investigation and experimental research from both subjective and objective perspectives.1.Study on the current situation and influencial factors of job burnout in the army1155 officers and soldiers were selected from the training bases of three Army Departments by convenient sampling from July to September 2018.The Military Job Burnout Scale,Psychological Capital Scale and Army Morale Scale were used as research tools for questionnaire survey and the situation and influencial factors of the burnout in army soldiers and officers were analyzed using t-test,variance analysis,Pearson correlation and multiple stepwise regression analysis.2.Study on the EEG characteristics of the cognitive function of burnout in army soldiers and officersThe subjects were classified into burnout group with scored ≥ 1 point and control group with scored < 1 point based on cut-off of 1 point in the first part.Then 23 subjects were randomly selected from burnout group and control group,respectively and the EEG power values of Delta,Theta,Alpha,Beta and Gamma were extracted using the resting EEG technology.Descriptive statistical analysis,chi-square test and repeated measurement analysis of variance were used to compare the resting EEG power differences of Delta,Theta,Alpha,Beta and Gamma in the closed-open eyes and different brain regions between two groups.The resting EEG characteristics of occupational burnout affecting cognitive function were analyzed at the resting EEG level.3.Study on the ERP characteristics of the cognitive function of burnout in army soldiers and officersThe third part consists of two experiments.In the first experiment 20 subjects were randomly selected from burnout group and control group,respectively.The ERP technology was employed to extract the average amplitude of N200 and P300 components of the classic Go/No Go paradigm.Descriptive statistical analysis,chi-square test and repeated measurement analysis of variance were used to compare the differences of average amplitude of N200 and P300 between two groups to further analyze the ERP characteristics of job burnout on the response inhibition ability of army soldiers and officers.In the second experiment 21 subjects in each group were randomly selected.ERP technology and classic Oddball paradigm were used to extract the average amplitude of P3 a and P3 b from two groups,respectively.Descriptive statistical analysis,chi-square test and repeated measurement analysis of variance were used to compare the differences of the mean amplitude of P3 a and P3 b between two groups to further analyze the ERP characteristics of job burnout on the attention ability of soldiers and officers in the army.Results1.The findings of studying the current situation and influencial factors of job burnout in the army indicated that 29.85% of the soldiers and officers had different levels of job burnout with the average score of job burnout as 0.74±0.46.There were significant differences in the scores of job burnout among soldiers and officers due to the only child or not,different marital status,educational level,identity and profession category.The psychological capital(r=-0.537)and morale(r=-0.502)of soldiers and officers were negatively correlated with job burnout(P<0.01).The multiple stepwise regression results showed that marital status,education level,psychological capital and morale may be the main influencial factors of job burnout.2.The findings of studying the EEG characteristics of the cognitive function of burnout in army soldiers and officers showed that the main effects of Delta,Theta,Alpha,Beta and Gamma power in resting state were not significant between burnout group and control group and the differences between two groups were not statistically significant(P>0.05).The main effects of Delta,Theta,Alpha and Beta power in closing and opening eyes were significant between two groups and the power in closing eyes was significantly greater than that in opening eyes(P<0.05).The main effects of brain regions in each band was significant and the power in each band in different brain regions was significantly different(P<0.05).The Gamma power in the occipital lobe of burnout group was significantly lower than that in control group(P=0.009),suggesting that burnout in soldiers and officers may be associated with the decreased neuroexcitability and impaired cognitive function.3.The findings of studying the ERP characteristics of the cognitive function of burnout in army soldiers and officers demonstrated that in the Go/No Go tasks the main effects of N200 between burnout group and control group were not significant and the differences in the average amplitude of N200 between two groups were not statistically significant(P=0.625).The main effects of task were significant and No Go task induced larger N200 component compared with Go task(P=0.001).The interaction of task with group showed that the average amplitude of P300 in No Go task between two groups was not statistically significant(P=0.959).The main effects of electrode was significant and larger N200 component was induced in prefrontal area(P<0.001).The main effects of P300 between two groups was significant and the average amplitude of P300 in burnout group was much smaller than that in control group(P=0.001).The main effects of the task was significant and No Go task induced larger P300 components than that in Go task(P=0.007).The interaction effect of task with group showed that the average amplitude of P300 in No Go task in burnout group was much smaller than that in control group(P=0.031).The main effects of electrode were not statistically significant(P=0.087).In the Oddball task the main effects of P3 a between two groups was significant and the average amplitude of P3 a in burnout group was much smaller than that in control group(P=0.046).The main effects of the electrode was significant and the average amplitude of P3 a in central parietal area was larger than that in prefrontal cortex(P<0.001).The main effects of P3 b between two groups were significant and the average amplitude of P3 b component in burnout group was much smaller than that in control group(P=0.038).The main effects of the electrode was significant and the average amplitude of P3 b component induced on central parietal area was larger than that in prefrontal cortex and the central top electrode point(P<0.001).The results indicated that burnout in army soldiers and officers could obviously decrease their response inhibition,involuntary attention and voluntary attention.ConclusionNearly one third of the army soldiers and officers in our research have displayed different degrees of job burnout and marital status,educational level,psychological capital and morale may be the main influential factors of burnout.The cognitive function of burnout in soldiers and officers has been verified through EEG/ERP for the first time in this study.We have found that the reduced Gamma wave power of occipital lobe in burnout group has been reduced,suggesting that the decreased nerve excitability may be related to the impaired cognitive function.The reduced average amplitude of No Go-P3,P3 a and P3 b in burnout group indicates the decreased response inhibition,involuntary and voluntary attention.Overall,this study has preliminarily revealed the EEG/ERP characteristics of the cognitive function of burnout among army soldiers and officers through the electroencephalophysiology technology,which has provided experimental evidence for the establishment of new psychological evaluation methods and has offered a novel perspective for the targeted psychological nursing intervention of burnout among soldiers and officers in the army.