Special Operations Cognitive Agility Training (SOCAT) for Special Operations Forces and spouses

ABSTRACT

Increasingly complex and unpredictable personnel and operational demands require Special Operations Forces (SOF) members and their families to remain flexible, adaptive, and resilient within ever-changing circumstances. To mitigate the impact of these stressors on psychological health and fitness, researchers and educators at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) developed Special Operations Cognitive Agility Training (SOCAT), a cognitive performance optimization program supported by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF). The goal of SOCAT is to enhance cognitive agility, defined as the ability to deliberately adapt cognitive processing strategies in accordance with dynamic shifts in situational and environmental demands, in order to facilitate decision making and adapt to change. Overall, SOCAT emphasizes optimal cognitive performance across different contexts – as well as across various stages of the military lifecycle – to serve as a buffer against biopsychosocial vulnerabilities, environmental and social stressors, military operational demands, and behavioral health problems, including suicide. This paper reviews foundational research behind SOCAT, mechanisms through which SOCAT is anticipated to build psychological resilience, and describes the process of developing and tailoring SOCAT for active duty SOF members and spouses. Limitations and future directions, including an ongoing, randomized controlled program evaluation, are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Cognitive agility
• cognitive flexibility
• resilience
• special operations forces
• military spouses

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of John Dennis, Ph.D., and Sergeant Major (Retired) Jared Ross, M.B.A., to the development of SOCAT. The authors would also like to thank the SOF members, spouses, and religious support team members who informed the development of this program.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences or the Department of Defense.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for the development of Special Operations Cognitive Agility Training (SOCAT) provided by United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Funding for the SOCAT program evaluation provided by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Military Performance Optimization Research Award. Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs [DM180309].