The Military Psychologist During Wartime: A Model Based on Action Research and Crisis Intervention

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Abstract
This paper presents a model for the application of organization development, action research, and group-oriented crisis intervention by field psychologists with army units during wartime. It is suggested that military social psychology must utilize all three approaches to gain maximum effectiveness. The model is based on experience gained by the Military Psychology Unit of the Israel Defence Forces before, during, and after the Yom Kippur War of 1973. The basic assumptions underlying the model suggest that the following factors improve the functioning of the unit being served and promote the well-being of the individual soldiers in it: reliable feedback on the state of the unit to its officers; problem-related crisis intervention by psychologists with soldiers and officers related to experiences in stress situations; and instruction to officers on handling of problems concerning morale, anxiety, and interpersonal relations.

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