Mental Health and Life Satisfaction in Indian Army Personnel

Abstract

The psychological well-being of military personnel is a critical determinant of both individual functioning and operational readiness. This study explored the relationship between mental health and life satisfaction among Indian Army personnel, an area with limited systematic research despite the unique stressors inherent in military service. A total of 51 male serving soldiers aged 20–40 years were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener et al., 1985) and a 15-item Mental Health Screening Questionnaire assessing psychological distress. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between mental health distress and life satisfaction (r = –0.54, p < .05), indicating that higher levels of psychological symptoms were associated with reduced satisfaction with life. These findings align with international research highlighting the protective role of resilience, social support, and positive affect in sustaining psychological health within military contexts. The study underscores the need for routine psychological assessments beyond recruitment, stigma-free access to counseling, and resilience-building programs to strengthen soldiers’ coping capacities. Limitations include the cross-sectional, correlational design, reliance on self-report measures, and restricted sample size, which limit causal inference and generalizability. Future research should employ longitudinal and intervention-based designs to examine psychological well-being across diverse ranks, genders, and service branches, and to evaluate the effectiveness of structured resilience and support programs. Overall, the results highlight the importance of integrating mental health promotion into the Indian Army’s existing framework to enhance both life satisfaction and mission readiness.