title: Assessment for the U.S. Army Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program: the Global Assessment Tool.
abstract: Psychology and the U.S. military have a long history of collaboration. The U.S. Army Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) program aims to measure the psychosocial strengths and assets of soldiers as well as their problems, to identify those in need of basic training in a given domain as well as those who would benefit from advanced training, and then to provide that training. The goals of the CSF program include the promotion of well-being as well as the prevention of problems. Assessment is the linchpin of the CSF program, and the Global Assessment Tool (GAT) is a self-report survey that measures psychosocial fitness in emotional, social, family, and spiritual domains. We review the history of psychological assessment in the military and the lessons taught by this history. Then we describe the process by which the GAT was developed and evaluated. We conclude with a discussion of pending next steps in the development and use of the GAT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109-1043, USA. chrispet@umich.edu
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Nansook
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Carl A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D011592:Psychology, Military / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States