Negative cognitive processing bias and mental health in recruits during military training: a longitudinal study

Objective To investigate the development of negative cognitive processing bias (NCPB) and its relationship with mental health status in recruits during military training. Methods We assessed 1 776 military recruits using Negative Cognitive Processing Bias Questionnaire (NCPBQ) and Military Mental Health Scale in the early phase (mid-October), middle phase (mid-November) and late phase (mid-December) of military training. Repeated measures analysis of variance, correlation analysis and cross-lagged regression analyses were used for statistical analysis of the data. Results During military training, the recruits exhibited significantly decreased overall level of negative cognitive processing bias (P < 0.01) and significantly improved mental health (P < 0.01) over time. The male recruits had significantly higher scores for mental health than the female recruits in the middle and late phases of military training, but their scores for negative cognitive processing bias did not differ significantly. Having siblings or not or the educational level did not significantly affect the scores of mental health or negative cognitive processing bias among the recruits. Negative cognitive processing bias was negatively correlated with mental health scores in the recruits (r=-0.30~-0.47, P < 0.01). Mental health status negatively predicted negative cognitive processing bias in the early phase of military training (β=-0.19, P < 0.01), and mental health and negative cognitive processing bias mutually predicted each other in the late phase of the training (β=-0.16, P < 0.01; β=-0.04, P < 0.05). Conclusion The level of negative cognitive processing bias tends to decrease in the recruits during military training and is capable of predicting the level of mental health in the late phase of the training; the recruits show progressive improvement of mental health status, which predicts the level of negative cognitive processing bias throughout the training.