Polish Validation of Two Measures of Soldiers’ Stressful Experiences: the Combat Exposure Scale and the Difficult Living and Working Environment

This study aimed to validate two questionnaires, the Combat Exposure Scale (CES) and the Difficult Living and Working Environment (DLWE), for Polish soldiers deployed during the Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in Afghanistan. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted twice during the final peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, at the beginning and the end of the 2021 deployment. The Polish Military Contingent consisted of 71 soldiers, ranging in age from 26 to 50 (M = 38.75, SD = 6.45). Construct validity was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), while criterion validity was assessed using Pearson’s correlations with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety symptoms, self-rated physical health, and life satisfaction, and also using the repeated measures of Student’s t-test. The structure of both scales presented an adequate fit to the data for a one-factor model, strong internal consistency, test-retest stability, appropriate psychometric properties, and criterion validity. The CES and DLWE correlated positively with symptoms of PTSD, depression and anxiety, and negatively with physical health and life satisfaction. Both the CES and the DLWE can be used as reliable and valid tools to monitor risk factors for soldiers’ adverse physical and mental health during military missions.