Military Mile

GlobalGiving Report Summary: Military Mile Training Outcomes From Most Recent Cohort

Project Overview: The Military Mile training aimed to enhance emotional literacy, mental health awareness, and interpersonal communication skills among military personnel. The training focused on key competencies such as discussing mental health, active listening, identifying emotional distress, and fostering peer support networks within the military community.

Key Outcomes:

• Increased Comfort with Mental Health Discussions: Participants reported a 45% increase in their comfort discussing mental health issues with peers, reflecting a significant shift towards a more open and supportive environment for mental health conversations.

• Improved Communication Skills: There was a 25% increase in participants’ comfort with asking open-ended questions to encourage deeper conversations, and a 10% improvement in active listening skills, reinforcing essential skills for creating meaningful dialogue.

• Enhanced Emotional Literacy: Participants demonstrated a 71% increase in their ability to identify the five signs of emotional suffering, addressing a crucial knowledge gap and significantly improving participants’ understanding of key emotional distress indicators.

• Willingness to Seek and Offer Support: A 21% increase in comfort with seeking mental health support from others, and a 15% increase in confidence in offering support to others, highlighting growth in vulnerability, trust, and emotional resilience.

• Confidence in Sharing Personal Experiences: There was a 33% increase in participants' confidence in sharing personal stories, contributing to greater group cohesion and a more supportive environment for peer sharing.

• Identifying All Five Signs: Participants showed a 44% increase in their ability to confidently recognize all five of Give an Hour’s Five Signs of Emotional Suffering, demonstrating a more comprehensive understanding of emotional health.

Participant Feedback: Participants expressed high satisfaction with the training, praising the facilitators for their engaging and supportive delivery. Many highlighted the effectiveness of the training in helping them feel more comfortable sharing their emotions, and several suggested incorporating more interactive elements such as peer-to-peer scenarios and real-life examples to further enrich the learning experience.

Recommendations for Future Training:

• Incorporate more visual and interactive materials (e.g., videos, real-life stories) to increase engagement.

• Add more group activities and peer-to-peer scenarios to foster deeper collaboration and learning.

• Consider offering the training on an annual basis to maintain and build upon the progress made.

Next Steps and Ongoing Support: We are committed to providing ongoing support through virtual peer supportspecifically for the military community, as well as confidential counseling and other resources to help participants continue their personal growth. This training has laid the foundation for increased emotional resilience and peer support, and we aim to continue nurturing these skills through additional training and support initiatives.