The Role of Leadership in Protecting Mental Health During War and Disasters

Leaders play a critical role in protecting the mental health and readiness of military personnel and communities during war and disasters. This chapter explores how leadership actions at various levels—first-line supervisors, community leaders, and elected officials—sustain operational readiness and guide recovery, preventing long-term psychological harm. War, as a type of disaster, generates profound psychological and behavioral consequences, including acute stress, risky behaviors, and disorders like PTSD and prolonged grief. Leaders must address these through fostering cohesion, normalizing help-seeking, and promoting resilience. Key frameworks include Psychological First Aid (PFA) with its five elements (safety, calming, efficacy, connectedness, hope) and peer-based interventions like the YaHaLoM protocol. The chapter also discusses managing suicide risk, grief leadership, and the impact of climate-related disasters intersecting with conflict. Practica and actionable resources, such as fact sheets, pocket cards and interactive online training, empower leaders to support mental health effectively. By integrating evidence-based strategies, leaders can enhance unit and community resilience, ensuring readiness and long-term psychological health in complex, high-stress environments.