The overarching goal of this study was to rapidly improve the understanding of resilience processes related to the economic, social, and personal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including adherence to COVID-19 containment/mitigation efforts, and their downstream mental health outcomes in National Guard soldiers.

This study capitalized on an ongoing longitudinal cohort study of 1,200 National Guard new recruits residing across the state of Minnesota. In the UH3 parent project, all recruits were prospectively assessed prior to basic combat training (BCT) and followed up at four time points post-BCT (at 6-month intervals). When Minnesota announced its stay-at-home order in March 2020, baseline data collection had been completed with 755 of 1,200 participants. Baseline data collection for the UH3 parent grant was anticipated to resume in July-August 2020, allowing for a natural experiment.