Selected Psychological Aspects of Recruiting Candidates for Diving and Scuba Diving

This paper presents the results of a pilot programme to include psychological tests in the recruitment rules for candidates for military divers and scuba divers. A total of 207 candidates to undertake training at the Polish Army Divers and Scuba Divers Training Centre were examined. They were subjected to tests of mental fitness, tests examining personality traits, tests of psychomotor fitness and tests of general fitness.

Numerous psychological contraindications to undertake diving training and service were found; the most common was a low degree of mental fitness.

In conclusion, it was suggested that, following the example of other countries, psychological testing should be included in the selection of candidates for divers. The results of the tests, although not obligatory, were partly taken into account in the opinion issued by the Military Medical and Maritime Commission.