Objective To evaluate the relationship among psychological stress, psychological capital, and training burnout, as well as the intermediary and regulating effects of psychological capital among soldiers rushing into plateau for the first time.

Methods Using Soldiers Psychological Stress Self-evaluation Test, Psychological Capital Scale, and Self-compiled Soldiers Training Burnout Questionnaire, 700 soldiers who rushed into plateau for the first time were selected by random cluster sampling and investigated.

Results (1) We received 648 valid questionnaires, with a valid rate of 92.57%. Single factor analysis showed that the total score and three dimensional (physical and mental exhaustion, training alienation, and low achievement) scores of training burnout among the compulsory servicemen who rushed into plateau for the first time were higher than those of the noncommissioned officers (P < 0.05). The total score of training burnout and the scores of physical and mental exhaustion and training alienation of soldiers aged from 17 to 18 years old were higher than those aged from 19 to 29 years old (P < 0.05). The total score of training burnout and the scores of training alienation and low achievement of soldiers with junior middle school education were lower than those with the college education and above (P < 0.05). (2) Among the soldiers who rushed into plateau for the first time, training burnout was significantly negatively correlated with psychological capital (r=-0.371, P < 0.01), and significantly positively correlated with psychological stress (r=0.622, P < 0.01). (3) The results of analysis on intermediary and regulating effects showed that psychological capital had an intermediary and regulating effect between psychological stress and training burnout. The intermediary effect value of psychological capital on psychological stress and training burnout was 0.063, which was 10.11% of the total effect.

Conclusion Reducing psychological stress and increasing psychological capital are effective ways to alleviate the training burnout among soldiers who rush into plateau for the first time.