Abstract
BackgroundThe mental health outcomes of military personnel deployed on peacekeeping missions have been relatively neglected in the military mental health literature.AimsTo assess the mental health impacts of peacekeeping deployments.MethodIn total, 1025 Australian peacekeepers were assessed for current and lifetime psychiatric diagnoses, service history and exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs). A matched Australian community sample was used as a comparator. Univariate and regression analyses were conducted to explore predictors of psychiatric diagnosis.ResultsPeacekeepers had significantly higher 12-month prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (16.8%), major depressive episode (7%), generalised anxiety disorder (4.7%), alcohol misuse (12%), alcohol dependence (11.3%) and suicidal ideation (10.7%) when compared with the civilian comparator. The presence of these psychiatric disorders was most strongly and consistently associated with exposure to PTEs.ConclusionsVeteran peacekeepers had significant levels of psychiatric morbidity. Their needs, alongside those of combat veterans, should be recognised within military mental health initiatives.Declaration of interestNone.Copyright and usageThis is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence.
Highlights
The mental health outcomes of military personnel deployed on peacekeeping missions have been relatively neglected in the military mental health literature
When all significant predictor variables from the univariate analyses were combined, the logistic regression model showed that 12-month post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was a function of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) exposure, fear or horror experienced at the time of deployment PTEs and being out of the workforce
The findings reveal a concerning rate of psychopathology in peacekeeping veterans, with over a quarter (30%) reporting diagnosable psychiatric disorders
Summary
The mental health outcomes of military personnel deployed on peacekeeping missions have been relatively neglected in the military mental health literature. Aims To assess the mental health impacts of peacekeeping deployments. Method In total, 1025 Australian peacekeepers were assessed for current and lifetime psychiatric diagnoses, service history and exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs). A matched Australian community sample was used as a comparator. Univariate and regression analyses were conducted to explore predictors of psychiatric diagnosis
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have