Abstract
Working as a peacekeeper is associated with the exposure to acute and/or catastrophic events and chronic stressors. Hence, the meager literature about peacekeepers’ wellbeing has mainly analyzed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This study aims to deep the analysis of the wellbeing of peacekeepers military. Based on the few studies on this population, we hypothesized that Italian peacekeeper military officers and enlisted men (n = 167; 103 males, 6 females, 58 missing) exhibit lower levels of internalizing symptoms (i.e., PTSD, depression, general anxiety, obsessions, and somatization) as compared to a control group (n = 60; 32 males, 28 females). Moreover, we hypothesized that peacekeepers have higher levels of psychological resources (i.e., self-efficacy, self-esteem, social support) and quality of life (i.e., higher life satisfaction and lower general stress). We compared the groups by means of MANOVAs on the subscales of the Psychological Treatment Inventory (PTI; Gori et al., 2015). We found that Italian peacekeepers have lower internalizing symptoms and higher levels of self-efficacy and self-esteem than the control group; however, no statistically significant differences were observed on perceived social support. Finally, peacekeepers have a higher quality of life: scores reflect higher life satisfaction and lower distress than the control group. This study is in line with previous literature supporting the claim that Italian peacekeeper military officers have sufficient psychological resources for coping with the stressful situations implied in peacekeeping missions. Future studies should deepen the analysis of the military’s psychological characteristics by comparing war veterans and peacekeeper military.
Highlights
In the Cold War era, after a peace treaty was signed, unarmed or lightly armed military personnel acted as a buffer between warring factions
The results showed that fewer and more negative social contacts are associated with higher Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms severity
Subsequent ANOVAs showed that the peacekeeper group has significantly lower symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, F(1,225) = 17.88, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.07, Depression, F(1,225) = 25.73, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.10, General Anxiety, F(1,225) = 40.96, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.15, Obsessions, F(1,225) = 51.65, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.19, and Somatization, F(1,225) = 34.41, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.13
Summary
In the Cold War era, after a peace treaty was signed, unarmed or lightly armed military personnel acted as a buffer between warring factions. Since the late 1980s, following the collapse of Cold War and an increase in conflicts worldwide, Peacekeeping Operations (PKOs) grew in both size and complexity (Raju, 2014). PKOs became more and more hybrid since they were characterized by modular and multi-actor actions. Peace operations cover conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding (Smith, 2016). It should be noted that PKOs have become more and more militarized, as the vision of peace has been joined to the means of violence (Pugh, 2012; Suhrke, 2012). Military violence in PKOs is an issue that has to be taken into account, even if it is rarely problematized and usually associated with the conflict belligerence only. Kühn (2012) stressed that the term ‘peace’ has changed its real meaning in a virtual term that sometimes covers violent management techniques
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