Traumatic events, other operational stressors and physical and mental health reported by Australian Defence Force personnel following peacekeeping and war-like deployments

BMC Psychiatry

Research Article

Alexander C McFarlane¹  Jonathan Bleier²  Malcolm R Sim³  Annabel C L McGuire⁴  Michael Waller⁴  Susan A Treloar⁴  Annette J Dobson⁴ 

[1] Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies, The University of Adelaide, 122 Frome Street, South Australia, Adelaide, Australia;Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, London, UK;Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Medical School, Monash University Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia;The University of Queensland, Centre for Military and Veterans Health, Mayne Medical School, University of Queensland, 4006, Herston, QLD, Australia;

关键词: Traumatic Event;    Post Traumatic Stress Disorder;    Traumatic Exposure;    Dead Body;    High Psychological Distress;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-244X-12-88

 received in 2011-10-25, accepted in 2012-07-05,  发布年份 2012

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe association between stressful events on warlike deployments and subsequent mental health problems has been established. Less is known about the effects of stressful events on peacekeeping deployments.MethodsTwo cross sectional studies of the Australian Defence Force were used to contrast the prevalence of exposures reported by a group deployed on a peacekeeping operation (Bougainville, n = 1704) and those reported by a group deployed on operations which included warlike and non-warlike exposures (East Timor, n = 1333). A principal components analysis was used to identify groupings of non-traumatic exposures on deployment. Multiple regression models were used to assess the association between self-reported objective and subjective exposures, stressors on deployment and subsequent physical and mental health outcomes.ResultsThe principal components analysis produced four groups of non-traumatic stressors which were consistent between the peacekeeping and more warlike deployments. These were labelled ‘separation’, ‘different culture’, ‘other people’ and ‘work frustration’. Higher levels of traumatic and non-traumatic exposures were reported by veterans of East Timor compared to Bougainville. Higher levels of subjective traumatic exposures were associated with increased rates of PTSD in East Timor veterans and more physical and psychological health symptoms in both deployed groups. In Bougainville and East Timor veterans some non-traumatic deployment stressors were also associated with worse health outcomes.ConclusionStrategies to best prepare, identify and treat those exposed to traumatic events and other stressors on deployment should be considered for Defence personnel deployed on both warlike and peacekeeping operations.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Waller et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012