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Psychiatric symptomatology associated with contemporary peacekeeping: An examination of post‐mission functioning among peacekeepers in Somalia
Author(s) -
Orsillo Susan M.,
Roemer Lizabeth,
Litz Brett T.,
Ehlich Pete,
Friedman Matthew J.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1023/a:1024481030025
Subject(s) - peacekeeping , hostility , stressor , psychiatry , psychology , distress , mental health , psychoticism , suicidal ideation , military service , military personnel , clinical psychology , poison control , suicide prevention , medicine , social psychology , political science , personality , environmental health , big five personality traits , law , extraversion and introversion
Contemporary peacekeepers frequently confront complex stressors including the need to directly enforce peace between warring factions, to deliver humanitarian aid in the midst of political‐social devastation, and to balance shifting rules of engagement. As such, it is proposed that participants may be at increased risk for the development of psychiatric distress. The present study examined the types of stressors encountered by 3,461 peacekeepers in Somalia, their current psychiatric functioning as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the relationship between exposure to various stressors and adjustment. Over one third of participants met criteria for psychiatric caseness. The most commonly reported symptoms included hostility, psychoticism, depression, and paranoid ideation. The best predictors of current functioning were found to be exposure to traditional war‐zone‐related stressors and general military pride and cohesion. These findings highlight the mental health consequences that service in a peacekeeping mission may have for United States soldiers. Further research is needed to investigate potential mechanisms that could serve as buffers to the stress associated with peacekeeping service.