Prevalence and Correlates of Mental Health Problems in Norwegian Peacekeepers 18 –38 Years Postdeployment

AbstractPeacekeeping missions involve experiences that may impact the mental health of participating soldiers. However, research on the long ‐term mental health consequences of peacekeeping is sparse. The present study aimed to find the prevalence of mental health problems (MHPs), possible MHP predictors, and associations between predictors and MHPs in Norwegian peacekeepers 18–38 years after deployment to a United Nations peacekeepi ng mission. We used data from a cross‐sectional, postdeployment survey of Norwegian peacekeepers who served in Lebanon between 1978 and 1998 (N = 10,605). Participants were assessed for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); anxiety; depression; insomnia; alcohol misuse; drug misuse; and exposure to pre ‐, peri‐, and postdeployment stressors. Logistic regressions were executed to explore key variables associated with MHPs. Total MHP prevalence was 15.1%, 95% CI [14.4, 15.8]. The estimates for specific disorders were 0.1% for drug misuse, 3.4% for alcohol misuse, 4.0% for depression, 6.2% for PT SD, 6.4% for anxiety, and 9.3% for insomnia. Postdeployment stressors,OR = 1.91, 95% CI [1.79, 2.04]; employment status,OR = 1.41, 95% CI [1.33, 1.48]; and traumatic exposure during deployment,OR = 1.11, 95% CI [1.09, 1.12], were positively related to PTSD, χ2(17,N = 8,568) = 1,791.299,p< .001. Similar patterns were found for the other MHPs. Considering that most participants (84.9%) reported low symptom levels, our findings challenge the wide...
Source: Journal of Traumatic Stress - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research