Abstract:
Background: The peacekeeper role is different to that of traditional combat, however, peacekeepers, like combat soldiers, may also be exposed to high levels of dangerous and/or potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs).Objective: It was hypothesized that given the centrality of societal approval for the peacekeeping mission, in addition to the known relevance of perceived social support, perceived societal recognition would influence PTSD symptoms (PTSS) and depression. It was hypothesized that perceived societal recognition would moderate the effect of exposure to potentially traumatic events and PMIEs on psychological outcomes.Method: 8341, predominantly male, former UNIFIL peacekeepers, almost three decades following deployment, answered a survey to determine the impact of perceived social support and perceived societal recognition, on PTSS and depression symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed for PTSS and depression separately and moderation analysis was performed for perceived societal recognition.Results: Exposure to potentially traumatic events showed the greatest predictive value for PTSS and exposure to PMIEs and potentially traumatic events were equally predictive of depression symptoms. While perceived social support presented the strongest buffer for PTSS and depression symptoms following UNIFIL deployment, perceived societal recognition also significantly contributed to the prediction of both PTSS and depression symptoms. There was a weak moderation effect of perceived societal recognition on trauma type in the development of PTSS.Conclusions: Even decades following peacekeeping deployment, military experiences have a significant impact on psychological functioning. This impact is both from the types of events experienced and from the perception of social and societal support upon return home.
Peacekeepers receive little attention in general military research and their missions are often directly influenced by public perception.The current study found that key military traumas; danger based and moral injury based events, were prevalent in the peacekeeper population and predicted PTSD symptoms and depression symptoms respectively.While there was a weak moderation effect, perceived societal recognition was a unique predictor of PTSD symptoms. Those who perceived negative levels of societal recognition of the UNIFIL mission had greater PTSD symptoms than those who perceived neutral or positive levels of societal recognition.
摘要:
背景:维和人员的角色不同于传统战斗,然而,维和人员,像战斗士兵一样,也可能暴露于高水平的危险和/或潜在的道德伤害事件(PMIE)。目标:假设,鉴于社会对维持和平特派团的认可至关重要,除了已知的感知社会支持的相关性,感知的社会认知会影响PTSD症状(PTSS)和抑郁症。据推测,感知的社会认可会减轻暴露于潜在创伤事件和PMIE对心理结果的影响。方法:8341,男性为主,前联黎部队维和人员,部署后将近三十年,回答了一项调查,以确定感知的社会支持和感知的社会认可的影响,PTSS和抑郁症状。分别对PTSS和抑郁症进行了分层回归分析,并对感知的社会识别进行了适度分析。结果:暴露于潜在创伤性事件对PTSS的预测价值最大,暴露于PMIE和潜在创伤性事件对抑郁症状的预测价值相同。虽然在联黎部队部署后,感知到的社会支持对PTSS和抑郁症状提供了最强的缓冲,感知的社会认知也显著有助于PTSS和抑郁症状的预测。在PTSS的发展过程中,感知的社会认可对创伤类型的调节作用较弱。结论:即使在部署维和行动几十年后,军事经历对心理功能有重大影响。这种影响既来自经历的事件类型,也来自回国后对社会和社会支持的看法。
维和人员在一般军事研究中很少受到关注,他们的任务通常直接受到公众的影响。当前的研究发现,关键的军事创伤;基于危险和基于道德伤害的事件,在维和人员人群中普遍存在,并分别预测PTSD症状和抑郁症状。虽然有微弱的调节作用,感知的社会认知是PTSD症状的独特预测因子。那些认为对联黎部队任务的社会认可水平为负的人比那些认为社会认可水平为中性或阳性的人有更大的PTSD症状。