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Mental health of Dutch Peacekeeping Veterans 10-25 years after deployment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 May 2008

Ellen R. Klaassens ,
Tineke van Veen ,
Jos M.P. Weerts  and
Frans G. Zitman
Ellen R. Klaassens*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Albinusdreef 2, 2333ZALeiden, The Netherlands
Tineke van Veen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Albinusdreef 2, 2333ZALeiden, The Netherlands
Jos M.P. Weerts
Affiliation:
Veterans Institute, Willem van Lanschotplein 2, 3941 XP Doorn, The Netherlands
Frans G. Zitman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Albinusdreef 2, 2333ZALeiden, The Netherlands
*
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +31 71 5263785; fax: +31 71 5248156. E-mail address: e.r.klaassens@lumc.nl
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Abstract

Objective

This report describes the mental health of Dutch peacekeeping veterans, 10--25 years after deployment, and its association with deployment-related traumatic events.

Method

We randomly selected a group of 1046 peacekeeping veterans, who participated in military missions in Lebanon, former Yugoslavia, and various other missions between 1979 and 1997. We sent a questionnaire assessing current levels of psychological distress (Brief Symptom Inventory -- BSI), and a questionnaire assessing trauma related to deployment.

Results

Psychological data were available for 729 veterans. In 83% of the veterans, no significant psychological distress was found, whereas 17% scored above the BSI cut-off for psychopathology. Interestingly, this percentage was equal to that in a non-patient norm group.

Conclusion

From this finding we concluded that 10--25 years post-deployment, Dutch peacekeeping veterans do not show more psychological distress than the general Dutch population. In addition, we did not find a significant association between trauma exposure 10--25 years ago and current BSI scores. Moreover, trauma-exposure explained only 9% of the variance in psychological distress. Thus, although military peacekeeping operations may have a strong impact on the lives of soldiers, in this group of veterans they do not seem to have caused severe psychological distress10--25 years after deployment.

Keywords

StressPost-traumatic stress disorderVeteransMental healthPsychological distress
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 23 , Issue 7 , October 2008 , pp. 486 - 490
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2008

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