Stress management and factors related to the deployment of Italian peacekeepers in Afghanistan.

ABSTRACT This cross-sectional study evaluated the stress levels in Italian military personnel involved in a peacekeeping (PK) mission in Afghanistan and a homogeneous group stationed in Italy (SI group). The study was performed from April 2004 to June 2004 in a sample of 160 long-time, career volunteers of the Rossi Barracks of the Alpini di L'Aquila (Italy) (SI group, n = 120; PK group, n = 40). A 10-item, self-evaluation questionnaire proposed in the U.N. Stress Management Booklet was administered to each volunteer. The total item score (TIS) values for the 10 items for the two groups were calculated. These values were greater for the PK group than for the SI group for all 10 items. The TIS values were grouped into three classes of symptoms, anxiety symptoms (items 1–4), stress-induced depression (items 5–7), and posttraumatic stress (items 8–10). The class total item score (CTIS) values were then calculated as the sum of the respective TIS values. The three CTIS values for the PK group were greater tha...