The contribution of personal and seniority variables to the presence of stress symptoms among Israeli UAV operators.

BACKGROUND: The exposure to war scenes via screens, despite offering a degree of detachment, can be stressful for the operator. The aim of the current study is to examine the existence of anxiety, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Israeli operators.

METHODS: Participants comprised 41 UAV operators (87.2% male), aged 22-38 (Mage = 26.05, SD = 3.54). Most (78.0%) reported having viewed battlefield scenes. All participants completed a total of five questionnaires: Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and three questionnaires of PTSD: Post Trauma Questionnaire (CAPS), the Post-Traumatic Cognition Inventory (CTPI), and the Post-Traumatic Symptom Scale (PSS).

RESULTS: Mean scores of depression and anxiety were found significantly lower than diagnosis cut-off points (p < .001). Senior operators showed higher means for depression (5.69 vs. 2.58, p = .040), of stress level (PSS; 3.17 vs. 0.25, p = .020) and for distress intensity (3.79 vs. 0.57, p = 0.041) than less-experienced operators.

CONCLUSIONS: Investigating and monitoring the impact of battlefield exposure in UAV operators are highly beneficial for preventing psychopathology.