Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operators in the United States Air Force

Over the past decade, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) have become critical military assets. With the proliferation of this unique form of warfare, concerns have been raised regarding the psychological impact such operations have on RPA operators directly engaged in combat-related missions. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess for prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in RPA operators using a comprehensive mental health evaluation using both objective measures (PTSD Checklist-Military Version and exposure questionnaire) and clinical interviews utilizing the Clinician Administered Psychological Survey to determine the nature of the respondent' stressful military experiences associated with onset of symptoms, the severity of symptoms, and whether or not operators who screen positive for PTSD meet the full diagnostic criteria. Two squadrons of RPA operators (pilots and sensor operators) were sampled (N=85). No current cases of PTSD due to remote warfare were identified. Of those reporting higher levels of psychological distress, none identified their engagement in remote warfare as a significant contributing factor. The most endorsed psychological distress items were common depressive/anxiety symptoms, such as sleep problems and anhedonia, which are not specific to posttraumatic stress. We believe our study adds valuable information to previous efforts to document the potential psychological issues of engaging in the modern version of combat. Prepared in collaboration with Neurostat Analytical Solutions, San Antonio, TX and STI Technologies, Inc., Fairborn, OH.