Relationship Between Spiritual Well-being and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in United States Air Force Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Intelligence Personnel

Background: Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) are in frequent use by the U.S. Air Force to engage in combat operations from remote locations. RPA operations involve remote killing, which can lead to significant emotional responses. This study addresses a gap in research by examining the association of existential and spiritual health with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in RPA and intelligence personnel.

Methods: Three hundred and five U.S. Air Force RPA and intelligence personnel completed the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) and PTSD Checklist-Military Version. Correlational analyses were used to examine the association between SWBS score and PTSD symptoms.

Findings: There was a negative correlation between the SWBS and PTSD Checklist-Military Version scores (Pearson correlation coefficient = -0.49, p < 0.0001). Higher spiritual and existential well-being were associated with lower PTSD symptoms. Further, spiritual and existential scores in this sample were comparable with a number of SWBS norms, suggesting that levels of existential distress may not be high among remote warfare operators.

Discussion: In this sample of U.S. Air Force personnel involved in remote warfare, higher spiritual and existential well-being were associated with less endorsement of mental health symptoms on a PTSD symptom measure. Additionally, levels of spiritual and existential well-being in this sample were comparable with norms used in a number of samples within the general population. Although there are ongoing concerns regarding the psychological impact remote warfare has on RPA operators, the bulk of current research has indicated that operational stressors such as workload, rotating shifts, organizational and leadership concerns, and balancing work and domestic tasks rather than the job duties themselves (i.e., involvement in killing) likely contribute more to reported emotional distress levels.