Abstract

GONZALEZ-QUEVEDO, LUIS ARTEMO; SANABRIA-FERRAND, PABLO ALFONSO  and  ZULUAGA, HUMBERTO. PERCEPTION OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND MENTAL HEALTH IN OFFICERS OF THE COLOMBIAN AIR FORCE. rev.fac.med [online]. 2010, vol.18, n.1, pp.115-122. ISSN 0121-5256.

Due to internal public order situation in Colombia, officials of the Colombian Air Force (FAC) are exposed to potentially traumatic stressors. The objective of this study was to determine officials' perception of their quality of life and its relationship with mental health in order to provide elements for discussion for the development of promotion and prevention programs. A correlational methodology was used; the sample was of 296 volunteer flight officers and 200 FAC non-flying officers from different locations from Colombia. Five aspects of quality of life (self-acceptance, adaptation, socio-affective stability, physical integrity and personal projection), three aspects of the quality of military life (recognition, institutional support and cohesion) and 6 indicators of psychopathology (depression, anxiety, mania, psychosis and post-traumatic stress disorder) were evaluated. All scales were calibrated based on the item response theory. The results showed high levels of overall life quality and military life quality and that low levels are associated with higher probabilities of having any psychopathology. Flight officers had similar levels of quality of life compared with ground officers except on the projection aspect, which was lower. Results suggest there is a need to work in various aspects (social, institutional, personal) to improve levels of quality of life and lower levels of psychopathology.

Keywords : military personnel; quality of life; mental health; pilots; Colombian.

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