AOCOPM 2024 Midyear Educational Conference-H - Psychiatric Issues in Military Drone Operators

H - Psychiatric Issues in Military Drone Operators - Brent Sanderlin, DO, FACOFP, FAAFP

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Brett Sanderlin, an expert in primary care and clinical medicine, discussed the psychological challenges faced by military drone operators. Drawing from his experience as a senior medical officer working with drone operators, Dr. Sanderlin highlighted the unique stressors impacting these individuals. Drone operators often experience long, isolated shifts, working from remote locations to conduct continuous surveillance and tactical operations without direct combat exposure. This environment leads to psychological issues such as emotional exhaustion, burnout, sleep disturbances, and PTSD. Many operators experience moral injury from witnessing civilian casualties and intense combat scenes, often leading to significant mental health challenges. Dr. Sanderlin emphasized the complexity of these issues, citing difficulties in maintaining work-life balance and a lack of traditional military camaraderie, which exacerbates feelings of isolation. Effective approaches for addressing these issues include psychological evaluation, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medications such as SSRIs. The overall objective is to provide psychological support to manage symptoms and improve the operators’ quality of life, highlighting the growing awareness of the importance of mental health care in military settings.

Keywords

military drone operators

psychological challenges

emotional exhaustion

moral injury

PTSD

work-life balance

mental health care

cognitive behavioral therapy