Demographics and Psychosocial Impact on Disabled
Soldiers and Family Members from Southernmost
Thailand’s Insurgency: A Mixed Method Study
Wipoo Kumnerddee MD*,
Tanawat Tochaiwat MD**, Ram Rangsin MD, PhD***
Affiliation :
* Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand
** Wing 23 Hospital, Wing 23 Army Base, Udonthani, Thailand
*** Department of Military and Community Medicine, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand
Objective : To find the incidence, demographics, socioeconomics and their association with mental health of disabled soldiers
from antiterrorists operations in the southernmost part of Thailand between 2004 and 2008.
Material and Method: Investigators gathered the lists of disabled soldiers from four different database then performed
physical examination and semistructured interviews. Mental health of the disabled Royal Thai Army (RTA) officers and
close family members was assessed by General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12).
Results : Of the 1,078 traumatic cases, 940 were nonfatal with 33 disabled. Fifteen point sixty-three percent required
assistance for activities of daily living (ADL). A positive score of 37.50% in the GHQ-12 was associated with difficulties in
ADL and dept repayment (p = 0.004 and 0.029, respectively). In close family members, a score of 17.5% in the GHQ-12
was associated with low family income, ADL, and walking difficulty (p = 0.019, 0.001 and 0.008, respectively). The qualitative
results supported the importance of physical and financial problems plus a significant role of the affiliations and family
members.
Conclusion : Disabled RTA officers appeared 6.6 cases/year. The most important problems were physical and financial
difficulties. The medical-environmental-financial model is proposed as an effective rehabilitation for the disabled RTA
officers from the southernmost Thailand.
Keywords : Disabled veteran, Mental health, Psychosocial impact, Family, Terrorist, Thailand
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