Prevalence of Anxiety among Nepali Soldiers in United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) after Escalation of Armed Conflict - A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations aim to develop conditions for lasting peace among conflict-torn nations. These peacekeeping missions can vary significantly in complexity, demands and potential hazards resulting in numerous stressful and potentially traumatic events (PTEs). Stressful experiences of peacekeeping operations raise concerns of mental health consequences to UN peacekeepers. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study that examined the prevalence of anxiety level among the Nepali peacekeepers during their stay in Syria UNDOF from Nov 2024 to Feb 2025 after taking ethical approval. Results: Among a total of 370 participants, 88.91% (329) were male participants while 11.08% (41) were females with majority of participants (77.8%) belonging to group between 31 - 40 years. This study showed that 22 (5.95%) were unable to relax during the period while three (0.8%) were severely bothered by the situation of war conflict during the period. Additionally, 20 (5.4%) of participants were mildly bothered by the fear of worst happening. Conclusions: This study showed that majority of participants 346 (93.51%) had low level of anxiety despite the ongoing situation while 22 (5.95%) participants had moderate, and two (0.54%) participants had severe anxiety level. This research highlights the need for mental health monitoring among peacekeepers, particularly in periods of heightened conflict.