Formulation and Testing of a Model of the Relationship between Psychological Characteristics of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress, and Physical Complaints of the Staff of a Military Unit in Tabriz, Iran, with the Mediating Role of Chronic Fatigue

 Employees of military units in their workplaces often complain of experiencing multiple physical and psychological symptoms that cannot be explained medically. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the psychological characteristics of depression, anxiety, and stress, and unexplained physical complaints of the staff of a military unit in the city of Tabriz, Iran, with the mediating role of chronic fatigue.

 For this purpose, 300 employees of a military unit in the city of Tabriz were selected through cluster sampling method in 2019. To measure the variables, the participants completed the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (CFQ), and Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the validity and reliability of these scales and the results indicated the desirability of these scales. The data were analyzed using Amos software and bootstrapping test.

 The results showed that the total effect of psychological characteristics on chronic fatigue (β = 0.85 P < 0.001), chronic fatigue on physical complaints (β = 0.54; P < 0.001), and psychological characteristics on physical complaints (β = 0.30; P < 0.001) was statistically significant. Moreover, the indirect effect of chronic fatigue and psychological characteristics on physical complaints was significant (β = 0.096; P = 0.020).

 The identification of psychological characteristics helps authorities to think about ways to provide counseling and treatment for mental disorders and chronic fatigue among the work force that can improve physical complaints among the personnel of military units.