BACKGROUND: Questions remain about the long-term health impacts of the 1991 Gulf War on its veterans. AIMS: To measure psychological disorders in Australian Gulf War veterans and a military comparison group and to explore any association with exposure to Gulf War-related psychological stressors. METHOD: Prevalences of DSM-IV psychological disorders were measured using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Gulf War-related psychological stressors were measured using a service experience questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 31% of male Gulf War veterans and 21% of the comparison group met criteria for a DSM-IV disorder first present in the post-Gulf War period. The veterans were at greater risk of developing post-Gulf War anxiety disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder, affective disorders and substance use disorders. The prevalence of such disorders remained elevated a decade after deployment. The findings can be explained partly as a 'war-deployment effect'. There was a strong dose-response relationship between psychological disorders and number of reported Gulf War-related psychological stressors. CONCLUSIONS: Service in the 1991 Gulf War is associated with increased risk of psychological disorders and these are related to stressful experiences.
BACKGROUND: Questions remain about the long-term health impacts of the 1991 Gulf War on its veterans. AIMS: To measure psychological disorders in Australian Gulf War veterans and a military comparison group and to explore any association with exposure to Gulf War-related psychological stressors. METHOD: Prevalences of DSM-IV psychological disorders were measured using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Gulf War-related psychological stressors were measured using a service experience questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 31% of male Gulf War veterans and 21% of the comparison group met criteria for a DSM-IV disorder first present in the post-Gulf War period. The veterans were at greater risk of developing post-Gulf War anxiety disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder, affective disorders and substance use disorders. The prevalence of such disorders remained elevated a decade after deployment. The findings can be explained partly as a 'war-deployment effect'. There was a strong dose-response relationship between psychological disorders and number of reported Gulf War-related psychological stressors. CONCLUSIONS: Service in the 1991 Gulf War is associated with increased risk of psychological disorders and these are related to stressful experiences.
Authors: H L Kelsall; M R Sim; A B Forbes; D C Glass; D P McKenzie; J F Ikin; M J Abramson; L Blizzard; P Ittak Journal: Occup Environ Med Date: 2004-12 Impact factor: 4.402
Authors: Dean P McKenzie; Mark Creamer; Helen L Kelsall; Andrew B Forbes; Jillian F Ikin; Malcolm R Sim; Alexander C McFarlane Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2009-09-10 Impact factor: 4.328