PMH54: MENTAL HEALTH COMORBIDITY PREVALENCE, PATTERNS, AND IMPACT ON QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG GULF WAR VETERANS

BackgroundGulf War veterans reported multiple psychological symptoms immediately after the war; the temporal course of these symptoms remains unclear.AimsTo assess the prevalence of war-era onset mental disorders in US veterans deployed to the Gulf War and in non-deployed veterans 10 years after the war.MethodMental disorders were diagnosed using structured clinical interviews. Standard questionnaires assessed symptoms and quality of life.ResultsGulf War-era onset mental disorders were more prevalent in deployed veterans (18.1%, n=1061) compared with non-deployed veterans (8.9%, n=1128). The prevalence of depression and anxiety declined 10 years later in both groups, but remained higher in the deployed group, who also reported more symptoms and a lower quality of life than the non-deployed group. Remission of depression may be related to the presence of comorbid psychiatric disorders and level of education. Remission of anxiety was related to treatment with medication.ConclusionsGulf War deployment was associated with an increased prevalence of mental disorders, psychological symptoms and a lower quality of life beginning during the war and persisting at a lower rate 10 years later.

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Dizziness, Vertigo, and Mental Health Comorbidity in Gulf War Veterans

Journal of the American Academy of Audiology ◽

10.3766/jaaa.17122 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 30 (09) ◽

pp. 764-771

Author(s):

Apollonia Fox ◽

Kristal Riska ◽

Chin-Lin Tseng ◽

Kelly McCarron ◽

Serena Satcher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Case Series ◽

Vestibular Function ◽

Gulf War ◽

Health Questionnaire ◽

War Veterans ◽

Gulf War Veterans ◽

Patient Health

AbstractGulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic condition involving symptoms across multiple body systems. Previous research has implicated the vestibular system as a potential underlying factor in the symptoms experienced by veterans with GWI, due in part to exposure to potentially ototoxic chemicals and events.To characterize the presence of vertigo and dizziness symptoms in a sample of veterans with GWI using validated self-report instruments, accounting for mental health comorbidities.This is a case series, follow-up, prospective interview of clinical veterans; results presented are purely descriptive.Our sample of 50 veterans was a follow-up to a case series of clinical Gulf War veterans evaluated at the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center.Veterans participated in a 70-min phone interview where the following questionnaires were administered: Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS), Patient Health Questionnaire (depression scale), Patient Health Questionnaire (somatization scale), Beck Anxiety Inventory, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist, Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire, and GWI (Kansas) Questionnaire. We used descriptive (mean/median, standard deviation, interquartile range, and percentage) statistics to describe our sample and illuminate possible relationships between measures.Our primary finding is a substantial report of vertigo symptoms in our sample, according to the VSS. Ninety percent of participants scored above the VSS threshold (>12), suggesting “severe dizziness.” The most commonly endorsed symptom on the VSS was “headache or pressure in the head.”We conclude that there is significant burden of vertigo symptoms in veterans with GWI, suggesting a need for objective tests of vestibular function in this population. Furthermore, the relationship between symptoms of vertigo and dizziness, vestibular function, and PTSD warrants further exploration using objective measures.

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Mental Health Risk and Social Ecological Variables Associated with Educational Attainment for Gulf War Veterans: Implications for Veterans Returning to Civilian Life

American Journal of Community Psychology ◽

10.1007/s10464-009-9278-0 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 44 (3-4) ◽

pp. 327-337 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Alexa Smith-Osborne

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Risk ◽

Educational Attainment ◽

Gulf War ◽

Civilian Life ◽

War Veterans ◽

Gulf War Veterans ◽

Social Ecological ◽

Ecological Variables ◽

Social Ecological Variables

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Psychological health of Australian veterans of the 1991 Gulf War: an assessment using the SF-12, GHQ-12 and PCL-S

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291704002818 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 34 (8) ◽

pp. 1419-1430 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

D. P. McKENZIE ◽

J. F. IKIN ◽

A. C. McFARLANE ◽

M. CREAMER ◽

A. B. FORBES ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Military Service ◽

Comparison Group ◽

Short Form ◽

Gulf War ◽

Self Report ◽

War Veterans ◽

Gulf War Veterans ◽

Group Members

Background. Elevated rates of psychological morbidity and symptomatology have been widely reported in 1991 Gulf War veterans. The present study used brief self-report instruments to compare the psychological health of Australian Gulf War veterans with that of a randomly sampled military comparison group.Method. The 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist – Specific (PCL-S) and Military Service Experience (MSE) questionnaire were administered to 1424 male Australian Gulf War veterans and 1548 male Australian Defence Force members who were operational at the time of the Gulf War conflict, but were not deployed there.Results. The Gulf War veterans exhibited poorer psychological health, as measured by the above three instruments, than the comparison group members. For Gulf War veterans, the number of stressful experiences, as measured by the MSE questionnaire, was correlated with scores on the three instruments. SF-12 mental health component summary scores and PCL-S caseness, but not GHQ-12 caseness, differed significantly between Gulf War veterans and comparison group members who had been on at least one active deployment.Conclusions. More than a decade after the 1991 Gulf War, Australian Gulf War veterans are exhibiting higher levels of current (past month) psychological ill-health, as measured using the GHQ-12 and PCL-S, as well as lower mental health status, as measured by the SF-12, than the comparison group. Although not a replacement for formal psychiatric diagnosis, instruments such as those above may aid in the assessment of veterans' psychological health.

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Changes in Health Status in the Ft. Devens Gulf War Veterans Cohort: 1997-2017

Neuroscience Insights ◽

10.1177/2633105520952675 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

pp. 263310552095267

Author(s):

Clara G Zundel ◽

Timothy Heeren ◽

Claudia M Grasso ◽

Avron Spiro ◽

Susan P Proctor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gulf War ◽

Medical Conditions ◽

Health Issues ◽

War Veterans ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Gulf War Veterans ◽

Multivariable Regression ◽

Cerebrovascular Risk ◽

Post War

Gulf War veterans (GWVs) were exposed to numerous neurotoxicants during deployment. Upon returning home, many reported a multitude of symptoms including fatigue, pain, gastrointestinal and respiratory issues, and neurological, cognitive, and mood complaints, collectively termed “Gulf War Illness (GWI).” Now, nearly 30 years post-war, many GWVs continue to suffer from these symptoms, in addition to health concerns associated with normal aging. While most research on GWVs has been cross-sectional, it is important to evaluate the progression and onset of new GWI symptoms longitudinally. The current study investigated the health of GWVs 25+ years after the war by resurveying the Ft. Devens Cohort and comparing their current health to their health reported 15 to 20 years earlier. The sample consists of 317 GWVs (~54 years old at the latest survey, 38 women) who responded to both surveys (1997-1998 and 2013-2017). Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess changes in GWI symptomatology and prevalence of medical conditions. The rates of 12 of 25 health symptoms increased significantly from the prior 1997-1998 survey. Anxiety, numbness in extremities, depressed mood, and joint pain had the greatest increase in endorsement. The rates of 7 of 16 medical conditions increased significantly from the prior 1997-1998 survey. High blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer had the greatest increase in prevalence. In summary, this study demonstrates that both symptoms and physician-diagnosed medical conditions associated with GW deployment/exposure increased in prevalence. For GWVs, focus by providers on the treatment of cognitive and mental health issues as well as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors is warranted. Targeting symptom alleviation would help improve the quality of life in these veterans until treatments addressing the entire illness become available.

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