Mental health of US Gulf War veterans 10 years after the war

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

Value in Health ◽

10.1016/s1098-3015(10)64256-8 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 362-363

Author(s):

VL Forman ◽

CP Carney ◽

P Peloso ◽

RF Woolson ◽

DW Black ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Gulf War ◽

War Veterans ◽

Gulf War Veterans

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Quality of Life in Gulf War Veterans: the Influence of Recency and Persistence of Psychiatric Morbidity

Applied Research in Quality of Life ◽

10.1007/s11482-017-9579-7 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 23-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Breanna K. Wright ◽

Helen L. Kelsall ◽

Malcolm R. Sim ◽

David M. Clarke

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Psychiatric Morbidity ◽

Gulf War ◽

War Veterans ◽

Gulf War Veterans

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Increased Postdeployment Use of Medication for Common Mental Disorders in Danish Gulf War Veterans

Military Medicine ◽

10.7205/milmed-d-16-00114 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 182 (3) ◽

pp. e1677-e1683 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lars Ravnborg Nissen ◽

Christian Stoltenberg ◽

Mia Sadowa Vedtofte ◽

Anni Brit Sternhagen Nielsen ◽

Jacob Louis Marott ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Disorders ◽

Common Mental Disorders ◽

Gulf War ◽

War Veterans ◽

Gulf War Veterans

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Mental disorders, psychological symptoms and quality of life 8 years after an earthquake: findings from a community sample in Italy

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology ◽

10.1007/s00127-010-0227-x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 46 (7) ◽

pp. 615-621 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Stefan Priebe ◽

Fabio Marchi ◽

Lucia Bini ◽

Martina Flego ◽

Ana Costa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Community Sample

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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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Do mental disorders matter? A study of absenteeism among care seeking Gulf War veterans with ill defined conditions and musculoskeletal disorders

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oem.59.8.532 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 59 (8) ◽

pp. 532-536 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

T L Dremsa

Keyword(s):

Mental Disorders ◽

Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽

Gulf War ◽

Care Seeking ◽

War Veterans ◽

Gulf War Veterans

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Relationship between Quality of Life and Sociodemographic, Physical and Mental Health Variables in People over 65 in the Community of Madrid

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17228528 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (22) ◽

pp. 8528

Author(s):

Berta Ausín ◽

Alba Zamorano ◽

Manuel Muñoz

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Psychological Disorder ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Financial Difficulties ◽

The Relationship ◽

Positive Effect

Except in the case of depression, there are few studies that analyze mental health variables related to quality of life (QoL) in people over 65 years of age. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between QoL and the following variables: sociodemographic and physical and mental health of people over 65 years of age. The sample was randomly selected and consists of men and women between 65 and 84 years of age (N = 555) from the Community of Madrid. Mental disorders were evaluated with the CIDI65+ interview and QoL with the WHOQoL-BREF scale. Means, ANOVA and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Women have worse QoL than men and QoL worsens with age. The regression model for the dependent variable “WHOQoL BREF Scale” explains 41.43% of the variance (R2 = 0.413). The variables that have the greatest impact on QoL are as follows: a greater number of physical and psychological symptoms, experiencing financial difficulties and the presence of a psychological disorder, while continuing to work has a positive effect on QoL. Physical and mental disorders have a similar impact on QoL. The presence of a greater number of psychological symptoms (without necessarily fulfilling the criteria of a mental disorder) is a predictive variable of worse QoL. Mental health has a burden on the QoL of people over 65 years of age that is as powerful as physical health.

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Borderline Personality Disorder and Traits in Veterans: Psychiatric Comorbidity, Healthcare Utilization, and Quality of Life Along a Continuum of Severity

CNS Spectrums ◽

10.1017/s1092852900014772 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 680-689 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Donald W. Black ◽

Nancee Blum ◽

Elena Letuchy ◽

Caroline Carney Doebbeling ◽

Valerie L. Forman-Hoffman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Health Status ◽

Borderline Personality Disorder ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Healthcare Utilization ◽

Psychiatric Comorbidity ◽

Gulf War ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Gulf War Veterans

ABSTRACTObjective:To examine the presence of borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits in Gulf War veterans, and to assess psychiatric comorbidity, health status, healthcare utilization, and quality of life (QOL) along a continuum of BPD trait severity.Method:BPD and traits were evaluated using the Schedule for Non-Adaptive and Adaptive Personality in 576 veterans who were either deployed to the Persian Gulf (1990–1991) or were on active duty though not deployed to the Gulf. Demographic and military characteristics, personal and family history, psychiatric comorbidity, and QOL were also assessed.Results:One or more BPD traits were present in 247 subjects (43%), and BPD (≥5 traits) was identified in 15 subjects (3%).The number of traits was significantly associated with age and level of education. Lifetime psychiatric comorbidity was significantly associated with the number of BPD traits present, and level of functioning, health status, healthcare utilization, social functioning, self-injurious tendencies, and military/behavioral problems.Conclusion:BPD and traits identified in Gulf War veterans were associated with significant psychiatric morbidity, poorer QOL, and increased utilization of healthcare resources. Early recognition and treatment of veterans with BPD symptoms may be warranted to minimize the burden on the healthcare system.

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