Posttraumatic stress symptomatology is associated with unexplained illness attributed to Persian Gulf War military service

Julian D Ford; Keith A Campbell; Daniel Storzbach; Laurence M Binder; W Kent Anger; Diane S Rohlman

doi:10.1097/00006842-200109000-00019

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Posttraumatic stress symptomatology is associated with unexplained illness attributed to Persian Gulf War military service

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Posttraumatic stress symptomatology is associated with unexplained illness attributed to Persian Gulf War military service

Julian D Ford, Keith A Campbell, Daniel Storzbach, Laurence M Binder, W Kent Anger and Diane S Rohlman

Psychosomatic medicine, Vol.63(5), pp.842-849

09/2001

DOI: 10.1097/00006842-200109000-00019

PMID: 11573034

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Abstract

Controversy exists concerning unexplained illness in Persian Gulf War veterans, especially regarding the contribution of psychological trauma. We sought to determine if war zone trauma or posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) are associated with illnesses reported by Gulf War veterans that were documented by medical examination but not attributable to a medical diagnosis. A total of 1119 (55% response rate) of 2022 randomly sampled veterans of the United States Persian Gulf War were screened and 237 cases and 113 controls were identified by medical examination for a case-control study comparing Persian Gulf War military veterans with or without medically documented, but unexplained, symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression and cross-validation analyses examined self-report measures of demographics, subjective physical symptoms and functioning, psychiatric symptoms, stressors, war zone trauma, and PTSS, to identify correlates of case-control status. Posttraumatic stress symptomatology and somatic complaints were independently associated with case status, as were (although less consistently) war zone trauma and depression. Age, education, and self-reported health, stress-related somatization, pain, energy/fatigue, illness-related functional impairment, recent stressors, and anxiety were univariate (but not multivariate) correlates of case status. PTSS related to war zone trauma warrants additional prospective research study and attention in clinical screening and assessment as a potential contributor to the often debilitating physical health problems experienced by Persian Gulf War veterans.

Mental Health

Multivariate Analysis

Combat Disorders - complications

Humans

Veterans - psychology

Logistic Models

Male

Persian Gulf Syndrome - etiology

Case-Control Studies

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - complications

Washington - epidemiology

Persian Gulf Syndrome - psychology

Cognition Disorders - etiology

Persian Gulf Syndrome - physiopathology

Persian Gulf Syndrome - epidemiology

Adult

Female

Combat Disorders - psychology

Veterans - statistics & numerical data

Combat Disorders - physiopathology

Health Status

Oregon - epidemiology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Posttraumatic stress symptomatology is associated with unexplained illness attributed to Persian Gulf War military service
Creators: Julian D Ford - Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, USA. Ford@Psychiatry.UCHC.edu
Keith A Campbell
Daniel Storzbach
Laurence M Binder
W Kent Anger
Diane S Rohlman
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Psychosomatic medicine, Vol.63(5), pp.842-849
DOI: 10.1097/00006842-200109000-00019
PMID: 11573034
NLM abbreviation: Psychosom Med
ISSN: 0033-3174
eISSN: 1534-7796
Publisher: United States
Language: English
Date published: 09/2001
Academic Unit: Occupational and Environmental Health; International Programs; Injury Prevention Research Center
Record Identifier: 9983997349202771

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