Gulf war syndrome may be post-conflict dysfunction

doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7342.914/a

BMJ 2002;324:914 ( 13 April )

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Gulf war syndrome may be post-conflict dysfunction

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EDITOR $---$ We have read the results of the questionnaire based study by Chalder et al from the Gulf war research unit at King'sCollege.¹ They found that 17% of the 2961 Gulf war veteransbelieve themselves to be suffering from Gulf war syndrome, althoughthe group has found no evidence to support such a syndrome.²The veterans' belief was reinforced if they knew someone withsimilar symptoms. We believe that this represents post-conflictdysfunction expressed according to health beliefs prevailing atthe time the questionnaire wasadministered.

Hyams et al investigated the health of veterans without organic disease from conflicts since the American civil war ("disorderedaction of the heart").³ He showed that veterans complainedof a range of physical and cognitive symptoms, the nature of whichwas independent of the conflict and gained diagnoses based onthe then current aetiological beliefs. The Gulf veterans' medicalassessment programme of the . . . [Full text of this article]

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Prevalence of Gulf war veterans who believe they have Gulf war syndrome: questionnaire study: T Chalder, M Hotopf, C Unwin, L Hull, K Ismail, A David, and S Wessely
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Rapid Responses:

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