British Study Concludes There Is No Gulf War Syndrome
Great Britain’s government-funded Media Research Council released a study in May looking at all available scientific research on the health of British veterans of the first Persian Gulf War. It concluded that there is simply no single Gulf War Syndrome.
The MRC report concludes,
There is no unique Gulf War Syndrome. . . . In short there is no evidence from UK orientational research for a single syndrome related specifically to service in the Gulf.
. . .
The only common Gulf conflict-related experiences seem to involve ill veterans’ perception of their health. Gulf veterans do have an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder but it only affects around 3% of them, which is not enough to explain all Gulf veterans’ illnesses. Depression and alcohol are much more important health risk factors.
The report did find that Gulf War veterans were at an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder
Sources:
Gulf War Syndrome ‘does not exist’. The BBC, May 25, 2003.
No Such Thing As Gulf Syndrome, Say Scientists. Western Mail and Echo, May 26, 2003.
Gulf Syndrome ‘Does Not Exist’. Sunday Mercury, May 25, 2003.
Official: Gulf Syndrome ‘is a myth’. Colin Brown, Sunday Telegraph (London), May 25, 2003.
Veterans’ Anger At Doctors’ Attack On Gulf War Sickness Crusade. Western Daily Press, May 26, 2003.
Tags: Gulf War Syndrome