What psychological difficulties are common among Gulf War veterans?
As with most combat experiences, there are numerous psychological difficulties related to participation in the Gulf War. Depressed mood, anxiety, and related psychological symptoms (e.g., sleep difficulties, concentration problems) are quite common among GW veterans, and deployed GW veterans have more symptoms of depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse than non-deployed GW veterans (Iowa Persian Gulf Study Group, 1997). Neuropsychological testing has also revealed evidence of subtle impairments in cognitive function and mood state (White et al., 2001). Across combat situations, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common stress reactions that military personnel experience. PTSD is defined as the reaction to a severe stressor resulting in intense fear, horror, and/or helplessness. The three symptom clusters of PTSD include re-experiencing (e.g., intrusive, upsetting memories), emotional numbing and/or behavioral avoidance, and hyperarousal (e.g., difficulty sleeping, i
