“Our study calls into question whether access to care for returning veterans is adequate or needs to be enhanced. Right now, it’s up to the U.S. Congress to determine,” said Dr. Doebbeling.
This large population based study examined fifth-year post-conflict visits for both physical and mental illnesses of military personnel from Iowa on active duty August 1990 to July 1991. In both the deployed and nondeployed veterans, National Guard and Reserve personnel were more likely to have been hospitalized than regular military personnel.
Veterans who served in the Gulf were more often younger, male, enlisted, less educated and more likely to serve in the Army or Marines than non-deployed veterans.
The study noted that many Persian Gulf War personnel reported a variety of symptoms, such as body pain, difficulty thinking, depression, and other complaints. Theoretically, given their symptoms, these veterans should have higher health-care use than nondeployed Persian Gulf War–era veterans.
The study authors suggest two explanations for their findings. The higher probability of emergency department visits by Persian Gulf War veterans could have resulted from limited access to outpatient services. Alternatively, veterans could have had higher rates of accidents and injuries.
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In addition to Dr. Doebbeling, co-authors of the study, funded by the Department of Defense, are Drew A. Helmer, M.D., Mindy E. Flanagan, Ph.D., and Robert F. Woolson, PhD. |
