Biomarker Discovery in Gulf War Veterans: Development of a War Illness Diagnostic Panel

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

Award Number: W81XWH-12-1-0382 TITLE: Biomarker Discovery in Gulf War Veterans: Development of a War Illness Diagnostic Panel PRINCIPAL...SUBTITLE Biomarker Discovery in Gulf War Veterans: Development of a War Illness Diagnostic Panel 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W81XWH-12-1-0382 5b. GRANT...of the 1990-1991 Gulf War are affected by Gulf War illness (GWI), the chronic condition currently defined only by veterans’ self-reported symptoms

Treatment-seeking veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan: comparison with veterans of previous wars.

Science.gov (United States)

Fontana, Alan; Rosenheck, Robert

2008-07-01

Differences in the characteristics and mental health needs of veterans of the Iraq/Afghanistan war when compared with those of veterans who served in the Persian Gulf war and in the Vietnam war may have important implications for Veterans Affairs (VA) program and treatment planning. Subjects were drawn from administrative data bases of veterans who sought treatment from specialized VA programs for treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Current Iraq/Afghanistan veterans were compared with 4 samples of outpatient and inpatient Persian Gulf and Vietnam veterans whose admission to treatment was either contemporaneous or noncontemporaneous with their admission. A series of analyses of covariance was used hierachically to control for program site and age. In analyses of contemporaneous veterans uncontrolled for age, Iraq/Afghanistan veterans differed most notably from Vietnam veterans by being younger, more likely to be female, less likely to be either married or separated/divorced, more often working, less likely to have ever been incarcerated, and less likely to report exposure to atrocities in the military. Regarding clinical status, Iraq/Afghanistan veterans were less often diagnosed with substance abuse disorders, manifested more violent behavior, and had lower rates of VA disability compensation because of PTSD. Differences are more muted in comparisons with Persian Gulf veterans, particularly in those involving noncontemporaneous samples, or those that controlled for age differences. Among recent war veterans with PTSD, social functioning has largely been left intact. There is a window of opportunity, therefore, for developing and focusing on treatment interventions that emphasize the preservation of these social assets.

Invisible Infantry: Mexicans in World War II

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Enrique Plasencia de la Parra

2003-04-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses the  participation of Mexican  and  Mexican- American troops in the United States army during World War II. Recruiting, discrimination, their  role  in the  armed forces  and their reinsertion into society once the war ended, are examined. Special emphasis is placed  on the  Hispanics  fight for their  civil and political rights that was carried on very actively by many War veterans.

Chromosome aberration analysis in peripheral lymphocytes of Gulf war and Balkans war veterans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schroeder, H.; Heimers, A.; Frentzel-Beyme, R.; Schott, A.; Hoffmann, W

2003-07-01

Chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were determined in standard peripheral lymphocyte metaphase preparations of 13 British Gulf War veterans, two veterans of the recent war in the Balkans, and one veteran of both wars. All 16 volunteers suspect exposures to depleted uranium while deployed at the two different theatres of war in 1990 and later on. The Bremen laboratory control served as a reference in this study. Compared with this control there was a statistically significant increase in the frequency of dicentric chromosomes (dic) and centric ring chromosomes (cR) in the veterans' group, indicating a previous exposure to ionising radiation. The statistically significant overdispersion of dic and cR indicates non-uniform irradiation as would be expected after non-uniform exposure and/or exposure to radiation with a high linear energy transfer. The frequency of SCEs was decreased when compared with the laboratory control. (author)

Chromosome aberration analysis in peripheral lymphocytes of Gulf war and Balkans war veterans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schroeder, H.; Heimers, A.; Frentzel-Beyme, R.; Schott, A.; Hoffmann, W.

2003-01-01

Chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were determined in standard peripheral lymphocyte metaphase preparations of 13 British Gulf War veterans, two veterans of the recent war in the Balkans, and one veteran of both wars. All 16 volunteers suspect exposures to depleted uranium while deployed at the two different theatres of war in 1990 and later on. The Bremen laboratory control served as a reference in this study. Compared with this control there was a statistically significant increase in the frequency of dicentric chromosomes (dic) and centric ring chromosomes (cR) in the veterans' group, indicating a previous exposure to ionising radiation. The statistically significant overdispersion of dic and cR indicates non-uniform irradiation as would be expected after non-uniform exposure and/or exposure to radiation with a high linear energy transfer. The frequency of SCEs was decreased when compared with the laboratory control. (author)

Will the war for the Croatian Homeland War veterans ever end?

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Rak, Davor; Matić, Aldenita; Rak, Benedict

2014-12-01

The aim of this paper is to show the psychological consequences of participation in the Homeland War and experienced trauma which can indirectly be seen through drawing even after more than 15 years after the war had ended. The research was conducted on a sample of 125 patients of both genders treated in the Daily Hospital program of University Hospital Dubrava, Psychiatry Clinics. All the tested had trauma in their medical history and all of them met the PTSD diagnostic criteria, 75 examinees participated in the Homeland War and they represent the veteran group, and 50 examinees went through a stressful situation during peacetime and they represent the civilian group. All the examinees had to make two individual drawings, and the task was to portray feelings of term "love" (first drawing) and term "hate" (second drawing). They could choose motifs and colors freely. When portraying the term love, choice of motifs between the civilian and the veteran group wasn't considerably different, and only a small number of male veteran population (6.6%) drawings hinted at the connection with the Homeland War. The results between two groups are completely different in portraying the term hate. As much as 76% examinees from the veteran group have unequivocally and directly decided to portray wartime motifs, unlike the civilian group whose use of wartime motifs was just 10%. When choosing color, nearly 90% of the veteran group used neutral and cool colors to portray the term hate.

Reporting Military Sexual Trauma: A Mixed-Methods Study of Women Veterans' Experiences Who Served From World War II to the War in Afghanistan.

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Wolff, Kristina B; Mills, Peter D

2016-08-01

Since 2004, there has been increased effort to reduce military sexual trauma (MST) in the U.S. military. Although MST covers a range of inappropriate behaviors, the majority of research, treatment, and outreach are focused on sexual assault and the experiences of individuals serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. During a study on veterans' involvement in a national peace organization, participants were asked about their military experiences. Veterans served from World War II to current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Emerging out of the responses were descriptions of women's experiences with MST, barriers to reporting incidents of sexual misconduct and sexual assault, and the challenges they faced when seeking care. Data were gathered using anonymous questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Out of 52 female veterans, the majority (90%) was subjected to at least one form of MST, and 15% (8) attempted to report the incident(s). Over half of the assailants were of a higher rank than the survivors. The majority of veterans remained silent due to lack of options to report, the status of perpetrators, and fear of retaliation. These data provide a glimpse into the challenges many women veterans faced when seeking assistance reporting incidents or obtaining health care for their MST. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Aggression, Anxiety, and Social Development in Adolescent Children of War Veterans with PTSD Versus those of Non-Veterans

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Gh Ahmadzadeh

2004-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Evaluation of psychological problems in children of war veterans with PTSD can be the first step in improving the war – related trauma and interrupting the known phenomenon of transgeneration transmission of this trauma. Methods: Using three self – administered questionnaires, this study was carried out to compare aggression, anxiety, and social development (as some of the most expected mental health problems in this group according to literature in adolescent children of war veterans and those of non-veterans. The two groups were matched regarding sex, academic achievement, stage of education, and economic status of the family. Results: After controlling the level of parental education (as a confounding variable, a higher rate of aggression and anxiety was found in adolescent children of war veterans with PTSD but the two groups showed no significant difference in social development. Conclusion: The higher rate of anxiety and aggression among children of war veterans with PTSD along with many other factors such as low socioeconomic status in this group signifies the importance of mental health screening programs and appropriate interventions in this group. Keywords: Aggression, Social Development, Anxiety, War Veterans, PTSD, Adolescent.

Conduct disorder, war zone stress, and war-related posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in American Indian Vietnam veterans.

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Dillard, Denise; Jacobsen, Clemma; Ramsey, Scott; Manson, Spero

2007-02-01

This study examined whether conduct disorder (CD) was associated with war zone stress and war-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in American Indian (AI) Vietnam veterans. Cross-sectional lay-interview data was analyzed for 591 male participants from the American Indian Vietnam Veterans Project. Logistic regression evaluated the association of CD with odds of high war zone stress and linear regression evaluated the association of CD and PTSD symptom severity. Childhood CD was not associated with increased odds of high war zone stress. Conduct disorder was associated with elevated war-related PTSD symptoms among male AI Vietnam Veterans independent of war zone stress level and other mediators. Future efforts should examine reasons for this association and if the association exists in other AI populations.

38 CFR 3.712 - Improved pension elections; surviving spouses of Spanish-American War veterans.

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2010-07-01

... elections; surviving spouses of Spanish-American War veterans. 3.712 Section 3.712 Pensions, Bonuses, and... spouses of Spanish-American War veterans. (a) General. A surviving spouse of a Spanish-American War... and attendance. A surviving spouse of a Spanish-American War veteran who is receiving or entitled to...

78 FR 36309 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, Notice of Meeting

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2013-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, Notice... Act, 5 U.S.C. App., that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... operations during the Gulf War. [[Page 36310

Female Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan seeking care from VA specialized PTSD Programs: comparison with male veterans and female war zone veterans of previous eras.

Science.gov (United States)

Fontana, Alan; Rosenheck, Robert; Desai, Rani

2010-04-01

Differences in the characteristics and mental health needs of female veterans of the Iraq/Afghanistan war compared with those of veterans of other wars may have useful implications for VA program and treatment planning. Female veterans reporting service in the Iraq/Afghanistan war were compared with women reporting service in the Persian Gulf and Vietnam wars and to men reporting service in the Iraq/Afghanistan war. Subjects were drawn from VA administrative data on veterans who sought outpatient treatment from specialized posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment programs. A series of analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to control for program site and age. In general, Iraq/Afghanistan and Persian Gulf women had less severe psychopathology and more social supports than did Vietnam women. In turn, Iraq/Afghanistan women had less severe psychopathology than Persian Gulf women and were exposed to less sexual and noncombat nonsexual trauma than their Persian Gulf counterparts. Notable differences were also found between female and male veterans of the Iraq/Afghanistan war. Women had fewer interpersonal and economic supports, had greater exposure to different types of trauma, and had different levels of diverse types of pathology than their male counterparts. There appear to be sufficient differences within women reporting service in different war eras and between women and men receiving treatment in VA specialized treatment programs for PTSD that consideration should be given to program planning and design efforts that address these differences in every program treating female veterans reporting war zone service.

Association of Islamic Prayer with Psychological Stability in Bosnian War Veterans.

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Pajević, Izet; Sinanović, Osman; Hasanović, Mevludin

2017-12-01

To compare the outcomes among war veterans who pray/do not pray and who were not suffering mental disorders after the Bosnia-Herzegovina war (1992-95). The sample consists of 100 healthy Bosnian war veterans divided in two equal groups-one, a highly religious group inside which were individuals who perform five obligatory prayers every day, and another group of individuals who do not practice any daily prayer. We used Minnesota Multiphase Personal Inventory (MMPI), Profile Index of Emotions (PIE) and Life Style Questionnaire (LSQ). War veterans who prayed had significantly higher levels for: incorporation, self-protection, and for reactive formation; but significantly lower levels for regression, compensation, transfer, no-controlling, oppositional and aggressiveness than their peers who did not pray. Practicing religion (regular performing daily prayers) is associated with reduction of tendencies towards the tendency for risk, impulsiveness, and aggression. It is also associated with successful overcoming of emotional conflicts in war veterans who practiced religion than their peers who did not practice religion.

Late-life functional capacity and health among Finnish war veterans:Veteran Project 1992 and 2004 surveys

OpenAIRE

Leskinen, R. (Riitta)

2015-01-01

Abstract Becoming involved in war is an experience that has the potential to shape later-life health. The aim of the present study was to explore Finnish Second World War veterans’ health status and the determinants of self-rated health (SRH) and functional capacity, especially the ability to walk, and to identify risk factors and their combinations that predict late-life mortality among veterans. The study population comprised Finnish Second World War veterans who participated in the ...

77 FR 31071 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, Notice of Meeting

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2012-05-24

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee will review VA program activities related...

75 FR 28686 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

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2010-05-21

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee will review VA program activities related...

76 FR 9407 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

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2011-02-17

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee will review VA program activities...

75 FR 65405 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

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2010-10-22

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee will review VA program activities related...

75 FR 8789 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

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2010-02-25

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee will review VA program activities related to Gulf...

76 FR 31018 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

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2011-05-27

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... consequences of military service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee...

77 FR 2353 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

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2012-01-17

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... consequences of military service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee...

78 FR 77205 - Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice of Meeting

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2013-12-20

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses; Notice... Advisory Committee Act) that the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses will meet on... service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Gulf War. The Committee will review VA...

Alcohol use and substance use disorders in Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq War veterans compared with nondeployed military personnel.

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Kelsall, Helen Louise; Wijesinghe, Millawage Supun Dilara; Creamer, Mark Christopher; McKenzie, Dean Philip; Forbes, Andrew Benjamin; Page, Matthew James; Sim, Malcolm Ross

2015-01-01

Although recent veterans have been found to be at increased risk of psychiatric disorders, limited research has focused on alcohol or substance use disorders. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined whether alcohol or substance use disorders were more common in Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq War veterans compared with military comparison groups nondeployed to the corresponding conflict, including never deployed personnel. Literature was searched (1990-2014) in multiple electronic databases. Studies were assessed for eligibility and quality, including risk of bias. Eighteen studies (1997-2014) met inclusion criteria. Pooled analysis based on a random-effects model yielded a summary odds ratio of 1.33 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22, 1.46) for alcohol (7 studies) and 2.13 (95% CI: 0.96, 4.72) for substance use (3 studies) disorders among Gulf War veterans, as well as 1.36 (95% CI: 1.11, 1.66) for alcohol (7 studies) and 1.14 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.25) for substance use (4 studies) disorders among Iraq/Afghanistan veterans; meta-regressions found no statistically significant association between theater of war and alcohol use or substance use disorders. Our findings indicate that Gulf and Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans are at higher alcohol use disorder risk than nondeployed veterans, but further studies with increased power are needed to assess substance use disorder risk in Gulf War veteran populations. © Commonwealth of Australia 2015.

Gulf War veterans' health: medical evaluation of a U.S. cohort.

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Eisen, Seth A; Kang, Han K; Murphy, Frances M; Blanchard, Melvin S; Reda, Domenic J; Henderson, William G; Toomey, Rosemary; Jackson, Leila W; Alpern, Renee; Parks, Becky J; Klimas, Nancy; Hall, Coleen; Pak, Hon S; Hunter, Joyce; Karlinsky, Joel; Battistone, Michael J; Lyons, Michael J

2005-06-07

United States military personnel reported various symptoms after deployment to the Persian Gulf during the 1991 Gulf War. However, the symptoms' long-term prevalence and association with deployment remain controversial. To assess and compare the prevalence of selected medical conditions in a national cohort of deployed and nondeployed Gulf War veterans who were evaluated by direct medical and teledermatologic examinations. A cross-sectional prevalence study performed 10 years after the 1991 Gulf War. Veterans were examined at 1 of 16 Veterans Affairs medical centers. Deployed (n = 1061) and nondeployed (n = 1128) veterans of the 1991 Gulf War. Primary outcome measures included fibromyalgia, the chronic fatigue syndrome, dermatologic conditions, dyspepsia, physical health-related quality of life (Short Form-36 [SF-36]), hypertension, obstructive lung disease, arthralgias, and peripheral neuropathy. Of 12 conditions, only 4 conditions were more prevalent among deployed than nondeployed veterans: fibromyalgia (deployed, 2.0%; nondeployed, 1.2%; odds ratio, 2.32 [95% CI, 1.02 to 5.27]); the chronic fatigue syndrome (deployed, 1.6%; nondeployed 0.1%; odds ratio, 40.6 [CI, 10.2 to 161]); dermatologic conditions (deployed, 34.6%; nondeployed, 26.8%; odds ratio, 1.38 [CI, 1.06 to 1.80]), and dyspepsia (deployed, 9.1%; nondeployed, 6.0%; odds ratio, 1.87 [CI, 1.16 to 2.99]). The mean physical component summary score of the SF-36 for deployed and nondeployed veterans was 49.3 and 50.8, respectively. Relatively low participation rates introduce potential participation bias, and deployment-related illnesses that resolved before the research examination could not, by design, be detected. Ten years after the Gulf War, the physical health of deployed and nondeployed veterans is similar. However, Gulf War deployment is associated with an increased risk for fibromyalgia, the chronic fatigue syndrome, skin conditions, dyspepsia, and a clinically insignificant decrease in the SF-36

Suicide among War Veterans

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Vsevolod Rozanov

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Studies aiming to identify if war veterans are at higher risk of suicide have often produced inconsistent results; this could be due to the complexity of comparisons and different methodological approaches. It should be noted that this contingent has many risk factors, such as stressful exposures, wounds, brain trauma and pain syndrome. Most recent observations confirm that veterans are really more likely to die of suicide as compared to the general population; they are also more likely to experience suicidal ideation and suffer from mental health problems. Suicides are more frequent in those who develop PTSD, depression and comorbid states due to war exposure. Combat stress and its’ frequency may be an important factor leading to suicide within the frame of the stress-vulnerability model. According to this model, the effects of stress may interact with social factors, interpersonal relations and psychological variables producing suicidal tendencies. Modern understanding of stress-vulnerability mechanisms based on genetic predispositions, early life development, level of exposure to stress and stress-reactivity together with interpersonal aspects may help to build more effective suicide prevention programs based on universal/selective/indicated prevention principles.

Suicide among war veterans.

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Rozanov, Vsevolod; Carli, Vladimir

2012-07-01

Studies aiming to identify if war veterans are at higher risk of suicide have often produced inconsistent results; this could be due to the complexity of comparisons and different methodological approaches. It should be noted that this contingent has many risk factors, such as stressful exposures, wounds, brain trauma and pain syndrome. Most recent observations confirm that veterans are really more likely to die of suicide as compared to the general population; they are also more likely to experience suicidal ideation and suffer from mental health problems. Suicides are more frequent in those who develop PTSD, depression and comorbid states due to war exposure. Combat stress and its' frequency may be an important factor leading to suicide within the frame of the stress-vulnerability model. According to this model, the effects of stress may interact with social factors, interpersonal relations and psychological variables producing suicidal tendencies. Modern understanding of stress-vulnerability mechanisms based on genetic predispositions, early life development, level of exposure to stress and stress-reactivity together with interpersonal aspects may help to build more effective suicide prevention programs based on universal/selective/indicated prevention principles.

Accessibility and acceptability of the Department of Veteran Affairs health care: diverse veterans' perspectives.

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Damron-Rodriguez, JoAnn; White-Kazemipour, Whitney; Washington, Donna; Villa, Valentine M; Dhanani, Shawkat; Harada, Nancy D

2004-03-01

Diverse veteran's perspectives on the accessibility and acceptability of the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) health services are presented. The qualitative methodology uses 16 focus groups (N = 178) stratified by war cohort (World War II and Korean Conflict versus Vietnam War and Persian Gulf War) and four ethnic/racial categories (African American, Asian American, European American, Hispanic American). Five themes emerged regarding veterans' health care expectations: (1) better information regarding available services, (2) sense of deserved benefits, (3) concern about welfare stigma, (4) importance of physician attentiveness, and (5) staff respect for patients as veterans. Although veterans' ethnic/racial backgrounds differentiated their military experiences, it was the informants' veteran identity that framed what they expected of VA health services. Accessibility and acceptability of VA health care is related to veterans' perspectives of the nature of their entitlement to service. Provider education and customer service strategies should consider the identified factors to increase access to VA as well as improve veterans' acceptance of the care.

Identity Loss and Recovery in the Life Stories of Soviet World War II Veterans

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Coleman, Peter G.; Podolskij, Andrei

2007-01-01

Purpose: We examined the adjustment to societal change following the fall of communism in a group of Soviet war veterans from Russia and the Ukraine. The focus of the study was on the dynamics of identity development, and especially generativity, in a period of intense social upheaval. Design and Methods: We administered measures of self-esteem,…

Persistent Social Networks: Civil War Veterans Who Fought Together Co-Locate in Later Life.

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Costa, Dora L; Kahn, Matthew E; Roudiez, Christopher; Wilson, Sven

2018-05-01

We demonstrate the long reach of early social ties in the location decision of individuals and in their older age mortality risk using data on Union Army veterans of the US Civil War (1861-5). We estimate discrete choice migration models to quantify the trade-offs across locations faced by veterans. Veterans were more likely to move to a neighborhood or county where men from their same war company lived and were more likely to move to such areas than to areas where other veterans were located. Veterans also were less likely to move far from their origin and avoided urban immigrant areas and high mortality risk areas. They also avoided areas that opposed the Civil War. This co-location evidence highlights the existence of persistent social networks. Such social networks had long-term consequences: veterans living close to war-time comrades had a 6% lower probability of dying.

The experience of death anxiety in Iranian war veterans: a phenomenology study.

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Sharif Nia, Hamid; Ebadi, Abbas; Lehto, Rebecca H; Peyrovi, Hamid

2015-01-01

Recognition of death anxiety experienced by patients who have survived violence and threats to life during war is of strong importance in delivery of best care for veterans experiencing health stressors. The aim of the study was to explore the death anxiety experience of veterans from the Iran-Iraq war. Using a phenomenological approach, 11 war veterans were interviewed related to death anxiety experiences. Four major themes included afterlife fears; alienated farewell; ambiguous separation; and physical dissolution. Patients who have been exposed to death trauma in the battlefield may carry added burden from unique cognitions and fears related to personal death.

Elevated sister chromatid exchange frequencies in New Zealand Vietnam War veterans.

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Rowland, R E; Edwards, L A; Podd, J V

2007-01-01

From July 1965 until November 1971, New Zealand Defence Force Personnel fought in the Vietnam War. During this time more than 76,500,000 litres of phenoxylic herbicides were sprayed over parts of Southern Vietnam and Laos, the most common being known as 'Agent Orange'. The current study aimed to ascertain whether or not New Zealand Vietnam War veterans show evidence of genetic disturbance arising as a consequence of their now confirmed exposure to these defoliants. A sample group of 24 New Zealand Vietnam War veterans and 23 control volunteers were compared using an SCE (sister chromatid exchange) analysis. The results from the SCE study show a highly significant difference (P Vietnam War veterans studied here were exposed to a clastogenic substance(s) which continues to exert an observable genetic effect today, and suggest that this is attributable to their service in Vietnam. Copyright 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Major reproductive health characteristics in male Gulf War Veterans. The Danish Gulf War Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ishøy, T; Andersson, A M; Suadicani, Poul Vilhelm

2001-01-01

The male reproductive system could have been affected by various hazardous agents and exposures during and in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War scenario. We tested the hypothesis that, compared to controls, male Danish Gulf War Veterans would have adverse sex hormone levels, decreased fertility...

Health Status of Gulf War and Era Veterans Serving in the US Military in 2000.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Ben; Long, Kyna; Rull, Rudolph P; Dursa, Erin K

2018-05-01

This research describes Gulf War and era veterans enrolled in the Millennium Cohort Study, who were sampled from US military personnel serving in 2000, and compares health characteristics of this sample to a Department of Veterans Affairs study sampled from the complete population. Demographics characteristics of this sample were described. Self-reported health characteristics were compared between the two studies. Gulf War and era veterans in the Millennium Cohort were generally healthier than in the VA study; they had fewer medical conditions and mental health disorders and better self-reported health. In both studies, Gulf War veterans had poorer health outcomes than era veterans. The Millennium Cohort Study is a unique resource for examining the long-term health effects of Gulf War deployment, particularly comparing deployed and nondeployed personnel and examining illnesses with long latencies.

Demobilization and social reintegration of Brazilian and American troops of World War II: a comparative study

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Francisco Cesar Alves Ferraz

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to discuss the results of a comparative study of demobilization and social reintegration of Brazilian and American veterans of World War II. . In spite of the obvious difference in scale of the two military experiences, I argue that the study of the two experiences can offer new insights into lights on various common issues to both countries: the relationship between the societies and their armed forces, between the governments and their citizens, social and racial inequalities and, finally, the experiences of building welfare state structures during the war and postwar periods. Based on international studies of demobilization and social integration war veterans, the variables that were decisive for the success or failure of adaptation were: a past experiences in the reintegration of war veterans; b the nature and consequences of recruitment of future veterans; c planning by the State and the Armed Forces of procedures for post-bellum demobilization and reintegration; d the implementation of demobilization and the effects within the military institution and in civil society.

"The implacable deafness of Imperial authorities”: Veterans demands after the Paraguayan War (1870-1889

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Maria Regina Santos de Souza

2017-06-01

Full Text Available After the war in Paraguay, Brazilian government did not care for the rights granted to veterans, such as pensions, public jobs, land and finantial compensation. This became a serious problem for those veterans. Many faced the disorganization and lack of legal knowledge of the state bureaucracy.This article discusses the struggles of Veterans of Ceará for war rights.

Trial of Naltrexone and Dextromethorphan for Gulf War Veterans’ Illness

Science.gov (United States)

2015-07-01

1 Award Number: W81XWH-09-2-0065 TITLE: Trial of Naltrexone and Dextromethorphan for Gulf War Veterans’ Illness PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: William J... Dextromethorphan for Gulf War Veterans’ Illness 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W81XWH-09-2-0065 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) William...is related to low grade neuron-inflammation, which can be down regulated, by Naltrexone and Dextromethorphan . This is untested but potentially

75 FR 5767 - Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction; Meeting

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2010-02-04

... Nagasaki, Japan; and veterans who were prisoners of war in those regions at the conclusion of World War II... Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction. Written statements should be no longer than two type...

The most important parameters of life quality of the Great Patriotic War veterans

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Yuanov A.A.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose of the study was to estimate current state of quality of life of Great Patriotic War veterans. Materials and methods. The study included 368 veterans of the Great Patriotic War according to Federal State "Concerning veterans" #5, 1995. Protocol of the study included adapted fragments of WHOQOL, WHOQOL-Old, SF-36, SIP questioners as well as visually-analog scale of self-assessment of quality of life with further going quality of life index calculations. Re-sults. In the studied sample of the Great Patriotic War (GPW veterans including long-livers comparably was detected high level of quality of life (QOL by physical criteria and independence level. It was revealed that QOL by self-service criteria in the GPW veterans was low and extremely variable by other criteria groups. Both ageing and gender influenced upon physical activity, self-service and QOL self-assessment. Women were outstanding by psychological criteria and independence with no association with age group. Conclusion. QOL indication in the GPW veterans of studied sample elucidated a satisfactory level of healthcare in the region, which allows veterans in certain way preserve both physical and psychological health, as well as grounds positive self-assessment of personal position in society and values system according to their life-goals and expectations.

20 CFR 404.1361 - Federal benefit payable other than by Veterans Administration.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Uniformed Services Effect of Other Benefits on Payment of Social Security Benefits and Payments § 404.1361... Veterans Administration. 404.1361 Section 404.1361 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION... on the veteran's World War II or post-World War II active service before we determine and certify...

Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Children of War Veterans in Kosovo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MA. Eglantina Kraja

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to explore internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescent children of veterans of the war in Kosovo (1998-1999. The results of this study are quite interesting from the perspective of the dilemma for the state of the children of veterans even 15 years after the war ended. Parents’ emotional problems affect the functioning of the family in general and children in particular. Children can react to symptoms of parents by developing different symptoms as trouble sleeping, appetite loss, emotional instability or even problems in development, according to research done on children's reactions to the problems of parents explained by interactions between environment, brain and behaviour driven by trauma. The results of this study have shown that the internalizing problems have not shown gender differences, meantime externalizing problems were found higher in male participants. An interesting finding of this study was the highest scores of emotional problems in children born before and during the war, compare to those born after the war ended. We also found that anxiety problems in children [R2= .83, p < .001] were a significant predictor of internalizing problems. The assessment of the scale of positive qualities [R2= .19, p < .001] was also found to be a significant predictor for externalizing problems.Only 0.8% of the variance of internalizing problems was explained by the income. Considering that the subject of this study were adolescent children of war veterans of the 1999 conflict in Kosovo, we must take into account that the post-traumatic stress disorder is a very frequent problem among war veterans and that its impact on their personal and family life cannot be overlooked.

My Wartime Self: Meaning Construction in Narratives of World War II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie B. Wiest

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We are all storytellers. We tell stories in a variety of settings, to a variety of audiences, and for a variety of reasons. We tell structured stories about personal experiences—narratives—as a means of understanding the past, constructing identities, and communicating ourselves to others. Drawing on social psychological literature on narratives, identities, and autobiographical memories, this study examines the construction, recitation, and evaluation of 28 World War II veterans’ narratives. Findings indicate cultural influences in the ways these veterans constructed their war stories, the ways they constructed meanings about their war experiences, and the ways they constructed their identities in relation to those experiences.

Trends in brain cancer mortality among U.S. Gulf War veterans: 21 year follow-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Barth, Shannon K; Dursa, Erin K; Bossarte, Robert M; Schneiderman, Aaron I

2017-10-01

Previous mortality studies of U.S. Gulf War veterans through 2000 and 2004 have shown an increased risk of brain cancer mortality among some deployed individuals. When veterans possibly exposed to environmental contaminants associated with demolition of the Khamisiyah Ammunition Storage Facility at Khamisiyah, Iraq, have been compared to contemporaneously deployed unexposed veterans, the results have suggested increased risk for mortality from brain cancer among the exposed. Brain cancer mortality risk in this cohort has not been updated since 2004. This study analyzes the risk for brain cancer mortality between 1991-2011 through two series of comparisons: U.S. Gulf War deployed and non-deployed veterans from the same era; and veterans possibly exposed to environmental contaminants at Khamisiyah compared to contemporaneously deployed but unexposed U.S. Gulf War veterans. Risk of brain cancer mortality was determined using logistic regression. Life test hazard models were created to plot comparisons of annual hazard rates. Joinpoint regression models were applied to assess trends in hazard rates for brain cancer mortality. U.S. Army veterans possibly exposed at Khamisiyah had similar rates of brain cancer mortality compared to those not possibly exposed; however, veterans possibly exposed had a higher risk of brain cancer in the time period immediately following the Gulf War. Results from these analyses suggest that veterans possibly exposed at Khamisiyah experienced different patterns of brain cancer mortality risk compared to the other groups. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The role of sexual assault on the risk of PTSD among Gulf War veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Han; Dalager, Nancy; Mahan, Clare; Ishii, Erick

2005-03-01

The 1991 Gulf War was the first major military deployment where female troops were integrated into almost every military unit, except for combat ground units. We evaluated the impact of reported sexual trauma during this deployment on the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the war. A nested case-control analysis was conducted using the data collected in a population-based health survey of 30,000 Gulf War era veterans. A total of 1381 Gulf War veterans with current PTSD were compared with 10,060 Gulf veteran controls without PTSD for self-reported in-theater experiences of sexual harassment/assault and combat exposure. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for PTSD associated with a report of sexual assault was 5.41 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.19-9.17) in female veterans and 6.21 (95% CI, 2.26-17.04) in male veterans. The aOR for PTSD associated with "high" combat exposure was also statistically significant (aOR, 4.03 [95% CI, 1.97-8.23] for females; aOR, 4.45 [95% CI, 3.54-5.60] for males). Notwithstanding a possibility of recall bias of combat and sexual trauma, for both men and women, sexual trauma as well as combat exposure appear to be strong risk factors for PTSD.

76 FR 11935 - Death of Army Corporal Frank W. Buckles, the Last Surviving American Veteran of World War I

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-03

... of Army Corporal Frank W. Buckles, the Last Surviving American Veteran of World War I By the... Corporal Frank W. Buckles, the last surviving American veteran of World War I, and in remembrance of the generation of American veterans of World War I, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the...

Increased psychological distress among Danish Gulf War veterans--without evidence for a neurotoxic background. The Danish Gulf War Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ishøy, Torben; Knop, Joachim; Suadicani, Poul

2004-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Compared with controls, up to six years after their return, Danish Gulf War veterans have a significantly higher prevalence of self-reported neuropsychological symptoms, potentially as a result of neurotoxic exposure during deployment. We tested the hypotheses that: 1) GW veterans...... of neuropsychological symptoms, and stratified according to SCL-90-R score, no trends were found suggesting reduced motor function with increasing symptoms. Of nine dimensions constructed on the basis of the SCL-90-R items, six were significantly associated with being a Gulf War veteran. Statistically, the strongest...... would perform less well than controls using a computerized neuromotor test battery; and that 2) GW veterans have a psychological profile different from that of controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 686 subjects who had been deployed in the Persian Gulf within the period August 2...

Posttraumatic stress disorder and art group therapy: Self-expression of traumatic inner world of war veterans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mandić-Gajić Gordana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. Art therapy and drawings may serve as alternative means of expression and release from trauma among veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD. Methods. The retrospective clinical study of drawings of war veterans was performed. A total of 89 war veterans met the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV PTSD criteria and were consecutively admitted to the Day Hospital during 5 years. Art group therapy as part of integrative treatment was performed once a week. The group was open and heterogeneous. Qualitative analysis of drawings content and group protocols were obtained. The drawings were made by free associations. War related themes were explored and descriptive statistics were applied. Results. The most frequent type of common themes of combat stress presented battle and witnessing wounded and killed combatants. Less frequent were themes of graves, destroyed cities and broken trees. The veterans preferred black and red colors with association to death, blood, wounds and destroyed objects. Conclusion. Drawing could provide a unique, complex, visual illustration of war traumatic experiences and memories of posttraumatic stress disorder veterans. Art group discussion might enhance war veterans’ verbal expression due to group support in safe setting. As adjuvant psychotherapy, art group therapy could enrich awareness and the ability of clinicians to treat hard posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms related to uncovered war trauma.

The Postwar Hospitalization Experience of Gulf War Veterans Participating in U.S. Health Registries

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Smith, Tyler C; Jimenez, Dinice L; Smith, Besa; Gray, Gregory C; Hooper, Tomoko I

2004-01-01

Although the US military experienced relatively low combat casualty rates during the Gulf War there has been concern that exposures occurring during the war may have resulted in postwar morbidity among Gulf War veterans...

Mortality of Air Force veterans exposed to herbicides during the Vietnam War

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ketchum, N.; Michalek, J. [Air Force Research Laboratory, San Antonio, TX (United States)

2004-09-15

The long-term effects of herbicide exposure on human health are not fully known and remain controversial. Herbicides were used by US forces for defoliation and crop destruction during the Vietnam War. The toxic effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin), the contaminant found in Agent Orange and other herbicides sprayed during the war, continue to be of concern more than thirty years after the war. Studies of the post-service mortality experience of Vietnam veterans have given mixed results. The US Army Chemical Corps Study1 reported an increased risk of death due to digestive diseases and a non-significant increase in the risk of death from cancer. A study of Australian Army veterans reported an increased risk of death due to digestive diseases but no increases due to cancer. However, a study of women veterans3 found an increased risk of death due to pancreatic cancer and a study of Vietnam veterans from Michigan6 reported an excess of deaths due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The Air Force Health Study is a prospective epidemiological study of the health, mortality and reproductive outcomes of veterans of Operation Ranch Hand, the unit responsible for aerially spraying herbicides in Vietnam from 1962 to 1971. The study, now in its 22{sup nd} year, began in 1982 and will conclude in 2006. Here we update our second report by summarizing current all-cause and cause-specific post-service mortality in veterans of Operation Ranch Hand.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and art group therapy: Self-expression of traumatic inner world of war veterans

OpenAIRE

Mandić-Gajić Gordana; Špirić Željko

2016-01-01

Background/Aim. Art therapy and drawings may serve as alternative means of expression and release from trauma among veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods. The retrospective clinical study of drawings of war veterans was performed. A total of 89 war veterans met the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) PTSD criteria and were consecutively admitted to the Day Hospital during 5 years. Art group therapy...

Self-report and longitudinal predictors of violence in Iraq and Afghanistan war era veterans.

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Elbogen, Eric B; Johnson, Sally C; Newton, Virginia M; Fuller, Sara; Wagner, H Ryan; Beckham, Jean C

2013-10-01

This study, using a longitudinal design, attempted to identify whether self-reported problems with violence were empirically associated with future violent behavior among Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and whether and how collateral informant interviews enhanced the risk assessment process. Data were gathered from N = 300 participants (n = 150 dyads of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and family/friends). The veterans completed baseline and follow-up interviews 3 years later on average, and family/friends provided collateral data on dependent measures at follow-up. Analyses showed that aggression toward others at follow-up was associated with younger age, posttraumatic stress disorder, combat exposure, and a history of having witnessed parental violence growing up. Self-reported problems controlling violence at baseline had robust statistical power in predicting aggression toward others at follow-up. Collateral report enhanced detection of dependent variables: 20% of cases positive for violence toward others would have been missed relying only on self-report. The results identify a subset of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans at higher risk for problematic postdeployment adjustment and indicate that the veterans' self-report of violence was useful in predicting future aggression. Underreporting of violence was not evidenced by most veterans but could be improved upon by obtaining collateral information.

Reactions to combat stress in Israeli veterans twenty years after the 1982 Lebanon war.

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Solomon, Zahava; Shklar, Rami; Singer, Yaffa; Mikulincer, Mario

2006-12-01

During the war or shortly thereafter, the most common manifestation of combat induced psychopathology is combat stress reaction (CSR). The long-term consequences of CSR have so far received little scientific attention. The aim of this study was to examine whether CSR is a marker for long-term PTSD and other psychiatric comorbidities. Two groups of veterans from the 1982 Lebanon war were assessed 20 years after the war: one comprised 286 CSR casualties and the other comprised 218 matched non-CSR soldiers. Participants were assessed for PTSD, psychiatric symptomatology, social functioning, physical health, and postwar life events. Twenty years after the war, veterans with antecedent CSR reported more PTSD, psychiatric symptomatology and distress, social dysfunction, and health problems than did non-CSR veterans. We conclude that CSR should be seen as a marker for long-term psychiatric distress and impairment. In addition, the implications of combat-related trauma are broad and varied, and go beyond the narrow scope of PTSD.

A British Second World War veteran with disseminated strongyloidiasis.

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Gill, G V; Beeching, N J; Khoo, S; Bailey, J W; Partridge, S; Blundell, J W; Luksza, A R

2004-06-01

A case is described of a 78-year-old British veteran of the Second World War (1939-45) who was stationed in Southeast Asia and who developed a recurrent pneumonia with blood eosinophilia. He was treated with steroids, and eventually died with a severe Pseudomonas pneumonia. Just prior to death, larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis were identified in his sputum, and a specific serum ELISA test was later positive. At autopsy no other organs were involved, but bronchoalveolar carcinoma was found. Longstanding (57 years) chronic strongyloidiasis in a veteran who served in Southeast Asia but who was not a prisoner of war is very unusual. The pattern of dissemination was also not that of a true hyperinfection syndrome, and the case demonstrates the continued need for diagnostic vigilance amongst former soldiers who were based in the Far East.

Understanding how deployment experiences change over time: Comparison of female and male OEF/OIF and Gulf War veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Annie B; Walker, Brian E; Smith, Brian N; King, Daniel W; King, Lynda A; Vogt, Dawne

2016-03-01

Despite increased attention to the evolving nature of war, the unique challenges of contemporary deployment, and women's changing role in warfare, few studies have examined differences in deployment stressors across eras of service or evaluated how gender differences in deployment experiences have changed over time. Using data collected from two national survey studies, we examined war cohort and gender differences in veterans' reports of both mission-related and interpersonal stressors during deployment. Although Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans reported more combat experiences and greater preparedness for deployment compared to Gulf War veterans, Gulf War veterans reported higher levels of other mission-related stressors, including difficult living and working environment, perceived threat, and potential exposure to nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Gender differences also emerged, with men reporting greater exposure to mission-related stressors and women reporting higher levels of interpersonal stressors. However, the size and nature of gender differences did not differ significantly when comparing veterans of the two eras. By understanding how risk factors for PTSD differ based on war era and gender, veterans' experiences can be better contextualized. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Long-term effects of military service on mental health among veterans of the Vietnam War era.

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Brooks, Matthew S; Laditka, Sarah B; Laditka, James N

2008-06-01

Comparing outcomes of veterans who served in Vietnam and those who served elsewhere, we examined treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, treatment of other mental health conditions, psychiatric treatment location, and six mental health well-being measures. The analytic sample consisted of nationally representative data from the 2001 National Survey of Veterans. Analyses included multivariate logistic regression that controlled for sociodemographic characteristics. Of Vietnam War-era veterans in the National Survey of Veterans (N = 7,914), 3,937 served in Vietnam and 3,977 served elsewhere. These veterans were stratified into or = 60 years of age (N = 1,766). Veterans who served in Vietnam had notably poorer mental health than did those who served elsewhere. There were striking mental health differences between younger and older veterans; younger veterans had substantially worse measures of mental health. These results suggest greater resource needs among younger Vietnam War veterans. Clinicians and the Department of Veterans Affairs should focus on mental health services for younger veterans.

3 CFR 8399 - Proclamation 8399 of July 24, 2009. National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2009

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... War Veterans Armistice Day, 2009 8399 Proclamation 8399 Presidential Documents Proclamations Proclamation 8399 of July 24, 2009 Proc. 8399 National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2009By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Fifty-six years after the signing of the Military...

Responses to occupational and environmental exposures in the U.S. military--World War II to the present.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Erin E

2011-07-01

Since the Civil War, a proportion of U.S. service members continues to return from war with new health problems and continues to reference battlefield exposures as the cause. Hence, one of the most pressing public health debates in military policy, the determination of causality and linking of battlefield exposures to health outcomes in veterans, continues. The advances in military environmental and occupational epidemiologic research and Department of Defense policy concerning battlefield exposures are summarized and examples from World War II through the first Gulf War are provided. The limitations associated with the unique battlefield environment, multiple environmental exposures, and the inherent stresses of war, beget challenges for researchers responsible for determining causality. In light of these difficulties, six strategies for addressing environmental exposures and their possible impact on veterans were recommended by the Institute of Medicine post Operation Desert Storm. These strategies, along with their respective progress and remaining gaps, are addressed.

Relationships of Stress Exposures to Health in Gulf War Veterans

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fairbank, John

2000-01-01

Research on Gulf War (GW) illnesses leaves many questions unanswered about diagnostic syndromes of GW illnesses, dimensions of stressor exposures encountered by GW veterans, relations among stressor exposures and GW syndromes...

Relationship of Stress Exposure to Health in Gulf War Veterans

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fairbank, John

2002-01-01

Research on Gulf War (GW) illnesses leaves many questions unanswered about diagnostic syndromes of GW illnesses, dimensions of stressor exposures encountered by GW veterans, relations among stressor exposures and GW syndromes...

Effectiveness of Acupressure Treatment for Pain Management and Fatigue Relief in Gulf War Veterans

Science.gov (United States)

2016-10-01

only one site – Cleveland Clinic Foundation. No cost extension of a 12-months of period has been submitted. Study Advertisements The online ads...other documentation. Effectiveness of Acupressure Treatment for Pain Management and Fatigue Relief in Gulf War Veterans REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE...2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Effectiveness of Acupressure Treatment for Pain Management and Fatigue Relief in Gulf War Veterans 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b

The intergenerational consequences of war: anxiety, depression, suicidality, and mental health among the children of war veterans.

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Forrest, Walter; Edwards, Ben; Daraganova, Galina

2018-03-24

The long-term effects of military deployment on the mental health of war veterans have been investigated extensively, but few studies have examined the long-term impact of parental deployment on children's mental health. Using a retrospective, multigenerational survey and propensity score analysis to adjust for selection effects and endogeneity bias, we investigated the impact of parental deployment on the mental health of the adult children of Australian veterans of the Vietnam War. We analysed data from 1966 adult men (35%) and women (65%) whose fathers (N = 1418) were selected at random from the population of surviving men who served in the Australian army during the Vietnam War (1962-75). Mean age of respondents was 37. The main outcome measures were self-reported diagnosis or treatment for anxiety and depression (i.e. lifetime and previous 12 months), suicidality based on Psychiatric Symptom Frequency Scale, and current mental health as measured by the Mental Health Inventory of the SF-36. The key independent variable was whether their fathers were deployed to the Vietnam War. Almost 40 years after the war, the adult children of deployed veterans were more likely to have been diagnosed with anxiety [odds ratio (OR) = 1.54, confidence interval (CI) = 1.04, 2.28] and depression (OR = 1.77, CI = 1.03, 3.05), to have had thoughts of suicide and self-harm (OR = 2.39, CI = 1.57, 3.65) and to have made suicidal plans (OR = 3.52, CI = 1.40, 8.85) than the offspring of comparable, non-deployed army veterans. They also reported poorer current mental health (Coefficient = -5.08, CI = -6.60 - -3.56). The results imply that there are significant and enduring adverse effects of parental deployment on the mental health of children in military families, and provide some insight into the potential long-term impacts of recent military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Long-term Disability Associated With War-related Experience Among Vietnam Veterans

Science.gov (United States)

Gregory, Robert; Salomon, Joshua A.

2015-01-01

Background: Recent combat operations have involved large numbers of personnel. Long-term health effects of military deployment remain largely unknown. Objectives: To examine patterns and trends in long-term disability among combat veterans and to relate disability to aspects of wartime experience. Participants: A total of 60,228 Australian military personnel deployed between 1962 and 1975 during the Vietnam War, and 82,877 military personnel who were not deployed overseas. Outcome Measures: Accepted physician-assessed disability claims were evaluated over follow-up periods up to 50 years after deployment, and compared with age-matched controls. Multivariable analysis was used to examine differences by service branch, rank, age, and deployment duration. Results: The steepest rise in disability incidence was observed among Vietnam veterans starting in the 1990s, around 20–30 years after deployment for most veterans. After 1994, when Statements of Principles were introduced to guide evaluation of disability claims, the hazard ratio for disability incidence was 1.53 (95% confidence interval, 1.32–1.77) compared with the prior period. By January 2011, after an average follow-up of 42.5 years, 69.7% (95% confidence interval, 69.4%–70.1%) of veterans had at least 1 war-related disability. Many veterans had multiple disabilities, with leading causes being eye and ear disorders (48.0%), mental health conditions (47.9%), and musculoskeletal disorders (18.4%). For specific categories of disability, relative risks for accepted claims among veterans compared with controls were highest for mental health disorders, at 22.9 (21.9–24.0) and lowest for injuries, at 1.5 (1.4–1.6) with a relative risk for any disability of 3.7 (3.7–3.8). Veterans with service of >1 year were 2.5 (2.2–2.7) times more likely to have a mental health disability than those who served war-related disability is associated with service history. If similar patterns follow from more recent

Relationships of Stress Exposures to Health in Gulf War Veterans

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fairbank, John

2003-01-01

Research on Gulf War (6W) illnesses leaves many questions unanswered about diagnostic syndromes of 6W illnesses, dimensions of stressor exposures encountered by 6W veterans, relations among stressor exposures and GW syndromes...

CO-OCCURRENCE OF CHRONIC HEAD, FACE AND NECK PAIN, AND DEPRESSION IN WAR VETERANS WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.

Science.gov (United States)

Muhvić-Urek, Miranda; Vukšić, Željka; Simonić-Kocijan, Sunčana; Braut, Vedrana; Braut, Alen; Uhač, Ivone

2015-09-01

This study investigated the relationship between chronic head, face and neck pain, and the level of depression in Croatian war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The presence of self-reported pain, pain on digital palpation, and pain severity in masticatory and neck muscles, temporomandibular joints and sinuses, as well as the level of depression were assessed in a group of war veterans with PTSD (n=52). Control groups consisted of war veterans without PTSD (n=50) and healthy men that were not engaged in war actions and were free from PTSD (n=50). The number of self-reported pain and number of painful sites were correlated with the level of depression. More self-reported pain and painful sites were recorded in the group of war veterans with PTSD as compared with either war veterans without PTSD or healthy men. Furthermore, PTSD patients mostly suffered from severe depression. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between all investigated pain parameters and level of depression. As the most important finding, the present study demonstrated chronic head, face and neck pain to be related to depression in PTSD patients.

Afghanistan and Iraq War Veterans: Mental Health Diagnoses are Associated with Respiratory Disease Diagnoses.

Science.gov (United States)

Slatore, Christopher G; Falvo, Michael J; Nugent, Shannon; Carlson, Kathleen

2018-05-01

Many veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have concomitant respiratory conditions and mental health conditions. We wanted to evaluate the association of mental health diagnoses with respiratory disease diagnoses among post-deployment veterans. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans who were discharged from the military or otherwise became eligible to receive Veterans Health Administration services. The primary exposure was receipt of a mental health diagnosis and the primary outcome was receipt of a respiratory diagnosis as recorded in the electronic health record. We used multivariable adjusted logistic regression to measure the associations of mental health diagnoses with respiratory diagnoses and conducted several analyses exploring the timing of the diagnoses. Among 182,338 post-deployment veterans, 14% were diagnosed with a respiratory condition, 77% of whom had a concomitant mental health diagnosis. The incidence rates were 5,363/100,000 person-years (p-y), 587/100,000 p-y, 1,450/100,000 p-y, and 233/100,000 p-y for any respiratory disease diagnosis, bronchitis, asthma, and chronic obstructive lung disease diagnoses, respectively, after the date of first Veterans Health Administration utilization. Any mental health diagnosis was associated with increased odds for any respiratory diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio 1.41, 95% confidence interval 1.37-1.46). The association of mental health diagnoses and subsequent respiratory disease diagnoses was stronger and more consistent than the converse. Many Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans are diagnosed with both respiratory and mental illnesses. Comprehensive plans that include care coordination with mental health professionals and treatments for mental illnesses may be important for many veterans with respiratory diseases.

Medical costs of war in 2035: long-term care challenges for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Geiling, James; Rosen, Joseph M; Edwards, Ryan D

2012-11-01

War-related medical costs for U.S. veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan may be enormous because of differences between these wars and previous conflicts: (1) Many veterans survive injuries that would have killed them in past wars, and (2) improvised explosive device attacks have caused "polytraumatic" injuries (multiple amputations; brain injury; severe facial trauma or blindness) that require decades of costly rehabilitation. In 2035, today's veterans will be middle-aged, with health issues like those seen in aging Vietnam veterans, complicated by comorbidities of posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and polytrauma. This article cites emerging knowledge about best practices that have demonstrated cost-effectiveness in mitigating the medical costs of war. We propose that clinicians employ early interventions (trauma care, physical therapy, early post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis) and preventive health programs (smoking cessation, alcohol-abuse counseling, weight control, stress reduction) to treat primary medical conditions now so that we can avoid treating costly secondary and tertiary complications in 2035. (We should help an amputee reduce his cholesterol and maintain his weight at age 30, rather than treating his heart disease or diabetes at age 50.) Appropriate early interventions for primary illness should preserve veterans' functional status, ensure quality clinical care, and reduce the potentially enormous cost burden of their future health care.

War and Marriage: Assortative Mating and the World War II GI Bill.

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, Matthew F; McCarthy, T J; Moulton, Jeremy G; Page, Marianne E; Patel, Ankur J

2015-10-01

World War II and its subsequent GI Bill have been widely credited with playing a transformative role in American society, but there have been few quantitative analyses of these historical events' broad social effects. We exploit between-cohort variation in the probability of military service to investigate how WWII and the GI Bill altered the structure of marriage, and find that it had important spillover effects beyond its direct effect on men's educational attainment. Our results suggest that the additional education received by returning veterans caused them to "sort" into wives with significantly higher levels of education. This suggests an important mechanism by which socioeconomic status may be passed on to the next generation.

Emotion Recognition Ability Test Using JACFEE Photos: A Validity/Reliability Study of a War Veterans' Sample and Their Offspring.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro-Vale, Ivone; Severo, Milton; Carvalho, Davide; Mota-Cardoso, Rui

2015-01-01

Emotion recognition is very important for social interaction. Several mental disorders influence facial emotion recognition. War veterans and their offspring are subject to an increased risk of developing psychopathology. Emotion recognition is an important aspect that needs to be addressed in this population. To our knowledge, no test exists that is validated for use with war veterans and their offspring. The current study aimed to validate the JACFEE photo set to study facial emotion recognition in war veterans and their offspring. The JACFEE photo set was presented to 135 participants, comprised of 62 male war veterans and 73 war veterans' offspring. The participants identified the facial emotion presented from amongst the possible seven emotions that were tested for: anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. A loglinear model was used to evaluate whether the agreement between the intended and the chosen emotions was higher than the expected. Overall agreement between chosen and intended emotions was 76.3% (Cohen kappa = 0.72). The agreement ranged from 63% (sadness expressions) to 91% (happiness expressions). The reliability by emotion ranged from 0.617 to 0.843 and the overall JACFEE photo set Cronbach alpha was 0.911. The offspring showed higher agreement when compared with the veterans (RR: 41.52 vs 12.12, p < 0.001), which confirms the construct validity of the test. The JACFEE set of photos showed good validity and reliability indices, which makes it an adequate instrument for researching emotion recognition ability in the study sample of war veterans and their respective offspring.

Emotion Recognition Ability Test Using JACFEE Photos: A Validity/Reliability Study of a War Veterans' Sample and Their Offspring.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivone Castro-Vale

Full Text Available Emotion recognition is very important for social interaction. Several mental disorders influence facial emotion recognition. War veterans and their offspring are subject to an increased risk of developing psychopathology. Emotion recognition is an important aspect that needs to be addressed in this population. To our knowledge, no test exists that is validated for use with war veterans and their offspring. The current study aimed to validate the JACFEE photo set to study facial emotion recognition in war veterans and their offspring. The JACFEE photo set was presented to 135 participants, comprised of 62 male war veterans and 73 war veterans' offspring. The participants identified the facial emotion presented from amongst the possible seven emotions that were tested for: anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. A loglinear model was used to evaluate whether the agreement between the intended and the chosen emotions was higher than the expected. Overall agreement between chosen and intended emotions was 76.3% (Cohen kappa = 0.72. The agreement ranged from 63% (sadness expressions to 91% (happiness expressions. The reliability by emotion ranged from 0.617 to 0.843 and the overall JACFEE photo set Cronbach alpha was 0.911. The offspring showed higher agreement when compared with the veterans (RR: 41.52 vs 12.12, p < 0.001, which confirms the construct validity of the test. The JACFEE set of photos showed good validity and reliability indices, which makes it an adequate instrument for researching emotion recognition ability in the study sample of war veterans and their respective offspring.

Physical comorbidities of post-traumatic stress disorder in Australian Vietnam War veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

McLeay, Sarah C; Harvey, Wendy M; Romaniuk, Madeline Nm; Crawford, Darrell Hg; Colquhoun, David M; Young, Ross McD; Dwyer, Miriam; Gibson, John M; O'Sullivan, Robyn A; Cooksley, Graham; Strakosch, Christopher R; Thomson, Rachel M; Voisey, Joanne; Lawford, Bruce R

2017-04-03

To determine whether the prevalence of physical comorbidities in Australian Vietnam War veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is higher than in trauma-exposed veterans without PTSD. Cross-sectional analysis of the health status (based on self-reported and objective clinical assessments) of 298 Australian Vietnam War veterans enrolled by the Gallipoli Medical Research Institute (Brisbane) during February 2014 - July 2015, of whom 108 were confirmed as having had PTSD and 106 served as trauma-exposed control participants.Main outcomes and measures: Diagnostic psychiatric interview and psychological assessments determined PTSD status, trauma exposure, and comorbid psychological symptoms. Demographic data, and medical and sleep history were collected; comprehensive clinical examination, electrocardiography, spirometry, liver transient elastography, and selected pathology assessments and diagnostic imaging were performed. Outcomes associated with PTSD were identified; regression analysis excluded the effects of potentially confounding demographic and risk factors and comorbid symptoms of depression and anxiety. The mean total number of comorbidities was higher among those with PTSD (17.7; SD, 6.1) than in trauma-exposed controls (14.1; SD, 5.2; P Vietnam veterans is associated with comorbidities in several organ systems, independent of trauma exposure. A comprehensive approach to the health care of veterans with PTSD is needed.

The symmetry rule: a seven-year study of symptoms and explanatory labels among Gulf War veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Brewer, Noel T; Hallman, William K; Kipen, Howard M

2008-12-01

Noticing medical symptoms can cause one to search for explanatory labels such as "ate bad food" or even "exposed to anthrax," and perhaps these labels may cause new symptom reports. The present study examined whether there is empirical support for this symptom-label "symmetry rule." We interviewed veterans (N= 362) from the Gulf War Registry in 1995 and 2002 about their medical symptoms and about their exposure to war-related hazards and stressors. Health symptom reports were strongly correlated between the two time periods and showed relatively stable mean levels, whereas recall of war-related exposures was notably unstable. Veterans starting with fewer medical symptoms recalled fewer war-related exposures seven years later. Initial recollection of chemical and biological warfare exposure (but not other exposures) longitudinally predicted novel medical symptoms. The findings generally support the symmetry rule hypotheses, although the evidence for the label to symptom link was less strong. The findings account for some variability in symptoms and exposure recall over time, but they do not, on their own, account for the Gulf War veterans' elevated number of unexplained medical symptoms.

78 FR 38302 - Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-26

... occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan; and veterans who were prisoners of war in those regions at the conclusion of World War II. In addition, the advisory board will assist the VA and DTRA in communicating with... the Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction. Written statements should be no longer than two...

Cancer in US Air Force veterans of the Vietnam War.

Science.gov (United States)

Akhtar, Fatema Z; Garabrant, David H; Ketchum, Norma S; Michalek, Joel E

2004-02-01

Cancer incidence and mortality were summarized in Air Force veterans of the Vietnam War. The index subjects were Operation Ranch Hand veterans who sprayed 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin)-contaminated herbicides in Vietnam. Comparisons served in Southeast Asia during the same period but did not spray herbicides. We assessed cancer incidence and mortality using national rates and contrasted cancer risk in each of three Ranch Hand dioxin exposure categories relative to comparisons. The incidence of melanoma and prostate cancer was increased among white Ranch Hand veterans relative to national rates. Among veterans who spent at most 2 years in Southeast Asia, the risk of cancer at any site, of prostate cancer and of melanoma was increased in the highest dioxin exposure category. These results appear consistent with an association between cancer and dioxin exposure.

Anger, hostility, and aggression among Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans reporting PTSD and subthreshold PTSD.

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Jakupcak, Matthew; Conybeare, Daniel; Phelps, Lori; Hunt, Stephen; Holmes, Hollie A; Felker, Bradford; Klevens, Michele; McFall, Miles E

2007-12-01

Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans were grouped by level of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and compared on self-report measures of trait anger, hostility, and aggression. Veterans who screened positive for PTSD reported significantly greater anger and hostility than those in the subthreshold-PTSD and non-PTSD groups. Veterans in the subthreshold-PTSD group reported significantly greater anger and hostility than those in the non-PTSD group. The PTSD and subthreshold-PTSD groups did not differ with respect to aggression, though both groups were significantly more likely to have endorsed aggression than the non-PTSD group. These findings suggest that providers should screen for anger and aggression among Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans who exhibit symptoms of PTSD and incorporate relevant anger treatments into early intervention strategies.

Posttraumatic growth and dyadic adjustment among war veterans and their wives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lahav, Yael; Kanat-Maymon, Yaniv; Solomon, Zahava

2017-01-01

and dyadic levels, and the potential role of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Former prisoners of war and comparable war veterans and their wives (n = 229) were assessed twice, 30-31 (T1) and 35-38 (T2) years after the 1973 Yom Kippur War in Israel, with regard to posttraumatic growth, posttraumatic stress...... symptoms and dyadic adjustment. Results indicated that posttraumatic growth was associated with both elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms and low dyadic adjustment among both husbands and wives. Posttraumatic stress symptoms at T1 and T2 mediated the association between posttraumatic growth and dyadic...

Comparison study of memory status in war-PTSD veterans with depression and non- veterans depressed patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radfar Shokofeh

2012-03-01

Results: The mean age of the veterans and non-veterans was 43.9±4.7 and 42±9.4 years, respectively. Memory status did not differ between the two groups (P>0.05. There was no statistically significant correlation between duration and severity of PTSD with memory impairment (P>0.05. A negative correlation was found between personal and general information with re-experiencing in the veterans (P<0.05. Impaired memory was correlated with age greater than 45, educational level lower than high school diploma, severity of depression and longer participation in war. Conclusion: Although both PTSD and major depression affected memory, but memory status did not differ between patients with PTSD and depression and patients with chronic depression.

Resilience and Traumatic Brain Injury Among Iraq/Afghanistan War Veterans: Differential Patterns of Adjustment and Quality of Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott, Timothy R; Hsiao, Yu-Yu; Kimbrel, Nathan A; Meyer, Eric; DeBeer, Bryann B; Gulliver, Suzy Bird; Kwok, Oi-Man; Morissette, Sandra B

2017-09-01

We examined the degree to which a resilient personality prototype predicted adjustment among war Veterans with and without a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while covarying the level of combat exposure. A total of 127 war Veterans (107 men, 20 women; average age = 37 years) participated. Personality prototypes were derived from the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (Patrick, Curtain, & Tellegen, 2002). Measures were administered at baseline, and a subset was administered at 4- and 8-month follow-ups. Veterans with resilient personalities reported less sleep disturbance, more health-promoting behaviors, psychological flexibility, and emotional distress tolerance than Veterans with undercontrolled or overcontrolled prototypes. Path models revealed that resilience significantly predicted posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, quality of life, and social support over time. TBI had unique and consistent effects only on PTSD. Personality characteristics influence distress and quality of life among war Veterans with and without TBI. Implications for assessment, interventions, and research are discussed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Self-reported post-exertional fatigue in Gulf War veterans: roles of autonomic testing

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Li, Mian; Xu, Changqing; Yao, Wenguo; Mahan, Clare M.; Kang, Han K.; Sandbrink, Friedhelm; Zhai, Ping; Karasik, Pamela A.

2014-01-01

To determine if objective evidence of autonomic dysfunction exists from a group of Gulf War veterans with self-reported post-exertional fatigue, we evaluated 16 Gulf War ill veterans and 12 Gulf War controls. Participants of the ill group had self- reported, unexplained chronic post-exertional fatigue and the illness symptoms had persisted for years until the current clinical study. The controls had no self-reported post-exertional fatigue either at the time of initial survey nor at the time of the current study. We intended to identify clinical autonomic disorders using autonomic and neurophysiologic testing in the clinical context. We compared the autonomic measures between the 2 groups on cardiovascular function at both baseline and head-up tilt, and sudomotor function. We identified 1 participant with orthostatic hypotension, 1 posture orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, 2 distal small fiber neuropathy, and 1 length dependent distal neuropathy affecting both large and small fiber in the ill group; whereas none of above definable diagnoses was noted in the controls. The ill group had a significantly higher baseline heart rate compared to controls. Compound autonomic scoring scale showed a significant higher score (95% CI of mean: 1.72–2.67) among ill group compared to controls (0.58–1.59). We conclude that objective autonomic testing is necessary for the evaluation of self-reported, unexplained post-exertional fatigue among some Gulf War veterans with multi-symptom illnesses. Our observation that ill veterans with self-reported post-exertional fatigue had objective autonomic measures that were worse than controls warrants validation in a larger clinical series. PMID:24431987

Humor, Self-Attitude, Emotions, and Cognitions in Group Art Therapy with War Veterans

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Kopytin, Alexander; Lebedev, Alexey

2013-01-01

This article presents findings from a study of the therapeutic effects of group art therapy in a psychotherapy unit of a Russian hospital for war veterans. The researchers randomly assigned 112 veterans being treated for stress-related disorders to an experimental group (art therapy) and a control group. The emphasis was on the use of humor in the…

Trial of Naltrexone and Dextromethorphan for Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses

Science.gov (United States)

2014-07-01

09-2-0065 TITLE: Trial of Naltrexone and Dextromethorphan for Gulf War Veterans Illnesses PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: William J. Meggs, MD, PhD... Dextromethorphan and Naltrexone for Gulf War Veterens’ Illness 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-09-2-0065 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR...neuron-inflammation, which can be down regulated, by Naltrexone and Dextromethorphan . This is untested but potentially ground breaking concept that

Behavioral Problems and Emotional Difficulties at Children and Early Adolescents of the Veterans of War with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Selimbasic, Zihnet; Sinanovic, Osman; Avdibegovic, Esmina; Brkic, Maja; Hamidovic, Jasmin

2017-02-01

Behavioral problems and emotional difficulties at children of the veterans of war with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have not been researched entirely. In our country, which has a lot of persons suffering from some psychological traumas, this trauma seems to continue. The aim of this study was to determine the exposure, manifestations of behavioral problems and emotional difficulties at children and early adolescents, whose fathers were the veterans of war demonstrating post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. The analyzed group comprised 120 school age children (10-15 years of age), whose parents/fathers were the veterans of war. The children were divided into two groups, and each group into the following two age sub-groups: 10-12 (children) and 13-15 (early adolescents) according to PTSD presence at their fathers - veterans of war. PTSD symptoms at fathers, veterans of war, were assessed using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire-Bosnia and Herzegovina version and MKB-10 - audit of criteria. To assess the behavioral problems of children, the Child Behavior Checklist for parents was used, and to evaluate the neuroticism at children Hanes-Scale of neuroticism-extraversion was used while the depression level was evaluated using the Depression self-rating scale (DSRS). To analyze the obtained results, SPSS 17 program was used. The value p post-traumatic stress disorder show significant difference at neuroticism sub-scales (ppost-traumatic stress disorder show significant differences in competencies, behavior, emotional difficulties and neuroticism. Significant correlation was found between psychopathology of parents - fathers the veterans of war and their children. Impact of psychological conditions of fathers - the veterans of war with post-traumatic stress disorder to children is strong and they represent a significant risky group for development of mental disorders.

Combat exposure and mental health: the long-term effects among US Vietnam and Gulf War veterans.

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Gade, Daniel M; Wenger, Jeffrey B

2011-04-01

Using a random sample of more than 4000 veterans, we test the effects of combat exposure on mental health. We focus on two cohorts of veterans: those who served in Vietnam (1964-1975) and the Gulf War (1990-1991). Combat exposure differed between these groups in intensity, duration and elapsed time since exposure. We find that combat exposure generally, and exposure to dead, dying, or wounded people, specifically, is a significant predictor of mental health declines as measured by an individual's Mental Component Summary score. Under our general specifications, the negative effects of combat on mental health were larger for Gulf war veterans than for Vietnam veterans as of 2001. These effects persist after controlling for demographic characteristics, insurance coverage, income and assets. Using discrete factor, nonparametric maximum likelihood (DFML) estimation we controlled for unobserved heterogeneity as well as the factors above. In the DFML specifications we find a negative impact of exposure to dead, wounded or dying people for both Gulf and Vietnam veterans, but find no statistically significant effect for combat exposure overall for Vietnam veterans as of 2001. Based on our Gulf war parameters, we estimate that the costs of mental health declines to be between $87 and $318 per year for each soldier with combat service and exposure to dead, dying and wounded people. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Long-term disability associated with war-related experience among Vietnam veterans: retrospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Philip M; Gregory, Robert; Salomon, Joshua A

2015-05-01

Recent combat operations have involved large numbers of personnel. Long-term health effects of military deployment remain largely unknown. To examine patterns and trends in long-term disability among combat veterans and to relate disability to aspects of wartime experience. A total of 60,228 Australian military personnel deployed between 1962 and 1975 during the Vietnam War, and 82,877 military personnel who were not deployed overseas. Accepted physician-assessed disability claims were evaluated over follow-up periods up to 50 years after deployment, and compared with age-matched controls. Multivariable analysis was used to examine differences by service branch, rank, age, and deployment duration. The steepest rise in disability incidence was observed among Vietnam veterans starting in the 1990s, around 20-30 years after deployment for most veterans. After 1994, when Statements of Principles were introduced to guide evaluation of disability claims, the hazard ratio for disability incidence was 1.53 (95% confidence interval, 1.32-1.77) compared with the prior period. By January 2011, after an average follow-up of 42.5 years, 69.7% (95% confidence interval, 69.4%-70.1%) of veterans had at least 1 war-related disability. Many veterans had multiple disabilities, with leading causes being eye and ear disorders (48.0%), mental health conditions (47.9%), and musculoskeletal disorders (18.4%). For specific categories of disability, relative risks for accepted claims among veterans compared with controls were highest for mental health disorders, at 22.9 (21.9-24.0) and lowest for injuries, at 1.5 (1.4-1.6) with a relative risk for any disability of 3.7 (3.7-3.8). Veterans with service of >1 year were 2.5 (2.2-2.7) times more likely to have a mental health disability than those who served war-related disability is associated with service history. If similar patterns follow from more recent conflicts, significant additional resources will be needed to prevent and treat long

Critical concerns in Iraq/Afghanistan war veteran-forensic interface: combat-related postdeployment criminal violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Sreenivasan, Shoba; Garrick, Thomas; McGuire, James; Smee, Daniel E; Dow, Daniel; Woehl, Daniel

2013-01-01

Identifying whether there is a nexus between Iraq and Afghanistan combat injuries and civilian violence on return from deployment is complicated by differences in reactions of individuals to combat exposure, the overlapping effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the low base rate of civilian violence after combat exposure. Moreover, the overall prevalence of violence among returning Iraq and Afghanistan combat war veterans has not been well documented. Malingered symptoms and either exaggeration or outright fabrication of war zone exposure are challenges to rendering forensic opinions, with the risk reduced by accessing military documents that corroborate war zone duties and exposure. This article serves as a first step toward understanding what may potentiate violence among returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. We offer a systematic approach toward the purpose of forensic case formulation that addresses whether combat duty/war zone exposure and associated clinical conditions are linked to criminal violence on return to civilian life.

Comparison of DSM-IV and proposed ICD-11 formulations of PTSD among civilian survivors of war and war veterans.

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Morina, Nexhmedin; van Emmerik, Arnold A P; Andrews, Bernice; Brewin, Chris R

2014-12-01

The World Health Organization recently proposed a reformulation of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for the 11(th) edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), employing only 6 symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of this reformulation of PTSD as compared to criteria according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) on the prevalence of current PTSD as well as comorbid major depressive episode and anxiety disorders other than PTSD. Study 1 involved previously collected interviews with 560 Kosovar civilian war survivors; Study 2 employed a previously collected sample of 142 British war veterans. Results revealed no change in the diagnostic status under the criteria proposed for ICD-11 in 87.5% of civilian war survivors and 91.5% of war veterans. Participants who only met the newly proposed criteria showed lower rates of comorbid major depressive episode than participants who only met DSM-IV criteria (13.6% vs. 43.8% respectively). Rates of comorbid anxiety disorders did not significantly differ between participants who lost or gained a PTSD diagnosis under the proposed criteria. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Secondary salutogenic effects in veterans whose parents were Holocaust survivors?

Science.gov (United States)

Dekel, Sharon; Solomon, Zahava; Rozenstreich, Eyal

2013-02-01

Addressing the ongoing controversy over inter-generational transmission of trauma, we examined the impact of the Nazi Holocaust on PTSD course and co-morbid symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety) among offspring of survivors following their own adversity in two longitudinal studies. Two samples of Israeli war veterans included Second Generation Holocaust (i.e., SGH) survivors and comparable veterans with no such family history (i.e., not-SGH). Study I: 1982 Lebanon War veterans (N = 669) were assessed 1, 3, and 20 years after the war. Study II: 1973 Yom Kippur War veterans (N = 343) were followed up 18, 30, and 35 years after the war. Results indicated that SGH endorsed higher PTSD and co-morbid symptoms criteria rates than not-SGH veterans in the initial post-war years but this pattern was reversed in the long-term, that is, lower rates were evident among SGH in later follow-ups. These findings suggest the development of a complex trauma reaction among offspring of trauma survivors. Possibly there is a transmission of positive trauma outcomes from one generation to the next rather than merely negative ones. Future studies are therefore warranted to re-evaluate the notion of inter-generational transmission of trauma and examine its components. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

World War II Homefront.

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Garcia, Rachel

2002-01-01

Presents an annotated bibliography that provides Web sites focusing on the U.S. homefront during World War II. Covers various topics such as the homefront, Japanese Americans, women during World War II, posters, and African Americans. Includes lesson plan sources and a list of additional resources. (CMK)

Military veterans and Social Security.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Anya

There are 9.4 million military veterans receiving Social Security benefits, which means that almost one out of every four adult Social Security beneficiaries has served in the United States military. In addition, veterans and their families make up almost 40 percent of the adult Social Security beneficiary population. Policymakers are particularly interested in military veterans and their families and have provided them with benefits through several government programs, including Social Security credits, home loan guarantees, and compensation and pension payments through the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is therefore important to understand the economic and demographic characteristics of this population. Information in this article is based on data from the March 2004 Current Population Survey, a large, nationally representative survey of U.S. households. Veterans are overwhelmingly male compared with all adult Social Security beneficiaries who are more evenly split between males and females. Military veterans receiving Social Security are more likely to be married and to have finished high school compared with all adult Social Security beneficiaries, and they are less likely to be poor or near poor than the overall beneficiary population. Fourteen percent of veterans receiving Social Security benefits have income below 150 percent of poverty, while 25 percent of all adult Social Security beneficiaries are below this level. The higher economic status among veterans is also reflected in the relatively high Social Security benefits they receive. The number of military veterans receiving Social Security benefits will remain high over the next few decades, while their make-up and characteristics will change. In particular, the number of Vietnam War veterans who receive Social Security will increase in the coming decades, while the number of veterans from World War II and the Korean War will decline.

Identity adjustment among Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans with reintegration difficulty.

Science.gov (United States)

Orazem, Robert J; Frazier, Patricia A; Schnurr, Paula P; Oleson, Heather E; Carlson, Kathleen F; Litz, Brett T; Sayer, Nina A

2017-08-01

To examine perceptions of identity adjustment in a diverse, national sample of U.S. veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The authors conducted a planned thematic analysis of text written by Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans when they were asked to describe their reintegration difficulties as part of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of online expressive writing (Sayer et al., 2015). Participants were 100 randomly selected veterans from the larger study (42 women and 58 men, 60 active duty and 38 reserves or National Guard). Nearly 2/3s of participants wrote about their identity adjustment. The 5 interrelated areas of identity adjustment difficulty were (a) feeling like one does not belong in civilian society, (b) missing the military's culture and structured lifestyle, (c) holding negative views of civilian society, (d) feeling left behind compared to civilian counterparts due to military service, and (e) having difficulty finding meaning in the civilian world. The authors did not observe differences by gender. However, those deployed from active duty were particularly likely to feel as if they did not belong in civilian society and that they had not acquired needed skills, whereas those deployed from the reserves or National Guard experienced difficulty in reestablishing former civilian identities. Identity adjustment is a critical yet understudied aspect of veteran reintegration into community life following combat deployment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Marital quality and relationship satisfaction in war veterans and their wives in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miro Klaric

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD in war veterans and its complex emotional and behavioral characteristics affect veterans’ partners and the quality of their relationships. Although most research focuses on the effects of veterans’ PTSD on their partners/wives and their relationships, not many findings have been established on partner adjustment and marriage quality when wives suffer from PTSD as well.The aim of the research was to examine the relationship between war-related posttraumatic stress symptoms and partner's marital satisfaction in couples where one or both partners suffer from PTSD.The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and Dyadic Adjustment Scale encompassed 154 war veterans and their wives who had been treated at Mostar Clinical Hospital in Bosnia and Herzegovina for combat-related PTSD as well as 77 veterans who did not suffer from PTSD and their wives.Veterans’ PTSD is related to lower levels of marital adjustment of their wives. Marital adjustment was significantly lower in couples where both partners had PTSD compared with couples where only the veteran had PTSD or neither partner had PTSD. Female partner's marital adjustment is best explained by his avoidance symptoms and her own level of depressiveness and re-experiencing symptoms.The results highlight the importance of recognizing PTSD in wives of traumatized veterans as well as the importance of family approach in the treatment of PTSD.For the abstract or full text in other languages, please see Supplementary files under Reading Tools online

26 CFR 1.501(c)(19)-1 - War veterans organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Exempt Organizations § 1.501(c)(19)-1 War veterans... members of the United States Armed Forces, (iii) Cadets (including only students in college or university... provision described in § 1.501(c)(3)-1(b)(4). (2) The corpus or income cannot be diverted or used other than...

The Future of Patriotism: The War Film, The Cinema Industry, and the Vietnam Veteran Movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Camacho, Paul

1990-01-01

Examines the media's effect on attitudes about Vietnam veterans. Discusses the relationship between media and culture. Analyzes the film industry's ideological battle over Vietnam. Critiques the media's treatment of the Vietnam experience, and considers the impact of media portrayals of the war on the Vietnam Veteran's movement. (RW)

Course of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 40 Years After the Vietnam War: Findings From the National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Marmar, Charles R; Schlenger, William; Henn-Haase, Clare; Qian, Meng; Purchia, Emily; Li, Meng; Corry, Nida; Williams, Christianna S; Ho, Chia-Lin; Horesh, Danny; Karstoft, Karen-Inge; Shalev, Arieh; Kulka, Richard A

2015-09-01

The long-term course of readjustment problems in military personnel has not been evaluated in a nationally representative sample. The National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study (NVVLS) is a congressionally mandated assessment of Vietnam veterans who underwent previous assessment in the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS). To determine the prevalence, course, and comorbidities of war-zone posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) across a 25-year interval. The NVVLS survey consisted of a self-report health questionnaire (n = 1409), a computer-assisted telephone survey health interview (n = 1279), and a telephone clinical interview (n = 400) in a representative national sample of veterans who served in the Vietnam theater of operations (theater veterans) from July 3, 2012, through May 17, 2013. Of 2348 NVVRS participants, 1920 were alive at the outset of the NVVLS, and 81 died during recruitment; 1450 of the remaining 1839 (78.8%) participated in at least 1 NVVLS study phase. Data analysis was performed from May 18, 2013, through January 9, 2015, with further analyses continued through April 13, 2015. Study instruments included the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, PTSD Checklist for DSM-IV supplemented with PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 items (PCL-5+), Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5), and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Nonpatient Version. Among male theater veterans, we estimated a prevalence (95% CI) of 4.5% (1.7%-7.3%) based on CAPS-5 criteria for a current PTSD diagnosis; 10.8% (6.5%-15.1%) based on CAPS-5 full plus subthreshold PTSD; and 11.2% (8.3%-14.2%) based on PCL-5+ criteria for current war-zone PTSD. Among female veterans, estimates were 6.1% (1.8%-10.3%), 8.7% (3.8%-13.6%), and 6.6% (3.5%-9.6%), respectively. The PCL-5+ prevalence (95% CI) of current non-war-zone PTSD was 4.6% (2.6%-6.6%) in male and 5.1% (2.3%-8.0%) in female theater veterans. Comorbid major depression occurred in 36.7% (95% CI, 6

The Role of Social Support and Coping Strategies on Mental Health of a Group of Iranian Disabled War Veterans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdulaziz Aflakseir

2010-08-01

Full Text Available "n Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the role of social support on the mental health of disabled war veterans alongside the role of physical disability and deployment type. The second aim of the study was to examine the relationship between coping strategies and mental health. "n Method: 85 disabled Iranian war veterans participated in this study. All of the participants were asked to complete the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS ,Social Support Survey, Impact of Event-Revised Scale (IES-R, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, The Short Form (SF-36 Health Survey Questionnaire, and Brief COPE Scale. Results: The results showed that social support had a significant contribution on the mental health of the participants above and beyond the physical disability and deployment type. The physical disability also predicted the mental health of veterans, but deployment type did not have any significant contribution on mental health of the participants. The findings also showed that those veterans who used constructive coping strategies had better mental health status . "nConclusion: The findings suggest that after more than twenty years of war, social support still plays an important role in the life of Iranian disabled war veterans.

Racialized Bodies and Phantom Limb Citizenship: The Case of the Filipino World War II Veterans

OpenAIRE

Valiente-Neighbours, Jimiliz Maramba

2016-01-01

The United States recruited more than half a million Filipino soldiers and guerrillas in the Philippines during World War II with the promise of American citizenship in return for their wartime service. Even after the official victory of the United States and its allies in 1945, the United States government continued to recruit Filipinos to serve under the American flag for post-war reconstruction and the development of American military bases in the Pacific. But in February 1946, the United ...

Excretion of depleted uranium by Gulf war veterans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toohey, R.E.

2003-01-01

During the Persian Gulf War, in 1991, approximately 100 US military personnel had potential intakes of depleted uranium (DU), including shrapnel wounds. In 1993, the US government initiated a follow-up study of 33 Gulf War veterans who had been exposed to DU, many of whom contained embedded fragments of DU shrapnel in their bodies. The veterans underwent medical evaluation, whole-body counting, and urinalysis for uranium by kinetic phosphorescence analysis (KPA). Data are available from seven individuals who exceeded the detection limit for whole-body counting and also had elevated urinary uranium. Urinary excretion rates, in μg U g -1 creatinine, were determined in 1997 and 1999. The body contents, in mg DU, were determined in 1997; it is assumed there were no significant decreases in total body content in the interim. For the 1997 data, the mean fractional excretion was (2.4 ± 2.8) x 10 -5 g -1 creatinine, and for the 1999 data, the mean was (1.1 ± 0.6) x 10 -5 g -1 creatinine. However, these means are not significantly different, nor is there any correlation of excretion rate with body content. Thus, human data available to date do not provide any basis for determining the effects of particle surface area, composition and solubility, and biological processes such as encapsulation, on the excretion rate. (author)

Treating Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans with PTSD Who Are at High Risk for Suicide

Science.gov (United States)

Jakupcak, Matthew; Varra, Edward M.

2011-01-01

Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans diagnosed with psychiatric disorders commit suicide at a higher rate than the general population (Kang & Bullman, 2008). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been identified as a risk factor for suicide in veterans (Bullman & Kang, 1994) and is the most common mental disorder among Iraq and Afghanistan…

The Course and Correlates of Combat-Related PTSD in Australian Vietnam Veterans in the Three Decades After the War.

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O'Toole, Brian I; Catts, Stanley V

2017-02-01

Australian male Vietnam veterans (N = 388) were assessed 22 and 36 years after their return to Australia using standardized diagnostic interviews, with added data from Army records and self-report questionnaires. Among veterans who ever had posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 50.3% had a current diagnosis at the second assessment; of those who had a current diagnosis at Wave 1, 46.9% were also current at Wave 2. Late onset occurred for 19.0% of veterans, of whom 60.8% were current at Wave 2. Multivariate analysis compared veterans with no history of PTSD (n = 231) with veterans who had ever had PTSD (n = 157) to assess risk factors for PTSD incidence; and veterans with a history, but not current PTSD (n = 78) with veterans who had current PTSD at the second assessment (n = 79) to assess risk factors for failure to remit. Incidence was associated with lower education, shorter Army training predeployment, higher combat, excess drinking, and help-seeking after return to Australia. Prevalence was associated with having a father who saw combat in World War II, being injured in battle, having a lower intelligence test score, experiencing higher combat, and having a diagnosis of phobia at the first assessment. Only combat was common to incidence and prevalence. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Relation between traumatic experience and post-traumatic symptomatics in Lithuanian Afghanistan war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder

OpenAIRE

Domanskaitė Gota, Vėjūnė; Gailienė, Danutė; Kazlauskas, Evaldas

2009-01-01

The aim of this paper is to assess what potential traumatic life-events and experiences are related to PTSD in the Lithuanian Afghanistan war veterans (N = 174). [...]. The following variables were investigated: demographics, traumatic life-events or conditions, PTSD and sub-clinical level of PTSD.The Lithuanian Afghanistan war veterans with PTSD and sub-clinical level of PTSD reported significantly more lifetime traumatic events and conditions. The average number of traumatic events per man ...

World War II Homefront: A Historiography.

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Winkler, Allan M.

2002-01-01

Highlights the scholarship that exists on the World War II homefront covering topics such as World War II as a good war, Franklin D. Roosevelt, economic policy, propaganda, status of women and women's employment, the role of African Americans, racial violence, and the Japanese American experience. (CMK)

Family cohesion and posttraumatic intrusion and avoidance among war veterans: a 20-year longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zerach, Gadi; Solomon, Zahava; Horesh, Danny; Ein-Dor, Tsachi

2013-02-01

The bi-directional relationships between combat-induced posttraumatic symptoms and family relations are yet to be understood. The present study assesses the longitudinal interrelationship of posttraumatic intrusion and avoidance and family cohesion among 208 Israeli combat veterans from the 1982 Lebanon War. Two groups of veterans were assessed with self-report questionnaires 1, 3 and 20 years after the war: a combat stress reaction (CSR) group and a matched non-CSR control group. Latent Trajectories Modeling showed that veterans of the CSR group reported higher intrusion and avoidance than non-CSR veterans at all three points of time. With time, there was a decline in these symptoms in both groups, but the decline was more salient among the CSR group. The latter also reported lower levels of family cohesion. Furthermore, an incline in family cohesion levels was found in both groups over the years. Most importantly, Autoregressive Cross-Lagged Modeling among CSR and non-CSR veterans revealed that CSR veterans' posttraumatic symptoms in 1983 predicted lower family cohesion in 1985, and lower family cohesion, in turn, predicted posttraumatic symptoms in 2002. The findings suggest that psychological breakdown on the battlefield is a marker for future family cohesion difficulties. Our results lend further support for the bi-directional mutual effects of posttraumatic symptoms and family cohesion over time.

Meta-analysis of self-reported health symptoms in 1990–1991 Gulf War and Gulf War-era veterans

Science.gov (United States)

Maule, Alexis L; Janulewicz, Patricia A; Sullivan, Kimberly A; Krengel, Maxine H; Yee, Megan K; McClean, Michael; White, Roberta F

2018-01-01

Objectives Across diverse groups of Gulf War (GW) veterans, reports of musculoskeletal pain, cognitive dysfunction, unexplained fatigue, chronic diarrhoea, rashes and respiratory problems are common. GW illness is a condition resulting from GW service in veterans who report a combination of these symptoms. This study integrated the GW literature using meta-analytical methods to characterise the most frequently reported symptoms occurring among veterans who deployed to the 1990–1991 GW and to better understand the magnitude of ill health among GW-deployed veterans compared with non-deployed GW-era veterans. Design Meta-analysis. Methods Literature databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies published from January 1990 to May 2017 reporting health symptom frequencies in GW-deployed veterans and GW-era control veterans. Self-reported health symptom data were extracted from 21 published studies. A binomial-normal meta-analytical model was used to determine pooled prevalence of individual symptoms in GW-deployed veterans and GW-era control veterans and to calculate combined ORs of health symptoms comparing GW-deployed veterans and GW-era control veterans. Results GW-deployed veterans had higher odds of reporting all 56 analysed symptoms compared with GW-era controls. Odds of reporting irritability (OR 3.21, 95% CI 2.28 to 4.52), feeling detached (OR 3.59, 95% CI 1.83 to 7.03), muscle weakness (OR 3.19, 95% CI 2.73 to 3.74), diarrhoea (OR 3.24, 95% CI 2.51 to 4.17) and rash (OR 3.18, 95% CI 2.47 to 4.09) were more than three times higher among GW-deployed veterans compared with GW-era controls. Conclusions The higher odds of reporting mood-cognition, fatigue, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal and dermatological symptoms among GW-deployed veterans compared with GW-era controls indicates these symptoms are important when assessing GW veteran health status. PMID:29440208

Headache diagnoses among Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans enrolled in VA: a gender comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Kathleen F; Taylor, Brent C; Hagel, Emily M; Cutting, Andrea; Kerns, Robert; Sayer, Nina A

2013-01-01

To examine the prevalence and correlates of headache diagnoses, by gender, among Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans who use Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care. Understanding the health care needs of recent Veterans, and how these needs differ between women and men, is a priority for the VA. The potential for a large burden of headache disorders among Veterans seeking VA services exists but has not been examined in a representative sample. We conducted a historical cohort study using national VA inpatient and outpatient data from fiscal year 2011. Participants were all (n = 470,215) Iraq and Afghanistan War Veteran VA users in 2011; nearly 13% were women. We identified headache diagnoses using International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) diagnosis codes assigned during one or more VA inpatient or outpatient encounters. Descriptive analyses included frequencies of patient characteristics, prevalence and types of headache diagnoses, and prevalence of comorbid diagnoses. Prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate associations between gender and headache diagnoses. Multivariate models adjusted for age and race. Additional models also adjusted for comorbid diagnoses. In 2011, 56,300 (11.9%) Veterans received a headache-related diagnosis. While controlling for age and race, headache diagnoses were 1.61 times more prevalent (95% CI = 1.58-1.64) among women (18%) than men (11%). Most of this difference was associated with migraine diagnoses, which were 2.66 times more prevalent (95% CI = 2.59-2.73) among women. Cluster and post-traumatic headache diagnoses were less prevalent in women than in men. These patterns remained the same when also controlling for comorbid diagnoses, which were common among both women and men with headache diagnoses. The most prevalent comorbid diagnoses examined were depression (46% of women with headache diagnoses vs 40% of men), post-traumatic stress disorder (38% vs 58%), and back

Multiple Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries Are Associated with Increased Rates of Health Symptoms and Gulf War Illness in a Cohort of 1990–1991 Gulf War Veterans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Megan K. Yee

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Recent research demonstrated a relation between traumatic brain injury (TBI, health symptoms and diagnosis of Gulf War Illness (GWI in Gulf War Veterans, but no study has examined the impact of multiple mild TBIs (mTBIs. A total of 229 male Gulf War Veterans from the Ft Devens Cohort were categorized by a number of mTBIs reported. One-way ANOVA and chi-square test of independence were used to test for differences in total reported health symptoms and diagnosis of chronic multisymptom illness (CMI or Kansas GWI criteria, two of the most common case definitions of GWI. A total of 72 veterans reported no mTBIs (31.4%, 26 reported one mTBI (11.4%, 25 reported two mTBIs (10.9%, and 106 veterans reported sustaining three or more mTBIs (46.3%. Veterans reporting two or more mTBIs (p < 0.01 or three or more mTBIs (p < 0.001 endorsed significantly higher rates of health symptoms than Veterans reporting no mTBIs. Significantly higher rates of CMI (p = 0.035 and Kansas GWI criteria (p < 0.001 were seen in the three or more mTBI group. Results suggest two mTBIs increase risk of health symptoms, but three mTBIs may be the threshold needed to sustain chronic symptom reporting needed for a formal diagnosis. These findings highlight the importance of implementing policies and procedures monitoring head injuries in military personnel.

20 CFR 404.1342 - Limits on granting World War II and post-World War II wage credits.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Limits on granting World War II and post-World War II wage credits. 404.1342 Section 404.1342 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION... Uniformed Services Amounts of Wage Credits and Limits on Their Use § 404.1342 Limits on granting World War...

77 FR 12576 - Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction; Meeting

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2012-03-01

... of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan; and veterans who were prisoners of war in those regions at the conclusion of World War II. In addition, the advisory board will assist the VA and DTRA in communicating with... than two type-written pages and must address the following: the issue, discussion, and recommended...

World War II Memorial Learning Activities.

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Tennessee State Dept. of Education, Nashville.

These learning activities can help students get the most out of a visit to the Tennessee World War II Memorial, a group of ten pylons located in Nashville (Tennessee). Each pylon contains informational text about the events of World War II. The ten pylons are listed as: (1) "Pylon E-1--Terror: America Enters the War against Fascism, June…

Evidence of greater health care needs among older veterans of the Vietnam War.

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Brooks, Matthew S; Laditka, Sarah B; Laditka, James N

2008-08-01

This study examined self-rated health, impairments in activities of daily living, and treatment for eight health conditions among Vietnam War-era veterans, comparing those who served in Vietnam with those who served elsewhere. Data were from the nationally representative 2001 National Survey of Veterans (N = 7,907; 3,923 veterans served in Vietnam). Age-stratified ( or =60 years) analyses included multivariate logistic regression. In adjusted analyses, among those Vietnam had notably poorer self-rated health and higher stroke risk (odds ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.48-1.53); odds of most other conditions were lower. Among those > or =60 years of age, those who served in Vietnam had poorer self-rated health, higher cancer risk (odds ratio, 1.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.32-1.35), and more treatment for hypertension, lung conditions, stroke, and hearing loss. Results suggest greater resource use among older veterans who served in Vietnam. Clinicians and the Department of Veterans Affairs should especially note their substantially higher cancer risk.

The Macroeconomic Effects of War Finance in the United States: World War II and the Korean War.

OpenAIRE

Ohanian, Lee E

1997-01-01

During World War II, government expenditures were financed primarily by issuing debt. During the Korean War, expenditures were financed almost exclusively by higher taxes, reflecting President Truman's preference for balanced budgets. This paper evaluates quantitatively the economic effects of the different policies used to finance these two wars. Counterfactual experiments are used to explore the implications of financing World War II like the Korean War, and financing the Korean War like Wo...

World War II Weather Record Transmittances

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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — World War II Weather Record Transmittances are a record of the weather and meteorological data observed during World War II and transferred to the archive. It...

76 FR 6766 - Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction; Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-08

... occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan; and veterans who were prisoners of war in those regions at the conclusion of World War II. In addition, the advisory board will assist the VA and DTRA in communicating with...; ``Quality Review of Radiation Cases at the Jackson VARO'', by VA STAR Representative; ``Update on the...

Associations between the self-reported frequency of hearing chemical alarms in theater and regional brain volume in Gulf War Veterans.

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Chao, Linda L; Reeb, Rosemary; Esparza, Iva L; Abadjian, Linda R

2016-03-01

We previously reported evidence of reduced cortical gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and hippocampal volume in Gulf War (GW) veterans with predicted exposure to low-levels of nerve agent according to the 2000 Khamisiyah plume model analysis. Because there is suggestive evidence that other nerve agent exposures may have occurred during the Gulf War, we examined the association between the self-reported frequency of hearing chemical alarms sound during deployment in the Gulf War and regional brain volume in GW veterans. Ninety consecutive GW veterans (15 female, mean age: 52±8years) participating in a VA-funded study underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on a 3T scanner. Freesurfer (version 5.1) was used to obtain regional measures of cortical GM, WM, hippocampal, and insula volume. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the association between the self-reported frequencies of hearing chemical alarms during the Gulf War and regional brain volume. There was an inverse association between the self-reported frequency of hearing chemical alarms sound and total cortical GM (adjusted p=0.007), even after accounting for potentially confounding demographic and clinical variables, the veterans' current health status, and other concurrent deployment-related exposures that were correlated with hearing chemical alarms. Post-hoc analyses extended the inverse relationship between the frequency of hearing chemical alarms to GM volume in the frontal (adjusted p=0.02), parietal (adjusted p=0.01), and occipital (adjusted p=0.001) lobes. In contrast, regional brain volumes were not significantly associated with predicted exposure to the Khamisiyah plume or with Gulf War Illness status defined by the Kansas or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Many veterans reported hearing chemical alarms sound during the Gulf War. The current findings suggest that exposure to substances that triggered those chemical alarms during the Gulf War likely

The Symmetry Rule: A Seven-Year Study of Symptoms and Explanatory Labels Among GulfWar Veterans

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Brewer, Noel T.; Hallman, William K.; Kipen, Howard M.

2014-01-01

Noticing medical symptoms can cause one to search for explanatory labels such as “ate bad food” or even “exposed to anthrax,” and perhaps these labels may cause new symptom reports. The present study examined whether there is empirical support for this symptom-label “symmetry rule.” We interviewed veterans (N = 362) from the Gulf War Registry in 1995 and 2002 about their medical symptoms and about their exposure to war-related hazards and stressors. Health symptom reports were strongly correlated between the two time periods and showed relatively stable mean levels, whereas recall of war-related exposures was notably unstable. Veterans starting with fewer medical symptoms recalled fewer war-related exposures seven years later. Initial recollection of chemical and biological warfare exposure (but not other exposures) longitudinally predicted novel medical symptoms. The findings generally support the symmetry rule hypotheses, although the evidence for the label to symptom link was less strong. The findings account for some variability in symptoms and exposure recall over time, but they do not, on their own, account for the Gulf War veterans’ elevated number of unexplained medical symptoms. PMID:18795995

The Relationship Between Traumatic Brain Injury and Rates of Chronic Symptomatic Illness in 202 Gulf War Veterans.

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Chao, Linda L

2018-05-18

Although not a "signature injury" of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (i.e., Gulf War, GW), some GW veterans have a history traumatic brain injury (TBI). For example, a previous study found that 12.2% of the GW veterans from the Fort Devens Cohort Study had self-reported TBIs. The present study sought to build upon this finding by examining the relationship between TBI and chronic symptomatic illness in a different sample of GW veterans. Participants were 202 GW veterans recruited from 2014 to 2018 at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center as part of a VA-funded study on the effects of predicted exposure to low levels of sarin and cyclosarin on brain structure and function. The Ohio State University TBI identification method was used to determine lifetime history of TBI. The Kansas Gulf War Military History and Health Questionnaire was used to assess symptoms and to determine cases of Kansas Gulf War Illness (GWI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Chronic Multisymptom Illness (CMI). Nearly half (47%) the sample had a history of TBI, but only 7% of the TBIs were sustained in injuries that occurred during the GW. Most of the TBIs were sustained in injuries that occurred prior to (73%) or after (34%) the GW. History of TBI was not associated with higher rates of symptomatic illness when it was narrowly defined (i.e., Kansas GWI cases or cases of severe CMI). History of TBI was only associated with higher rates of symptomatic illness when it is broadly defined (i.e., CDC CMI or mild-moderate CMI). There was suggestive evidence that veterans who sustained TBIs during the GW (only seven in the present sample) have poorer functional outcomes compared with GW veterans with non-GW related TBIs. While TBIs were uncommon during the GW, many GW veterans sustained TBIs prior or after the GW. Because TBI and GWI/CMI share some overlapping symptoms, history of TBI may appear to be associated with increased rates of chronic symptomatic illness in

Development of Dietary Polyphenol Preparations for Treating Veterans with Gulf War Illness

Science.gov (United States)

2016-10-01

research study because you are a Gulf War Veteran who was deployed to the Persian Gulf between August 1990 and August 1991 and you fit the definition of...Friday, April 01, 2016 3:16 PM To: Pasinetti, Giulio Cc: Grants; King , Michael; Bennett, Jodi H CIV USARMY MEDCOM USAMRMC (US); Dubner, Lauren; Winter

Immunotoxicological effects of Agent Orange exposure to the Vietnam War Korean veterans.

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Kim, Hyoung-Ah; Kim, Eun-Mi; Park, Yeong-Chul; Yu, Ji-Yeon; Hong, Seung-Kwon; Jeon, Seong-Hoon; Park, Kui-Lea; Hur, Sook-Jin; Heo, Yong

2003-07-01

Immunomodulatory effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) demonstrated using animals are thymic atrophy, downregulation of cytotoxic T or B lymphocyte differentiation or activation, whereas human immunotoxicities have not been investigated well. This study was undertaken to evaluate overall immunologic spectrum of the Vietnam War Korean veterans exposed to Agent Orange contaminated with TCDD. Quantity of red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit in the veterans suffered from chronic diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure (Veterans-patient group) were decreased in comparison with those of the veterans without the diseases and the age-matched healthy controls, but no differences in leukocyte populations. Plasma IgG levels were lowered in the veterans than the controls, owing to significant decrease in the IgG1 levels. Increase in the IgE levels was observed in the plasma from the veterans. Alteration of T cell-mediated immunity was also resulted from activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with polyclonal T cell activators. Production of IFNgamma, a major cytokine mediating host resistance against infection or tumoregenesis, was lowered in the veterans-patient group. However, production of IL-4 and IL-10, representative cytokines involved with hypersensitivity induction, was enhanced in the patient group. Overall, this study suggests that military service in Vietnam and/or Agent Orange exposure disturbs immune-homeostasis resulting in dysregulation of B and T cell activities.

posttraumatic stress and its relationship to physical health functioning in a sample of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans seeking postdeployment VA health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Jakupcak, Matthew; Luterek, Jane; Hunt, Stephen; Conybeare, Daniel; McFall, Miles

2008-05-01

The relationship between posttraumatic stress and physical health functioning was examined in a sample of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans seeking postdeployment VA care. Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans (N = 108) who presented for treatment to a specialty postdeployment care clinic completed self-report questionnaires that assessed symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chemical exposure, combat exposure, and physical health functioning. As predicted, PTSD symptom severity was significantly associated with poorer health functioning, even after accounting for demographic factors, combat and chemical exposure, and health risk behaviors. These results highlight the unique influence of PTSD on the physical health in treatment seeking Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans.

The influence of combat and interpersonal trauma on PTSD, depression, and alcohol misuse in U.S. Gulf War and OEF/OIF women veterans.

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Hassija, Christina M; Jakupcak, Matthew; Maguen, Shira; Shipherd, Jillian C

2012-04-01

The present study evaluated the impact of combat and interpersonal trauma exposure in a sample of 115 U.S. women veterans from Gulf War I and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars on 3 postdeployment trauma-related mental health outcomes: posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PSS), depressive symptom severity (DSS), and alcohol misuse. Patients presenting for healthcare services at a Veterans Affairs postdeployment health specialty clinic completed screening questionnaires that assessed combat exposure, lifetime interpersonal trauma history of childhood neglect, physical, or sexual abuse, and adult sexual and physical assault. In a regression model, combat exposure was the only significant independent variable associated with PSS, DSS, and alcohol misuse (β = .42, .27 and B = 1.58, respectively) even after adding lifetime interpersonal assault exposure to the model. Results highlight the negative effects of combat exposure on treatment-seeking women veterans' postdeployment mental health. Incorporating combat exposure into routine screening procedures for Gulf War and Iraq and Afghanistan war women veterans can aid in mental health treatment planning. Copyright © 2012 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Servicemembers and veterans with major traumatic limb loss from Vietnam war and OIF/OEF conflicts: survey methods, participants, and summary findings.

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Reiber, Gayle E; McFarland, Lynne V; Hubbard, Sharon; Maynard, Charles; Blough, David K; Gambel, Jeffrey M; Smith, Douglas G

2010-01-01

Care of veterans and servicemembers with major traumatic limb loss from combat theaters is one of the highest priorities of the Department of Veteran Affairs. We achieved a 62% response rate in our Survey for Prosthetic Use from 298 Vietnam war veterans and 283 servicemembers/veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) who sustained major traumatic limb loss. Participants reported their combat injuries; health status; quality of life; and prosthetic device use, function, rejection, and satisfaction. Despite the serious injuries experienced, health status was rated excellent, very good, or good by 70.7% of Vietnam war and 85.5% of OIF/OEF survey participants. However, many health issues persist for Vietnam war and OIF/OEF survey participants (respectively): phantom limb pain (72.2%/76.0%), chronic back pain (36.2%/42.1%), residual-limb pain (48.3%/62.9%), prosthesis-related skin problems (51.0%/58.0%), hearing loss (47.0%/47.0%), traumatic brain injury (3.4%/33.9%), depression (24.5%/24.0%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (37.6%/58.7%). Prosthetic devices are currently used by 78.2% of Vietnam war and 90.5% of OIF/OEF survey participants to improve function and mobility. On average, the annual rate for prosthetic device receipt is 10.7-fold higher for OIF/OEF than for Vietnam war survey participants. Findings from this cross-conflict survey identify many strengths in prosthetic rehabilitation for those with limb loss and several areas for future attention.

Self-Compassion as a prospective predictor of PTSD symptom severity among trauma-exposed U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

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Hiraoka, Regina; Meyer, Eric C; Kimbrel, Nathan A; DeBeer, Bryann B; Gulliver, Suzy Bird; Morissette, Sandra B

2015-04-01

U.S. combat veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general population. Self-compassion, characterized by self-kindness, a sense of common humanity when faced with suffering, and mindful awareness of suffering, is a potentially modifiable factor implicated in the development and maintenance of PTSD. We examined the concurrent and prospective relationship between self-compassion and PTSD symptom severity after accounting for level of combat exposure and baseline PTSD severity in 115 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans exposed to 1 or more traumatic events during deployment. PTSD symptoms were assessed using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-IV (CAPS-IV) at baseline and 12 months (n =101). Self-compassion and combat exposure were assessed at baseline via self-report. Self-compassion was associated with baseline PTSD symptoms after accounting for combat exposure (β = -.59; p Afghanistan war veterans. Copyright © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Spatial analysis of the etiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis among 1991 Gulf War veterans.

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Miranda, Marie Lynn; Alicia Overstreet Galeano, M; Tassone, Eric; Allen, Kelli D; Horner, Ronnie D

2008-11-01

Veterans of the 1991 Gulf War have an increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but the etiology is unknown. This study sought to identify geographic areas with elevated risk for the later development of ALS among military personnel who served in the first Gulf War. A unified geographic information system (GIS) was constructed to allow analysis of secondary data on troop movements in the 1991 Gulf War theatre in the Persian Gulf region including Iraq, northern Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. We fit Bayesian Poisson regression models to adjust for potential risk factors, including one relatively discrete environmental exposure, and to identify areas associated with elevated risk of ALS. We found that service in particular locations of the Gulf was associated with an elevated risk for later developing ALS, both before and after adjustment for branch of service and potential of exposure to chemical warfare agents in and around Khamisiyah, Iraq. Specific geographic locations of troop units within the 1991 Gulf War theatre are associated with an increased risk for the subsequent development of ALS among members of those units. The identified spatial locations represent the logical starting points in the search for potential etiologic factors of ALS among Gulf War veterans. Of note, for locations where the relative odds of subsequently developing ALS are among the highest, specific risk factors, whether environmental or occupationally related, have not been identified. The results of spatial models can be used to subsequently look for risk factors that follow the spatial pattern of elevated risk.

Classroom Strategies for Teaching Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury

Science.gov (United States)

Sinski, Jennifer Blevins

2012-01-01

Postsecondary institutions currently face the largest influx of veteran students since World War II. As the number of veteran students who may experience learning problems caused by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and/or Traumatic Brain Injury continues to rise, the need for instructional strategies that address their needs increases. Educators may…

Serum dioxin and psychological functioning in U.S. Air Force veterans of the Vietnam War.

Science.gov (United States)

Michalek, Joel E; Barrett, Drue H; Morris, Robert D; Jackson, William G

2003-02-01

Using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, we assessed the psychological functioning of U.S. Air Force veterans exposed to Agent Orange and its contaminant, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin), during the Vietnam War. Index subjects were veterans of Operation Ranch Hand (N = 1,109). Comparisons (N = 1,493) were U.S. Air Force veterans not involved with spraying herbicides. We found few consistent psychological abnormalities associated with serum dioxin levels. Ranch Hand veterans with higher dioxin levels showed some difficulties in anxiety, somatization, depression, and a denial of psychological factors. However, those with background levels also showed indications of emotional distress, primarily in emotional numbing and lability; a guarded, suspicious, and withdrawn style of relating to others; and unusual thoughts or behaviors.

Neuropsychological functioning, coping, and quality of life among returning war veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Martindale, Sarah L; Morissette, Sandra B; Kimbrel, Nathan A; Meyer, Eric C; Kruse, Marc I; Gulliver, Suzy B; Dolan, Sara L

2016-08-01

The present research tested the hypothesis that action- and emotion-focused coping strategies would mediate the relationship between neuropsychological functioning and quality of life among a sample of returning Iraq/Afghanistan veterans. Veterans (N = 130) who served as part of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan completed a diagnostic assessment of PTSD, a battery of questionnaires assessing coping style, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and quality of life, and neuropsychological tests measuring attention, learning and memory, working memory, inhibition, executive control, and visual motor coordination. Executive control, immediate and delayed verbal recall, and visual motor coordination were associated with quality of life. However, after controlling for the effects of combat exposure, PTSD, and probable TBI, no measure of neuropsychological functioning was directly associated with quality of life. Mediation analyses indicated that delayed verbal recall influenced quality of life through its effect on action-focused coping. Although replication is needed, these findings indicate that delayed verbal recall may indirectly influence quality of life among Iraq/Afghanistan veterans through its association with action-focused coping strategies. Psychologists who are working with veterans that are experiencing memory difficulties and poor quality of life may consider focusing on improving coping skills prior to rehabilitation of memory deficits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Neuropsychological Functioning, Coping, and Quality of Life among Returning War Veterans

Science.gov (United States)

Martindale, Sarah L.; Morissette, Sandra B.; Kimbrel, Nathan A.; Meyer, Eric C.; Kruse, Marc I.; Gulliver, Suzy B.; Dolan, Sara L.

2016-01-01

Purpose The present research tested the hypothesis that action- and emotion-focused coping strategies would mediate the relationship between neuropsychological functioning and quality of life among a sample of returning Iraq/Afghanistan veterans. Method Veterans (N = 130) who served as part of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, completed a diagnostic assessment of PTSD, a battery of questionnaires assessing coping style, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and quality of life, and neuropsychological tests measuring attention, learning and memory, working memory, inhibition, executive control, and visual motor coordination. Results Executive control, immediate and delayed verbal recall, and visual motor coordination were associated with quality of life. However, after controlling for the effects of combat exposure, PTSD, and probable TBI, no measure of neuropsychological functioning was directly associated with quality of life. Mediation analyses indicated that delayed verbal recall influenced quality of life through its effect on action-focused coping. Conclusions Although replication is needed, these findings indicate that delayed verbal recall may indirectly influence quality of life among Iraq/Afghanistan veterans through its association with action-focused coping strategies. Psychologists who are working with veterans that are experiencing memory difficulties and poor quality of life may consider focusing on improving coping skills prior to rehabilitation of memory deficits. PMID:26891248

The physical and mental health of Australian Vietnam veterans 3 decades after the war and its relation to military service, combat, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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O'Toole, Brian I; Catts, Stanley V; Outram, Sue; Pierse, Katherine R; Cockburn, Jill

2009-08-01

The long-term health consequences of war service remain unclear, despite burgeoning scientific interest. A longitudinal cohort study of a random sample of Australian Vietnam veterans was designed to assess veterans' postwar physical and mental health 36 years after the war (2005-2006) and to examine its relation to Army service, combat, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessed 14 years previously (1990-1993). Prevalences in veterans (n = 450) were compared with those in the Australian general population. Veterans' Army service and data from the first assessments were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression prediction modeling. Veterans' general health and some health risk factors were poorer and medical consultation rates were higher than Australian population expectations. Of 67 long-term conditions, the prevalences of 47 were higher and the prevalences of 4 were lower when compared with population expectations. Half of all veterans took some form of medication for mental well-being. The prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses exceeded Australian population expectations. Military and war service characteristics and age were the most frequent predictors of physical health endpoints, while PTSD was most strongly associated with psychiatric diagnoses. Draftees had better physical health than regular enlistees but no better mental health. Army service and war-related PTSD are associated with risk of illness in later life among Australian Vietnam veterans.

Evidence of Hippocampal Structural Alterations in Gulf War Veterans With Predicted Exposure to the Khamisiyah Plume.

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Chao, Linda L; Raymond, Morgan R; Leo, Cynthia K; Abadjian, Linda R

2017-10-01

To replicate and expand our previous findings of smaller hippocampal volumes in Gulf War (GW) veterans with predicted exposure to the Khamisiyah plume. Total hippocampal and hippocampal subfield volumes were quantified from 3 Tesla magnetic resonance images in 113 GW veterans, 62 of whom had predicted exposure as per the Department of Defense exposure models. Veterans with predicted exposure had smaller total hippocampal and CA3/dentate gyrus volumes compared with unexposed veterans, even after accounting for potentially confounding genetic and clinical variables. Among veterans with predicted exposure, memory performance was positively correlated with hippocampal volume and negatively correlated with estimated exposure levels and self-reported memory difficulties. These results replicate and extend our previous finding that low-level exposure to chemical nerve agents from the Khamisiyah pit demolition has detrimental, lasting effects on brain structure and function.

Adapted Sport Programs for Veterans with Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Goff, Mandy

2012-01-01

The Paralympic games began as a way for World War II veterans to take part in elite-level competition. Thanks to various disability-sport organizations, men and women who have served in the military are still using sport as a form of rehabilitation and a way to transition into their new life.

Treatment seeking for posttraumatic stress in Israel Defense Forces veterans deployed in the Second Lebanon War (2006) and "Operation Cast Lead" in the Gaza Strip (2009): a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Levi, Ofir; Lubin, Gadi

2018-05-01

The goal of the study was to determine the long-term prevalence of combat-related treatment seeking and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Israel's veterans deployed to the Second Lebanon War (2006) and "Operation Cast Lead" in the Gaza Strip (2009). The prevalence of treatment seeking and DSM-IV-TR diagnoses among Israel Defense Force (IDF) veterans was assessed using seven and five year's surveillance and records. The whereabouts and combat exposure of veterans during the war was determined based on the IDF's Operations Directorate records. Overall prevalence of treatment seeking was 1.32% and 0.38% in the Second Lebanon War and "Operation Cast Lead", respectively. The prevalence of treatment-seeking veterans from the Second Lebanon War and in "Operation Cast Lead" was significantly higher in soldiers deployed to high combat-exposure zones (2.19% and 3.1%, respectively), relative to low combat-exposure zones (0.24% and 0.06%, respectively), and relative to soldiers deployed elsewhere (0.26% and 0.02%, respectively). PTSD prevalence was similar among treatment-seeking veterans deployed in high combat-exposure zones in both combats. There is a gap of anywhere between 3% and 11% between treatment seeking by IDF veterans following war deployment and the actual prevalence of PTSD in this soldier population.

From prowar soldier to antiwar activist: Change and continuity in the narratives of political conversion among Iraq War veterans

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David Flores

2016-01-01

This study examines conversion narratives of Iraq War military veterans who have become antiwar political activists. I examine how antiwar veterans construct and emplot prewar, wartime, and postwar narrative periods to shape and reclaim their moral identities as patriots fighting for a just cause, and how through a communal antiwar story they work to both...

World War II Informational Fact Sheets.

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Department of Defense, Washington, DC.

This commemorative book provides numerous fact sheets on various aspects of World War II, both on the fighting front and the homefront. Replicas of posters of the war era, descriptions of battles with maps, contributions of women and minorities to the war effort, even music of the wartime era, add to this collection of resource materials useful to…

Psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Trauma Specific (AAQ-TS): A study with Portuguese Colonial War Veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto-Gouveia, José; Carvalho, Teresa; Cunha, Marina; Duarte, Joana; Walser, Robyn D

2015-10-01

The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Trauma Specific (AAQ-TS) is a self-report measure designed to assess-trauma-related psychological (in)flexibility, as conceptualized in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. However, there are no studies to date regarding its psychometric properties. This study explores such properties in the Portuguese version of the AAQ-TS, in Portuguese Colonial War Veterans. A Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was conducted in a sample from the general population of war Veterans (N=371). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) as well as reliability and convergent validity studies were performed in a different sample from the same population (N=312). For the discriminant validity a clinical sample with a war-related PTSD (N=42) and a non-clinical sample without PTSD (N=44) were used. The CFA suggested a re-specified 15-item model with good global adjustment and factorial validity. The AAQ-TS showed internal consistency, a good temporal reliability, convergent validity with psychopathological symptoms (related to PTSD, anxiety, depression and stress) and peritraumatic dissociation (altered awareness and depersonalization/derealization). The questionnaire also discriminates between war Veterans with and without a PTSD diagnosis. The major limitation relates to the samples' characteristics and sampling methods, which can limit the generalization of results. The Portuguese version of the AAQ-TS is a reliable and valid measure to assess experiential avoidance related to trauma in Portuguese Colonial War Veterans. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aggression in war veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder with co-morbid alcoholism.

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Babić, Dragan; Martinac, Marko; Bjelanović, Vedran; Babić, Romana; Sutović, Alija; Sinanović, Osman

2010-03-01

For thousands of years it has been known that aggression as a symptom appears in numerous psychiatric disorders and diseases. During the last decade the appearance of the aggressive behavior related to the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been frequently investigated, often associated with war trauma. The goal of this study is to analyze the impact of alcoholism on a way war veterans suffering from chronic PTSD express and control aggression. The sample included 240 war veterans with chronic PTSD. The subjects were divided in two groups. PTSD group (n=147) and controlled group composed of those suffering from alcoholism in addition to PTSD (n=93). In this study, the following psychological instruments were used: The Harvard trauma questionnaire for PTSD diagnosis (HTQ); the questionnaire for self-evaluation of aggression (STAXI); The Profile Index Emotion (PIE); questionnaire for auto-diagnosis of alcoholism (CAGE). The obtained results indicate that subjects who have PTSD with co-morbid alcoholism are more deprived, aggressive (p alcoholism (PIE). The aggression is statistically more expressed in subjects with PTSD who have also been diagnosed with alcoholism on all subscales in comparison to subjects with PTDS who have not been diagnosed with alcoholism: the current state of aggression, the general state of aggression, aggression towards an unfair treatment, aggression directed inwards and outwards (p alcoholism show a higher degree of aggression in comparison to subjects with PTDS who are not diagnosed with alcoholism.

Helping Veterans and Their Families Fight On!

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Megan Hazle

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This new generation of veterans is coming home to families, friends, employers, and communities that likely do not understand military culture, nor the effects that military service and reintegration have on a veteran’s life, leading to the next war – the Reintegration War. Military servicemembers, veterans, and their families face challenges within the Reintegration War that are different from their civilian counterparts and are complicated by military-specific circumstances. In order to more effectively and efficiently address the challenges servicemembers, veterans, and their families face, we need to work together in a comprehensive effort. Strategies are presented to help win the Reintegration War and ease the transition for servicemembers, veterans, and their families.

Improving Vocational Rehabilitation Access and Return to Work and Career Outcomes among African American Wounded Warriors, Gulf War, and Vietnam War Era Veterans with Disabilities: A White Paper Series

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Moore, Corey L., Ed.: Johnson, Jean E., Ed.; Washington, Andre L., Ed.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this monograph is to present documents that discuss issues related to improving access to vocational rehabilitation services and return to work rates of African American Wounded Warriors, Gulf War and Vietnam War Era veterans with disabilities. This monograph also includes a review of relevant literature on barriers to employment…

Effects of a 12-month exercise program on cardiorespiratory health indicators of Vietnam War veterans resident in the tropics.

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Kerr, Rebecca M; Leicht, Anthony S; Spinks, Warwick L

2008-06-01

To measure the effect of a combined aerobic and resistance exercise program on key cardiovascular disease risk factors (i.e. body composition or anthropometry and cardiorespiratory function) of Australian male, Vietnam War veterans living in the tropics. Twelve-month exercise program with assessments at commencement, 3, 6 and 12 months. North Queensland regional centre. Australian male, Vietnam War veterans (n = 164) resident in north Queensland. Measurement of heart rate, blood pressure, skinfold and girth measurements, exercise heart rate response and estimated aerobic capacity to determine whether the implementation of a simple aerobic and resistance exercise program could positively change selected cardiovascular disease risk factors in Vietnam Veterans. Significant improvements were reported for systolic blood pressure (131.1 (SD 15.7) reduced to 122.7 (12.4) mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (82.7 (9.1) reduced to 76.3 (10.3) mmHg), resting heart rate (73 (11) reduced to 69 (11) bpm), sum of skinfolds (127.5 (40.3) reduced to 99.5 (32.1) mm), waist girth (103.2 (12.0) reduced to 100.5 (12.1) cm), hip girth (105.3 (9.6) reduced to 103.7 (10.4) cm) and aerobic capacity (2.17 (0.39) increased to 2.36 (0.34) L min(-1)). Participation in a combined aerobic and resistance training program elicited significant anthropometric and cardiorespiratory benefits that might lead to a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease for male Vietnam War veterans resident in rural and regional areas.

Danish Gulf War Veterans Revisited: No Evidence of Increased Sickness Absence or Reduced Labor Market Outcome After Deployment to the Persian Gulf.

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Nissen, Lars Ravnborg; Stoltenberg, Christian; Nielsen, Anni B Sternhagen; Vedtofte, Mia S; Marott, Jacob L; Gyntelberg, Finn; Guldager, Bernadette

2016-11-01

To examine the assumption that postdeployment incidence of sickness and other absence from work are higher among Gulf War Veterans compared with nonveterans. A prospective registry study including a cohort of 721 Danish Gulf War Veterans and a control cohort of 3,629 nonveterans selected from the general Danish population. Outcome measures were up to 23 years postdeployment incidence of (1) long-term sickness absence and (2) long-term all types of absence from work. Long term with regard to sickness and other absence was defined as exceeding 8 weeks. The association between outcomes and information on deployment history was studied using time-to-event analysis. The index date was the return date from the last deployment to the Gulf. The follow-up period was the time from index date until April 27, 2014. As the main finding, no difference was found between veterans and nonveterans in the incidence rate of long-term sickness absence. After an initial short period (3 months) with elevated incidence rate of long-term absence from work among veterans, there was no difference between the cohorts. Among Danish Gulf War Veterans, no postdeployment increased risk of long-term sickness absence or long-term absence from work was found as compared with nonveterans. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Examination of plasma PON1 paraoxonase activity and genotype in Gulf War veterans

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2017-10-01

contribute to the risk for Gulf War Illness (GWI), as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kansas case definitions in...Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kansas case definitions in a large sample of GW veterans. Specifically, we will: (1) determine the...models);  clinical interventions;  new business creation; and  other. 7. PARTICIPANTS & OTHER COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS What

Recent research on Gulf War illness and other health problems in veterans of the 1991 Gulf War: Effects of toxicant exposures during deployment

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White, Roberta F.; Steele, Lea; O’Callaghan, James P.; Sullivan, Kimberly; Binns, James H.; Golomb, Beatrice A.; Bloom, Floyd E.; Bunker, James A.; Crawford, Fiona; Graves, Joel C.; Hardie, Anthony; Klimas, Nancy; Knox, Marguerite; Meggs, William J.; Melling, Jack; Philbert, Martin A.; Grashow, Rachel

2015-01-01

Veterans of Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield – the 1991 Gulf War (GW) – are a unique population who returned from theater with multiple health complaints and disorders. Studies in the U.S. and elsewhere have consistently concluded that approximately 25–32% of this population suffers from a disorder characterized by symptoms that vary somewhat among individuals and include fatigue, headaches, cognitive dysfunction, musculoskeletal pain, and respiratory, gastrointestinal and dermatologic complaints. Gulf War illness (GWI) is the term used to describe this disorder. In addition, brain cancer occurs at increased rates in subgroups of GW veterans, as do neuropsychological and brain imaging abnormalities. Chemical exposures have become the focus of etiologic GWI research because nervous system symptoms are prominent and many neurotoxicants were present in theater, including organophosphates (OPs), carbamates, and other pesticides; sarin/cyclosarin nerve agents, and pyridostigmine bromide (PB) medications used as prophylaxis against chemical warfare attacks. Psychiatric etiologies have been ruled out. This paper reviews the recent literature on the health of 1991 GW veterans, focusing particularly on the central nervous system and on effects of toxicant exposures. In addition, it emphasizes research published since 2008, following on an exhaustive review that was published in that year that summarizes the prior literature (RACGWI, 2008). We conclude that exposure to pesticides and/or to PB are causally associated with GWI and the neurological dysfunction in GW veterans. Exposure to sarin and cyclosarin and to oil well fire emissions are also associated with neurologically based health effects, though their contribution to development of the disorder known as GWI is less clear. Gene-environment interactions are likely to have contributed to development of GWI in deployed veterans. The health consequences of chemical exposures in the GW and other conflicts have

Recent research on Gulf War illness and other health problems in veterans of the 1991 Gulf War: Effects of toxicant exposures during deployment.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Roberta F; Steele, Lea; O'Callaghan, James P; Sullivan, Kimberly; Binns, James H; Golomb, Beatrice A; Bloom, Floyd E; Bunker, James A; Crawford, Fiona; Graves, Joel C; Hardie, Anthony; Klimas, Nancy; Knox, Marguerite; Meggs, William J; Melling, Jack; Philbert, Martin A; Grashow, Rachel

2016-01-01

Veterans of Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield - the 1991 Gulf War (GW) - are a unique population who returned from theater with multiple health complaints and disorders. Studies in the U.S. and elsewhere have consistently concluded that approximately 25-32% of this population suffers from a disorder characterized by symptoms that vary somewhat among individuals and include fatigue, headaches, cognitive dysfunction, musculoskeletal pain, and respiratory, gastrointestinal and dermatologic complaints. Gulf War illness (GWI) is the term used to describe this disorder. In addition, brain cancer occurs at increased rates in subgroups of GW veterans, as do neuropsychological and brain imaging abnormalities. Chemical exposures have become the focus of etiologic GWI research because nervous system symptoms are prominent and many neurotoxicants were present in theater, including organophosphates (OPs), carbamates, and other pesticides; sarin/cyclosarin nerve agents, and pyridostigmine bromide (PB) medications used as prophylaxis against chemical warfare attacks. Psychiatric etiologies have been ruled out. This paper reviews the recent literature on the health of 1991 GW veterans, focusing particularly on the central nervous system and on effects of toxicant exposures. In addition, it emphasizes research published since 2008, following on an exhaustive review that was published in that year that summarizes the prior literature (RACGWI, 2008). We conclude that exposure to pesticides and/or to PB are causally associated with GWI and the neurological dysfunction in GW veterans. Exposure to sarin and cyclosarin and to oil well fire emissions are also associated with neurologically based health effects, though their contribution to development of the disorder known as GWI is less clear. Gene-environment interactions are likely to have contributed to development of GWI in deployed veterans. The health consequences of chemical exposures in the GW and other conflicts have been

Criminal justice involvement, trauma, and negative affect in Iraq and Afghanistan war era veterans.

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Elbogen, Eric B; Johnson, Sally C; Newton, Virginia M; Straits-Troster, Kristy; Vasterling, Jennifer J; Wagner, H Ryan; Beckham, Jean C

2012-12-01

Although criminal behavior in veterans has been cited as a growing problem, little is known about why some veterans are at increased risk for arrest. Theories of criminal behavior postulate that people who have been exposed to stressful environments or traumatic events and who report negative affect such as anger and irritability are at increased risk of antisocial conduct. We hypothesized veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) who report anger/irritability would show higher rates of criminal arrests. To test this, we examined data in a national survey of N = 1,388 Iraq and Afghanistan war era veterans. We found that 9% of respondents reported arrests since returning home from military service. Most arrests were associated with nonviolent criminal behavior resulting in incarceration for less than 2 weeks. Unadjusted bivariate analyses revealed that veterans with probable PTSD or TBI who reported anger/irritability were more likely to be arrested than were other veterans. In multivariate analyses, arrests were found to be significantly related to younger age, male gender, having witnessed family violence, prior history of arrest, alcohol/drug misuse, and PTSD with high anger/irritability but were not significantly related to combat exposure or TBI. Findings show that a subset of veterans with PTSD and negative affect may be at increased risk of criminal arrest. Because arrests were more strongly linked to substance abuse and criminal history, clinicians should also consider non-PTSD factors when evaluating and treating veterans with criminal justice involvement.

The Effectiveness of Gestalt Therapy and Cognitive Therapy on Improvement of Life Quality of War Veterans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Sadeghi

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Background & Aim: The imposed war burdened a lot of problems on the society of Iran during the past few years. In this course, veterans didn’t immune from its harmful effects. The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of integrated group gestalt therapy and cognitive therapy on improvement of quality of life of veterans of city of Jahrom, Iran. Methods: The present clinical trial study was conducted on thirty veterans of Jahrom in 2010. The subjects included all the war veterans of Jahrom, 820 with 25-69 percent physical damage. Random sampling was executed and the world Health Organization life quality questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF was given to 150 of them. Fifteen people in each group were replaced by another fifteen people. The test group received eight sessions of group consultation in Gestalt therapy and cognition therapy ways, but the control group received no therapy. The gathered data was analyzed using ANOVA test. Results: The result of this study showed that-there is a significant difference between the life quality dimensions (physical health, mental health, life environment and social relations between the test and control group (p=0.001. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the integrated of group counseling by gestalt therapy and cognitive therapy had an influence on increasing the veteran’s life qualifications in aspects of physical health, mental health, life environment and social relations.

A model of suicidal behavior in war veterans with posttraumatic mood disorder.

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Sher, Leo

2009-08-01

Many wars have been fought during the history of civilization. About 30 armed conflicts are occurring now around the globe involving more than 25 countries. Many war veterans have symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) including suicidal ideation and behavior. PTSD is frequently comorbid with MDD. I have previously proposed that some or all individuals diagnosed with comorbid PTSD and MDD have a separate psychobiological condition that can be termed "posttraumatic mood disorder" (PTMD). This idea was based on the fact that a significant number of studies suggested that patients suffering from comorbid PTSD and MDD differed clinically and biologically from individuals with PTSD alone or MDD alone. Individuals with comorbid PTSD and MDD are characterized by greater severity of symptoms, increased suicidality and the higher level of impairment in social and occupational functioning compared to individuals with PTSD alone or MDD alone. Neurobiological evidence supporting the concept of PTMD includes the findings from neuroendocrine challenge, cerebrospinal fluid, neuroimaging, sleep and other studies. In this paper, I propose a model of suicidal behavior in war veterans with PTMD. The model consists of the following components: (1) genetic factors; (2) prenatal development; (3) biological and psychosocial influences from birth to mobilization/deployment; (4) mobilization/pre-deployment stress; (5) combat stress, traumatic brain injury, and physical injury; (6) post-deployment stress; (7) biological and psychosocial influences after the deployment; (8) trigger (precipitant) of a suicidal act; and (9) suicidal act. The first four components determine vulnerability to combat stress. The first seven components determine predisposition to suicidal behavior, a key element that differentiates PTMD patients who are at high risk from those at lower risk. Suicidal behavior in PTMD can be attributed to the coincidence of a trigger

Clinical Evaluation of a Proposed New Gulf War Syndrome

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Levine, Paul

2001-01-01

Thus far, studies on Gulf War veterans have not defined any syndrome specific to deployed Gulf War veterans, but have only suggested that Persian Gulf War veterans have a higher frequency of a number...

Effects of low-level sarin and cyclosarin exposure on hippocampal subfields in Gulf War Veterans.

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Chao, Linda L; Kriger, Stephen; Buckley, Shannon; Ng, Peter; Mueller, Susanne G

2014-09-01

More than 100,000 US troops were potentially exposed to chemical warfare agents sarin (GB) and cyclosarin (GF) when an ammunition dump at Khamisiyah, Iraq was destroyed during the 1991 Gulf War (GW). We previously reported reduced hippocampal volume in GW veterans with suspected GB/GF exposure relative to matched, unexposed GW veterans estimated from 1.5T magnetic resonance images (MRI). Here we investigate, in a different cohort of GW veterans, whether low-level GB/GF exposure is associated with structural alterations in specific hippocampal subfields, estimated from 4T MRI. The Automatic Segmentation of Hippocampal Subfields (ASHS) technique was used to quantify CA1, CA2, CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG), and subiculum (SUB) subfields volumes from high-resolution T2-weighted images acquired on a 4T MR scanner in 56 GW veterans with suspected GB/GF exposure and 56 "matched" unexposed GW veterans (mean age 49±7 years). GB/GF exposed veterans had smaller CA2 (p=0.003) and CA3/DG (p=0.01) subfield volumes compared to matched, unexposed GW veterans. There were no group difference in total hippocampal volume, quantified with FreeSurfer, and no dose-response relationship between estimated levels of GB/GF exposure and total hippocampal or subfield volume. These findings extend our previous report of structural alterations in the hippocampi of GW veterans with suspected GB/GF exposure to volume changes in the CA2, CA3, and DG hippocampal subfields in a different cohort of GW veterans with suspected GB/GF exposure. Published by Elsevier B.V.

20 CFR 404.1360 - Veterans Administration pension or compensation payable.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Uniformed Services Effect of Other Benefits on Payment of Social Security Benefits and Payments § 404.1360... compensation payable. 404.1360 Section 404.1360 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL OLD... lump-sum death payment based on the death of the World War II veteran without using the wage credits...

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Kosovo Veterans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mimoza Shahini

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD at veterans 8 years after war, to find out relation of PTSD with other demographic and health related variables and discover the impact of depression and trauma on PTSD on 687 veterans from six municipalities in Kosovo. Method: Participants were 687 war veterans selected from six regions of Kosovo during 2008. The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ-40, was administered to measure PTSD and Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25 for depression and anxiety. Pearson chi-square, analysis of variance (ANOVA, and multiple regressions were used to analyze the data. Results: Results indicated that 11.2 % of veterans even 8 years after the war ended were suffering from PTSD. Six percent of veterans with PTSD did not seek medical help. They reported to have had emotional problems and physical problems, but they did not seek medical help. The findings suggest that self-medication may be one way of veterans dealing with PTSD symptoms. Veterans with PTSD symptoms were more concerned with “family issues” than those without PTSD symptoms. Conclusions: The study found that 8 years after the war the veterans of the war in Kosovo suffer PTSD symptoms and that a good number of them do not seek help for this problem. The establishment of adequate services by the state would transform these veterans’ dealing with PTSD not into a moral challenge but into a fundamental right to equal and high-quality services.

Challenging the conclusion that lower preinduction cognitive ability increases risk for combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder in 2,375 combat-exposed, Vietnam War veterans.

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Thompson, William W; Gottesman, Irving I

2008-06-01

Among U.S. Vietnam War veterans, we assessed whether preinduction cognitive abilities were associated with the risk of developing combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The sample included 2,375 single-term, enlisted, male, Army, Vietnam War veterans who reported exposure to combat during the war. There were two measures of cognitive abilities obtained before military induction, the Armed Forces Qualification Test and the General Technical Examination. Associations of ability with current and lifetime diagnoses of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition Revised, combat-related PTSD were assessed. An index was used to grade the severity of combat exposure. Among low-combat exposure veterans, higher preinduction cognitive abilities decreased the risk for lifetime, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition Revised, combat-related PTSD. For veterans with higher levels of combat exposure, higher scores for preinduction cognitive abilities had no effect on reducing the risk for lifetime diagnosis of combat-related PTSD. For a current diagnosis of combat-related PTSD, approximately 20 years after the stressful life events, preinduction cognitive abilities had no effect on the rates of combat-related PTSD. We found significant interactions between preinduction cognitive abilities and severity of combat exposure for the lifetime diagnosis of combat-related PTSD among Army Vietnam War veterans. High levels of combat exposure are likely to exhaust intellectual resources available for coping with stressful life events. Lower scores for cognitive abilities are not uniformly disadvantageous, and this should be considered by military manpower policymakers.

Associations between subjective sleep quality and brain volume in Gulf War veterans.

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Chao, Linda L; Mohlenhoff, Brian S; Weiner, Michael W; Neylan, Thomas C

2014-03-01

To investigate whether subjective sleep quality is associated with brain volume independent of comorbid psychiatric conditions. Cross-sectional. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. One hundred forty-four Gulf War Veterans (mean age 45 years; range: 31-70 years; 14% female). None. Total cortical, lobar gray matter, and hippocampal volumes were quantified from 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance images using Freesurfer version 4.5. Subjective sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Multiple linear regressions were used to determine the association of sleep quality with total and regional brain volumes. The global PSQI score was positively correlated with lifetime and current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and current depressive symptoms (P sleep quality. Poorer subjective sleep quality was associated with reduced total cortical and regional frontal lobe volumes independent of comorbid psychiatric conditions. Future work will be needed to examine if effective treatment of disturbed sleep leads to improved structural and functional integrity of the frontal lobes.

The effect of peer support groups on family adaptation from the perspective of wives of war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

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Vagharseyyedin, Seyyed Abolfazl; Gholami, Mojtaba; Hajihoseini, Morteza; Esmaeili, Aliakbar

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of peer group support on family adaptation of wives of war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this randomized controlled trial, 80 wives of war veterans with PTSD were incorporated, and selected participants were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups (n = 40 per group). The intervention group was divided into four subgroups, with each participating in eight weekly based 1.5-hr peer support group sessions and the control group received no intervention. Demographics form and Family Adaptation Scale (FAS) developed by Antonovsky and Sourani (1988) were applied. The total mean scores of family adaptation increased significantly more in the intervention group than in the control group (p = .033). Furthermore, the time × group interaction effects were significant for internal family fit (p = .013) and a combination of both family fit and family community fit (p = .020) dimensions. Nonetheless family fit dimensions mean scores had no significant increase in the intervention group than the control group over time (p = .948). Peer support group can be a useful tool for health care professionals to enhance family adaptation in spouses of war veterans with PTSD. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mortality of veteran participants in the crossroads nuclear test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, J.C.; Thaul, S.; Page, W.F.

1997-01-01

Operation CROSSROADS, conducted at Bikini Atoll in 1946, was the first post World War II test of nuclear weapons. Mortality experience of 40,000 military veteran participants in CROSSROADS was compared to that of a similar cohort of nonparticipating veterans. All-cause mortality of the participants was slightly increased over nonparticipants by 5% (p < .001). Smaller increases in participant mortality for all malignancies (1.4%, p = 0.26) or leukemia (2.0%, p = 0.9) were not statistically significant. These results do not support a hypothesis that radiation had increased participant cancer mortality over that of nonparticipants. 8 refs

Combat exposure, posttraumatic stress symptoms and risk-taking behavior in veterans of the Second Lebanon War.

Science.gov (United States)

Svetlicky, Vlad; Solomon, Zahava; Benbenishty, Rami; Levi, Ofir; Lubin, Gadi

2010-01-01

Prior research has revealed heightened risk-taking behavior among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined whether the risktaking behavior is a direct outcome of the traumatic exposure or whether this relationship is mediated by posttraumatic stress symptoms. The sample was comprised of 180 traumatized Israeli reserve soldiers, who sought treatment in the wake of the Second Lebanon War. Combat exposure was indirectly associated with risk-taking behavior primarily through its relationship with posttraumatic stress symptoms. Results of the multivariate analyses depict the implication of posttraumatic stress symptoms in risk taking behavior, and the role of self-medication and of aggression in traumatized veterans.

Long-term heart disease and stroke mortality among former American prisoners of war of World War II and the Korean Conflict: results of a 50-year follow-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Page, W F; Brass, L M

2001-09-01

For the first 30 years after repatriation, former American prisoners of war (POWs) of World War II and the Korean Conflict had lower death rates for heart disease and stroke than non-POW veteran controls and the U.S. population, but subsequent morbidity data suggested that this survival advantage may have disappeared. We used U.S. federal records to obtain death data through 1996 and used proportional hazards analysis to compare the mortality experience of POWs and controls. POWs aged 75 years and older showed a significantly higher risk of heart disease deaths than controls (hazard ratio = 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.56), and their stroke mortality was also increased, although not significantly (hazard ratio = 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.66-1.91). These results suggest that circulatory disease sequelae of serious, acute malnutrition and the stresses associated with imprisonment may not appear until after many decades.

The Australian Vietnam Veterans Health Study: II. self-reported health of veterans compared with the Australian population.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Toole, B I; Marshall, R P; Grayson, D A; Schureck, R J; Dobson, M; Ffrench, M; Pulvertaft, B; Meldrum, L; Bolton, J; Vennard, J

1996-04-01

Self-reported physical health status of Australian Vietnam veterans was determined 20-25 years after the war and its relation to combat was investigated. An epidemiological cohort study of a simple random sample of Army veterans posted to Vietnam between 1964 and 1972 was conducted with personal interviews using the Australian Bureau of Statistics Health Interview Survey questionnaire to compare veterans with the Australian population and a 21-item combat exposure index used to measure the relationship of combat to physical health. Veterans reported greater health service usage and more recent health actions than population expectations. They also reported excess health problems in almost all recent illness disease categories except endocrine conditions and cardiovascular conditions; only 6 of 37 chronic disease groups were not elevated compared to the population. Adjustment for non-response changed estimates only slightly. Combat exposure was significantly related to reports of recent and chronic mental disorders, recent hernia and chronic ulcer, recent eczema and chronic rash, deafness, chronic infective and parasitic disease, chronic back disorders and symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions. Combat exposure may have significantly increased reports of only some health problems. A general position to complain as a result of psychological conditions due to combat is not consistent with the lack of relationship between combat and reports of physical conditions.

Countertransference problems in the treatment of a mixed group of war veterans and female partners of war veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Gregurek, R

1999-12-01

Analysis of countertransference problems in the treatment of a heterogeneous group of war veterans. The method used in this work was psychodynamic clinical observation and analysis of countertransference phenomena in group therapy. In the beginning of our work, we faced with a regressive group, which was behaving as it was re-born. The leading subject in the group was aggression and the need for hospitalization to protect them and their environment from their violence. With the development of group processes, a feeling of helplessness and lack of perspective appeared, together with suicidal ideas, which, because of the development of group cohesion and trust, could be openly discussed. With time, the group became a transitional object for its members, an object that gave them a feeling of safety but also a feeling of dependence. The role of the therapist is to support group members in becoming independent. The therapist's function is in controlling, containing, and analyzing of the destructive, regressive part and in encouraging the healthy parts of the patient. With the integration of good therapeutic process, the healthy parts of the patient gain control over his or her regressive parts.

“Experience World War II like never before!” : A systematic content analysis of promotional materials surrounding World War II-themed digital games.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van den Heede, Pieter; Ribbens, Kees; Jeroen, Jansz

2016-01-01

Especially since the 1990s, World War II has been one of the most popular historical conflicts to be represented and simulated in digital games (Mobygames, 2016). Yet, in the current body of research about these games, mainly aspects of individual games or game types, such as the World War II-themed

38 CFR 3.23 - Improved pension rates-Veterans and surviving spouses.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... and World War I veterans. The applicable maximum annual rate payable to a Mexican border period or World War I veteran under this section shall be increased by the amount specified in 38 U.S.C. 1521(g...(d)) (3) Veterans who are housebound. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1521(e)) (4) Two veterans married to one...

Suicidal ideation among young Afghanistan/Iraq War Veterans and civilians: Individual, social, and environmental risk factors and perception of unmet mental healthcare needs, United States, 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Logan, Joseph; Bohnert, Amy; Spies, Erica; Jannausch, Mary

2016-11-30

Suicidal Ideation among Afghanistan/Iraq War Veterans remains a health concern. As young Veterans adjust to civilian life, new risk factors might emerge and manifest differently in this group versus those in the general population. We explored these differences. With 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data, we examined differences in risk of past-year suicidal ideation between Veterans of the Afghanistan/Iraq War periods aged 18-34 years (N=328) and age-comparable civilians (N=23,222). We compared groups based on individual and socio-environmental risk factors as well as perceptions of unmet mental healthcare needs. We report adjusted rate ratios (aRRs); interaction terms tested for between-group differences. PY suicidal ideation rates for Veterans and civilians did not differ (52 versus 59 per 1,000, p=0.60) and both groups shared many risk factors. However, drug problems and perceived unmet mental health care needs were vastly stronger risk factors among Veterans versus civilians (interaction terms indicated that the aRRs were 3.8-8.0 times higher for Veterans versus civilians). Other differences were discovered as well. Past-year suicidal ideation rates did not differ by Veteran status among young adults. However, different risk factors per group were detected, which can inform Veteran suicide prevention efforts. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Predicting symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Croatian war veterans: the role of socio-demographics, war experiences and subjective quality of life.

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Lončar, Mladen; Plašć, Ivana Dijanić; Bunjevac, Tomislav; Hrabač, Pero; Jakšić, Nenad; Kozina, Slavica; Henigsberg, Neven; Sagud, Marina; Marčinko, Darko

2014-09-01

Previous research has documented multiple chains of risk in the development of PTSD among war veterans. However, existing studies were mostly carried out in the West, while they also did not analyze specific symptom clusters of PTSD. The aim of this study was to examine the role of socio-demographic characteristics, war experiences and subjective quality of life in the prediction of three clusters of PTSD symptoms (i.e., avoidance, intrusion, hyperarousal). This study comprised 184 male participants who have survived war imprisonment during the Croatian Homeland War in the period from 1991 to 1995. The data was collected through several self-report measuring instruments: questionnaire on socio-demographic data, war experiences (Questionnaire on Traumatic Combat and War Experiences), subjective quality of life (WHO-Five Well-being Index), and PTSD symptoms (Impact of Events Scale - Revised). The level of three symptom clusters of PTSD was found to be moderate to high, as indicated by the scores on the IES-R. Results of the three hierarchical regression analyses showed the following: traumatic war experiences were significant predictors of avoidance symptoms; traumatic war experiences and subjective quality of life were significant predictors of hyperarousal symptoms; and traumatic war experiences, material status and subjective quality of life were significant predictors of intrusion symptoms. These findings support the widespread belief that the development of war-related PTSD is accounted for by multiple chains of risk, while traumatic war experiences seem to be the only predictor of all three symptom clusters. Future research should put more emphasis on specific PTSD symptom clusters when investigating the etiopathogenesis of this disorder among war-affected populations.

Posttraumatic stress disorder among black Vietnam veterans.

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Allen, I M

1986-01-01

Because of racism in the military and racial and social upheaval in the United States during the Vietnam War years, as well as limited opportunities for blacks in the postwar period, black veterans of the Vietnam War often harbor conflicting feelings about their wartime experiences and have difficulty rationalizing brutality against the Vietnamese. As a result, black veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at a higher rate than white veterans. Diagnosis and treatment of PTSD in black veterans is complicated by the tendency to misdiagnose black patients, by the varied manifestations of PTSD, and by patients' frequent alcohol and drug abuse and medical, legal, personality, and vocational problems. The author presents his and others' recommendations about ways to treat black veterans with PTSD.

Masticatory muscle and temporomandibular joint pain in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

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Uhac, Ivone; Tariba, Petra; Kovac, Zoran; Simonić-Kocijan, Suncana; Lajnert, Vlatka; Mesić, Vesna Fugosić; Kuis, Davor; Braut, Vedrana

2011-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and intensity of masticatory muscle and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The examined group consisted of 100 Croatian war veterans, in whom PTSD had previously been diagnosed. Patients were compared with 92 subjects who had not taken part in the war and in whom PTSD was excluded by psychiatric examination. The clinical examination consisted of palpation of the masticatory muscles, the prominent neck musculature, and TMJ. The examination technique used and the definition of items were previously tested for reliability and validity. 93% of the subjects with PTSD had masticatory muscle tenderness compared to 45.65% of the subjects in the control group (chi2 = 51.46, p < 0.0001). The most frequent painful location in the subjects with PTSD was the left lateral pterygoid site in 88%, and in subjects of the control group the right lateral pterygoid site in 28.26% of cases. The most painful location in the PTSD group was the left lateral pterygoid site in 72%, and in the control group the left posterior digastric in 4.35% of cases. 58% of the subjects with PTSD had TMJ tenderness compared to 3.26% of subjects in the control group (chi2 = 66.23, p < 0.0001). The most frequent painful location of TMJ in both groups was the left posterior capsule; in the PTSD group 38% and in subjects in the control group 2.17% of cases. The most painful location was the left posterior capsule in 28% of subjects with PTSD, while not one subject in the control group reported severe painful sensitivity. The very high frequency and intensity of pain in subjects with PTSD confirms the effect of stress on muscle and joint sensitivity, i.e. perception of pain.

Resilience, traumatic brain injury, depression, and posttraumatic stress among Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans.

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Elliott, Timothy R; Hsiao, Yu-Yu; Kimbrel, Nathan A; Meyer, Eric C; DeBeer, Bryann B; Gulliver, Suzy Bird; Kwok, Oi-Man; Morissette, Sandra B

2015-08-01

We examined the prospective influence of the resilient, undercontrolled, and overcontrolled personality prototypes on depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans. After accounting for the possible influence of combat exposure, we expected that the resilient prototype would predict lower depression and PTSD over time and would be associated with adaptive coping strategies, higher social support, lower psychological inflexibility, and higher self-reported resilience relative to overcontrolled and undercontrolled prototypes, independent of traumatic brain injury (TBI) status. One hundred twenty-seven veterans (107 men, 20 women; average age = 37) participated in the study. Personality was assessed at baseline, and PTSD and depression symptoms were assessed 8 months later. Path analysis was used to test the direct and indirect effects of personality on distress. No direct effects were observed from personality to distress. The resilient prototype did have significant indirect effects on PTSD and depression through its beneficial effects on social support, coping and psychological inflexibility. TBI also had direct effects on PTSD. A resilient personality prototype appears to influence veteran adjustment through its positive associations with greater social support and psychological flexibility, and lower use of avoidant coping. Low social support, avoidant coping, and psychological inflexibility are related to overcontrolled and undercontrolled personality prototypes, and these behaviors seem to characterize veterans who experience problems with depression and PTSD over time. A positive TBI status is directly and prospectively associated with PTSD symptomology independent of personality prototype. Implications for clinical interventions and future research are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

The Changing Face of War in Textbooks: Depictions of World War II and Vietnam, 1970-2009

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Lachmann, Richard; Mitchell, Lacy

2014-01-01

How have U.S. high school textbook depictions of World War II and Vietnam changed since the 1970s? We examined 102 textbooks published from 1970 to 2009 to see how they treated U.S. involvement in World War II and Vietnam. Our content analysis of high school history textbooks finds that U.S. textbooks increasingly focus on the personal experiences…

Chronic multisymptom illness: a comparison of Iraq and Afghanistan deployers with veterans of the 1991 Gulf War.

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Smith, Tyler C; Powell, Teresa M; Jacobson, Isabel G; Smith, Besa; Hooper, Tomoko I; Boyko, Edward J; Gackstetter, Gary D

2014-12-15

Symptoms and illnesses reported by veterans of the 1991 Gulf War era are a cause of potential concern for those military members who have deployed to the Gulf region in support of more recent contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the present study, we quantified self-reported symptoms from participants in the Millennium Cohort Study, a prospective study representing all US service branches, including both active duty and Reserve/National Guard components (2001-2008). Self-reported symptoms were uniquely compared with those in a cohort of subjects from the 1991 Gulf War to gain context for the present report. Symptoms were then aggregated to identify cases of chronic multisymptom illness (CMI) based on the case definition from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The prevalence of self-reported CMI symptoms was compared with that collected in 1997-1999 from a study population of US Seabees from the 1991 Gulf War, as well as from deployed and nondeployed subgroups. Although overall symptom reporting was much less in the Millennium Cohort than in the 1991 Gulf War cohort, a higher prevalence of reported CMI was noted among deployed compared with nondeployed contemporary cohort members. An increased understanding of coping skills and resilience and development of well-designed screening instruments, along with appropriate clinical and psychological follow-up for returning veterans, might help to focus resources on early identification of potential long-term chronic disease manifestations. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The World War II Era and Human Rights Education

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Waters, Stewart; Russell, William B., III

2012-01-01

International revulsion at the violation of human rights during World War II helped spark a global movement to define and protect individual human rights. Starting with the creation of war crimes tribunals after the war, this newfound awareness stimulated a concerted international effort to establish human rights for all, both in periods of war…

Increased Postdeployment Use of Medication for Common Mental Disorders in Danish Gulf War Veterans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nissen, Lars Ravnborg; Stoltenberg, Christian Ditlev Gabriel; Vedtofte, Mia Sadowa

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Gulf War veterans (GWVs) have an elevated risk of reporting symptoms of mental disorders as compared with nondeployed military controls. A difficulty in the Gulf War health research is that most health outcomes are self-reported; therefore, it is highly relevant to study objective....../hypnotic medication, and (3) number of postdeployment psychiatric contacts. The association between outcomes and GWVs status was studied by using time-to-event analysis. The index date was the return date from the last deployment to the Gulf. The follow-up period was the time from index date until December 31, 2014...... and anxiolytic or hypnotic medicine among GWVs compared with NVs were rather surprising since we recently, by using the same study population, found that deployment to the Persian Gulf was not associated with increased sickness absence or reduced labor market attachment. However, our results indicate...

Effects of low-level sarin and cyclosarin exposure on white matter integrity in Gulf War Veterans.

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Chao, Linda L; Zhang, Yu; Buckley, Shannon

2015-05-01

We previously found evidence of reduced gray and white matter volume in Gulf War (GW) veterans with predicted low-level exposure to sarin (GB) and cyclosarin (GF). Because loss of white matter tissue integrity has been linked to both gray and white matter atrophy, the current study sought to test the hypothesis that GW veterans with predicted GB/GF exposure have evidence of disrupted white matter microstructural integrity. Measures of fractional anisotropy and directional (i.e., axial and radial) diffusivity were assessed from the 4T diffusion tensor images (DTI) of 59 GW veterans with predicted GB/GF exposure and 59 "matched" unexposed GW veterans (mean age: 48 ± 7 years). The DTI data were analyzed using regions of interest (ROI) analyses that accounted for age, sex, total brain gray and white matter volume, trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder, current major depression, and chronic multisymptom illness status. There were no significant group differences in fractional anisotropy or radial diffusivity. However, there was increased axial diffusivity in GW veterans with predicted GB/GF exposure compared to matched, unexposed veterans throughout the brain, including the temporal stem, corona radiata, superior and inferior (hippocampal) cingulum, inferior and superior fronto-occipital fasciculus, internal and external capsule, and superficial cortical white matter blades. Post hoc analysis revealed significant correlations between higher fractional anisotropy and lower radial diffusivity with better neurobehavioral performance in unexposed GW veterans. In contrast, only increased axial diffusivity in posterior limb of the internal capsule was associated with better psychomotor function in GW veterans with predicted GB/GF exposure. The finding that increased axial diffusivity in a region of the brain that contains descending corticospinal fibers was associated with better psychomotor function and the lack of significant neurobehavioral deficits in veterans

Low levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms and psychiatric symptomatology among third-generation Holocaust survivors whose fathers were war veterans.

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Zerach, Gadi; Solomon, Zahava

2016-02-01

There is an ongoing debate regarding the intergenerational transmission of Holocaust trauma to the third generation (TGH). However, due to the rareness of this population, there are no studies that have examined TGH individuals whose fathers were also victims of war-related trauma and captivity. This prospective study aimed to assess the role of parents' Holocaust background, fathers' posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and adult offspring's anxiety sensitivity (AS) in adult offspring's PTSS and psychiatric symptomatology. A sample of 123 Israeli father-child dyads (42 TGH and 71 non-TGH), that included 80 former prisoners of war (ex-POWs) dyads and a comparison group of 44 veteran dyads, completed AS, PTSS and psychiatric symptomatology self-report measures. Fathers were assessed 17 years following the Yom Kippur War (T1: 2008) while offspring took part in T2 (2013-2014). Surprisingly, results show that TGH participants reported lower levels of PTSS and psychiatric symptomatology than non-TGH participants, regardless of their fathers' captivity status. Interestingly, a moderated mediation analysis indicated that offspring's AS mediated the association between Holocaust background and participants' PTSS and psychiatric symptomatology, only among ex-POWs' offspring. This study provides evidence for relatively lower levels of PTSS and psychiatric symptomatology among TGH individuals whose fathers were war veterans. Ex-POWs' adult offspring who are grandchildren of Holocaust survivors reported lower levels of AS that was related to lower levels of PTSS and psychiatric symptomatology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

War zone veterans returning to treatment: effects of social functioning and psychopathology.

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Fontana, Alan; Rosenheck, Robert

2010-10-01

Patients with mental illness often return for further treatment after an initial episode of care. Two processes that may contribute to the return for further treatment are the severity of patients' initial social and clinical status; and/or deterioration in their status over time, regardless of their initial status. This study examined these processes in an administrative database of war zone veterans who had received outpatient treatment from a Veterans Affairs specialized posttraumatic stress disorder program. The results suggest that both initial severity and deterioration of status contribute to return to treatment and involve changes in both social functioning and psychopathology. Determination of the direction of effects between social functioning and psychopathology showed that psychopathology in the form of PTSD, other Axis I disorder or violent behavior generally affected subsequent social functioning, but not vice versa. Psychopathology in the form of alcohol or drug abuse/dependence, however, showed reciprocal effects with social functioning. These results point to the importance of emphasizing interventions that address social dysfunction and that address psychopathology, from the beginning of treatment as a way of maximizing the benefits and minimizing the need for recurrent care.

The prevalence and psychosocial correlates of suicide attempts among inpatient adolescent offspring of Croatian PTSD male war veterans.

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Boričević Maršanić, Vlatka; Margetić, Branka Aukst; Zečević, Iva; Herceg, Miroslav

2014-10-01

Despite evidence that children of male war veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at particularly high risk for behavior problems, very little is currently known about suicidal behaviors in this population of youth. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and psychosocial correlates of suicide attempts among psychiatrically hospitalized adolescent offspring of Croatian male PTSD veterans. Participants were psychiatric inpatients, ages 12-18 years. Self-report questionnaires assessed demographics, suicide attempts, psychopathology, parenting style, and family functioning. The prevalence of suicide attempts was 61.5% (65.2% for girls and 58.0% for boys). Internalizing symptoms, family dysfunction, lower levels of maternal and paternal care, and paternal overcontrol were significantly associated with suicide attempts. Our findings suggest that suicide attempts are common among inpatient adolescent offspring of male PTSD veterans and that interventions targeting both adolescent psychopathology and family relationships are needed for adolescents who have attempted suicide.

Posttraumatic Growth and Dyadic Adjustment among War Veterans and their Wives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yael Lahav

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The controversy regarding the nature of posttraumatic growth includes two main competing claims: one which argues that posttraumatic growth reflects authentic positive changes and the other which argues that posttraumatic growth reflects illusory defenses. While the former might suggest that posttraumatic growth enhances intimacy and close relationships, the latter might imply that posttraumatic growth hinders interpersonal relations. The present study aimed to test these claims by investigating the association between posttraumatic growth and dyadic adjustment over time at both the individual and dyadic levels, and the potential role of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Former prisoners of war and comparable war veterans and their wives (n = 229 were assessed twice, 30–31 (T1 and 35–38 (T2 years after the 1973 Yom Kippur War in Israel, with regard to posttraumatic growth, posttraumatic stress symptoms and dyadic adjustment. Results indicated that posttraumatic growth was associated with both elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms and low dyadic adjustment among both husbands and wives. Posttraumatic stress symptoms at T1 and T2 mediated the association between posttraumatic growth and dyadic adjustment. Wives' posttraumatic growth at T1 predicted posttraumatic growth and dyadic adjustment of the husbands at T2. The higher the wives' posttraumatic growth, the higher the posttraumatic growth and the lower the dyadic adjustment of the husbands in the subsequent measure. The findings suggest that posttraumatic growth reflects defensive beliefs which undermine marital relationships and that posttraumatic growth might be transmitted between spouses and implicated in the deterioration of the marital relationship over time.

Posttraumatic Growth and Dyadic Adjustment among War Veterans and their Wives

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Lahav, Yael; Kanat-Maymon, Yaniv; Solomon, Zahava

2017-01-01

The controversy regarding the nature of posttraumatic growth includes two main competing claims: one which argues that posttraumatic growth reflects authentic positive changes and the other which argues that posttraumatic growth reflects illusory defenses. While the former might suggest that posttraumatic growth enhances intimacy and close relationships, the latter might imply that posttraumatic growth hinders interpersonal relations. The present study aimed to test these claims by investigating the association between posttraumatic growth and dyadic adjustment over time at both the individual and dyadic levels, and the potential role of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Former prisoners of war and comparable war veterans and their wives (n = 229) were assessed twice, 30–31 (T1) and 35–38 (T2) years after the 1973 Yom Kippur War in Israel, with regard to posttraumatic growth, posttraumatic stress symptoms and dyadic adjustment. Results indicated that posttraumatic growth was associated with both elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms and low dyadic adjustment among both husbands and wives. Posttraumatic stress symptoms at T1 and T2 mediated the association between posttraumatic growth and dyadic adjustment. Wives' posttraumatic growth at T1 predicted posttraumatic growth and dyadic adjustment of the husbands at T2. The higher the wives' posttraumatic growth, the higher the posttraumatic growth and the lower the dyadic adjustment of the husbands in the subsequent measure. The findings suggest that posttraumatic growth reflects defensive beliefs which undermine marital relationships and that posttraumatic growth might be transmitted between spouses and implicated in the deterioration of the marital relationship over time. PMID:28713307

Associations Between the Self-Reported Frequency of Hearing Chemical Alarms in Theater and Visuospatial Function in Gulf War Veterans.

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Chao, Linda L

2016-10-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the self-reported frequencies of hearing chemical alarms during deployment and visuospatial function in Gulf War (GW) veterans. The relationship between the self-reported frequency of hearing chemical alarms, neurobehavioral, and volumetric brain imaging data was examined with correlational, regression, and mediation analyses. The self-reported frequency of hearing chemical alarms was inversely associated with and significantly predicted performance on a visuospatial task (ie, Block Design) over and above potentially confounding variables, including concurrent, correlated GW-related exposures. This effect was partially mediated by the relationship between hearing chemical alarms and lateral occipital cortex volume. Exposure to substances that triggered chemical alarms during GW deployment likely had adverse effects on veterans' brain structure and function, warranting further investigation of whether these GW veterans are at an increased risk for dementia.

Tuberculosis in Scottish military veterans: evidence from a retrospective cohort study of 57 000 veterans and 173 000 matched non-veterans.

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Bergman, Beverly P; Mackay, D F; Pell, J P

2017-02-01

Tuberculosis was a major cause of morbidity and manpower loss in the Armed Forces during World War II. Military control programmes commenced in the 1950s but were initially limited in scope by the many recruits who were already tuberculin positive on enlistment. The aim of our study was to examine whether veterans have an increased risk of tuberculosis compared with non-veterans. Retrospective cohort study of 57 000 veterans born 1945-1985, and 173 000 people with no record of military service, resident in Scotland, matched for age, sex and area of residence, using Cox proportional hazard analysis to compare the risk of tuberculosis overall, by birth cohort, length of service and year of diagnosis and to examine comorbidities. Over mean 29 years follow-up, 69 (0.12%) veterans were recorded as having tuberculosis, compared with 267 (0.15%) non-veterans (unadjusted HR 0.90, 95% CIs 0.69 to 1.19, p=0.463). Only the 1945-1949 veterans' birth cohort was at higher risk, unadjusted HR 1.54, 95% CIs 0.98 to 2.45, p=0.061, although the difference in risk did not achieve significance. Veterans born from 1950 were at significantly reduced risk of tuberculosis compared with non-veterans after adjusting for deprivation, HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.95, p=0.026. The most common comorbidities were smoking-related and alcohol-related disease. The risk of comorbid hepatitis B or C was very low, in both veterans and non-veterans. No length of service was associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis in comparison with non-veterans. Scottish veterans born before 1950 are at moderately increased risk of tuberculosis compared with age, sex and geographically matched civilians with no record of service, although the difference is not statistically significant. Scottish veterans born from 1950 show a reduction in risk compared with civilians. Tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of respiratory disease in the older veteran. Published by the BMJ Publishing

77 FR 20273 - Vietnam Veterans Day

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2012-04-03

... showing a generation of veterans the respect and support of a grateful Nation. The Vietnam War is a story... with honor, and on March 29, 1973, the last of our troops left Vietnam. Yet, in one of the war's most... commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the Vietnam War. [[Page 20276

An assessment of survey measures used across key epidemiologic studies of United States Gulf War I Era Veterans

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Over the past two decades, 12 large epidemiologic studies and 2 registries have focused on U.S. veterans of the 1990–1991 Gulf War Era. We conducted a review of these studies’ research tools to identify existing gaps and overlaps of efforts to date, and to advance development of the next generation of Gulf War Era survey tools. Overall, we found that many of the studies used similar instruments. Questions regarding exposures were more similar across studies than other domains, while neurocognitive and psychological tools were the most variable. Many studies focused on self-reported survey results, with a range of validation practices. However, physical exams, biomedical assessments, and specimen storage were not common. This review suggests that while research may be able to pool data from past surveys, future surveys need to consider how their design can yield data comparable with previous surveys. Additionally, data that incorporate recent technologies in specimen and genetic analyses would greatly enhance such survey data. When combined with existing data on deployment-related exposures and post-deployment health conditions, longitudinal follow-up of existing studies within this collaborative framework could represent an important step toward improving the health of veterans. PMID:23302181

76 FR 21099 - Determinations Concerning Illnesses Discussed In National Academy of Sciences Reports on Gulf War...

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2011-04-14

... of Sciences Reports on Gulf War and Health, Volumes 4 and 8 AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs... that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, under the authority granted by the Persian Gulf War Veterans...), respectively titled Gulf War and Health, Volume 4: Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War (Volume 4) and...

The Long Road Towards an Official Danish Veterans' Policy 1848-2010

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brink Rasmussen, Jakob; Poulsen, Niels Bo

2017-01-01

Despite Denmark being a nation that over the course of hundreds of years has produced tens of thousands of war veterans, research on this subject is still in its nascent phase compared to that of other nations. This is best explained by a number of historical, cultural and political factors...... the government adopted the first-ever Danish veterans’ policy. This paper addresses the virtual invisibility of Danish war veterans in Danish society and the absence of an official veterans’ policy until 2010. It is argued that a combination of factors, such as the low number of war veterans, the existence...

Psychosocial Functioning and Health-Related Quality of Life Associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Male and Female Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans: The VALOR Registry.

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Fang, Shona C; Schnurr, Paula P; Kulish, Andrea L; Holowka, Darren W; Marx, Brian P; Keane, Terence M; Rosen, Raymond

2015-12-01

Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffer from high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Given the growing number of women in the military, there is a critical need to understand the nature and extent of potential gender differences in PTSD-associated psychosocial functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans, which has not been studied to date. We used data from a gender-balanced national patient registry of warzone-deployed OEF/OIF veterans (Project VALOR: Veterans After-Discharge Longitudinal Registry) to determine the impact of gender on PTSD-related psychosocial functioning and HRQOL in 1,530 United States Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans (50% female) with and without PTSD. Overall psychosocial functioning was assessed with the Inventory of Psychosocial Functioning (IPF) and mental and physical HRQOL with the Veterans RAND 12-item Health Survey (VR-12) Mental and Physical Component Summary scores, respectively. Stratified linear regression models estimated gender-specific associations, controlling for demographic, deployment, and postdeployment factors. Interaction models tested for significant effect moderation by gender. In gender-stratified models, PTSD was strongly associated with higher IPF scores (greater functional impairment), with similar associations by gender. PTSD was also associated with lower Mental Component Summary scores (lower mental HRQOL) in both men and women, with no evidence of effect moderation by gender. PTSD was associated with lower Physical Component Summery scores in women but not men in adjusted models; however, interactions were not significant. PTSD among warzone-deployed OEF/OIF veterans is associated with significant impairments in both overall psychosocial functioning and HRQOL, with associations that are largely similar by gender. Findings support the need for thorough and continuous assessment of functional impairment and HRQOL

Psychological effects of chemical weapons: a follow-up study of First World War veterans.

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Jones, E; Everitt, B; Ironside, S; Palmer, I; Wessely, S

2008-10-01

Chemical weapons exercise an enduring and often powerful psychological effect. This had been recognized during the First World War when it was shown that the symptoms of stress mimicked those of mild exposure to gas. Debate about long-term effects followed the suggestion that gassing triggered latent tuberculosis. A random sample of 103 First World War servicemen awarded a war pension for the effects of gas, but without evidence of chronic respiratory pathology, were subjected to cluster analysis using 25 common symptoms. The consistency of symptom reporting was also investigated across repeated follow-ups. Cluster analysis identified four groups: one (n=56) with a range of somatic symptoms, a second (n=30) with a focus on the respiratory system, a third (n=12) with a predominance of neuropsychiatric symptoms, and a fourth (n=5) with a narrow band of symptoms related to the throat and breathing difficulties. Veterans from the neuropsychiatric cluster had multiple diagnoses including neurasthenia and disordered action of the heart, and reported many more symptoms than those in the three somatic clusters. Mild or intermittent respiratory disorders in the post-war period supported beliefs about the damaging effects of gas in the three somatic clusters. By contrast, the neuropsychiatric group did not report new respiratory illnesses. For this cluster, the experience of gassing in a context of extreme danger may have been responsible for the intensity of their symptoms, which showed no sign of diminution over the 12-year follow-up.

Experiences of wives of Iranian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder regarding social relationships.

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Vagharseyyedin, Seyyed A

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe the lived experiences of wives of Iranian veterans with PTSD concerning their social relationships. A qualitative design with a qualitative content analysis approach was used for data collection and analysis of wives' experiences. Fourteen wives of war veterans with PTSD participated in this study. Qualitative data were collected using in-depth semistructured interviews. Two themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Dynamic interaction between the limited social world and the spiritual world, and (2) Seeking a sensitive and assistive atmosphere. Disruption of social activities, necessity of the public's realistic perception of families' problems, and the need for additional social support were among the most emphasized points made by participants. Findings of the study can provide some direction for priority setting of problems and designing interventions to improve social lives of wives of Iranian patients diagnosed with PTSD. Further, the findings provide a base for comparing similar possible studies conducted in other societies with the Iranian society. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Antiepileptic drug prescribing patterns in Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans with epilepsy.

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Rohde, Natalie N; Baca, Christine B; Van Cott, Anne C; Parko, Karen L; Amuan, Megan E; Pugh, Mary Jo

2015-05-01

We examined patterns of antiepileptic drug (AED) use in a cohort of Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans (IAVs) who were previously identified as having epilepsy. We hypothesized that clinicians would be more likely to prescribe newer AEDs and would select specific AEDs to treat seizures based on patient characteristics including gender and comorbidities. From the cohort of IAVs previously identified with epilepsy between fiscal years 2009 and 2010, we selected those who received AEDs from the Veterans Health Administration in FY2010. Regimens were classified as monotherapy or polytherapy, and specific AED use was examine overall and by gender. Multivariable logistic regression examined associations of age; gender; race/ethnicity; medical, psychiatric, and neurological comorbidities; and receipt of neurology specialty care associated with the six most commonly used AEDs. Among 256,284 IAVs, 2123 met inclusion criteria (mean age: 33years; 89% men). Seventy-two percent (n=1526) received monotherapy, most commonly valproate (N=425) and levetiracetam (n=347). Sixty-one percent of those on monotherapy received a newer AED (levetiracetam, topiramate, lamotrigine, zonisamide, oxcarbazepine). Although fewer women than men received valproate, nearly 90% (N=45) were of reproductive age (≤45years). Antiepileptic drug prescribing patterns were associated with posttraumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, cerebrovascular disease, dementia/cognitive impairment, headache, and receipt of neurological specialty care (all p<0.01). In this cohort of veterans with epilepsy, most received AED monotherapy and newer AEDs. Prescribing patterns were different for men and women. The patterns observed between AEDs and neurological/psychiatric comorbidities suggest that clinicians are practicing rational prescribing. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Numbing and Dysphoria Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans: A Review of Findings and Implications for Treatment

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Hassija, Christina M.; Jakupcak, Matthew; Gray, Matt J.

2012-01-01

Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans experience significant rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related mental health conditions. Understanding how specific PTSD symptomatology affects physical health and psychosocial functioning may be useful in improving the conceptualization of PTSD nosology and informing treatment…

Effects of low-level sarin and cyclosarin exposure on hippocampal microstructure in Gulf War Veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Linda L; Zhang, Yu

2018-05-04

In early March 1991, shortly after the end of the Gulf War (GW), a munitions dump was destroyed at Khamisiyah, Iraq. Later, in 1996, the dump was found to have contained the organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents sarin and cyclosarin. We previously reported evidence of smaller hippocampal volumes in GW veterans with predicted exposure to the Khamisiyah plume compared to unexposed GW veterans. To investigate whether these macroscopic hippocampal volume changes are accompanied by microstructural alterations in the hippocampus, the current study acquired diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI), T1-, and T2-weighted images from 170 GW veterans (mean age: 53 ± 7 years), 81 of whom had predicted exposure to the Khamisiyah plume according to Department of Defense (DOD) plume modeling. We examined fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and grey matter (GM) density from a hippocampal region of interest (ROI). Results indicate that, even after accounting for total hippocampal GM density (or hippocampal volume), age, sex, apolipoprotein ε4 genotype, and potential confounding OP pesticide exposures, hippocampal MD significantly predicted Khamisiyah exposure status (model p = 0.005, R 2  = 0.215, standardized coefficient β = 0.26, t = 2.85). Hippocampal MD was also inversely correlated with verbal memory learning performance in the entire study sample (p = 0.001). There were no differences in hippocampal FA or GM density; however, veterans with predicted Khamisiyah exposure had smaller hippocampal volumes compared to unexposed veterans. Because MD is sensitive to general microstructural disruptions that lead to increased extracellular spaces due to neuronal death, inflammation and gliosis, and/or to axonal loss or demyelination, these findings suggest that low-level exposure to the Khamisiyah plume has a detrimental, lasting effects on both macro- and micro-structure of the hippocampus. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

"The Two Joes Meet--Joe College, Joe Veteran": The G. I. Bill, College Education, and Postwar American Culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Daniel A.

1998-01-01

Examines how the World War II veterans' influx into higher education changed the perception of that institution in the minds of the public and its portrayal in popular media. Previously characterized as an upper-crust indulgence, college became an acceptable symbol of social mobility. Includes reproductions of magazine advertisements. (MJP)

Pyridostigmine bromide and the long-term subjective health status of a sample of over 700 male Reserve Component Gulf War era veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Schumm, Walter R; Reppert, Earl J; Jurich, Anthony P; Bollman, Stephan R; Webb, Farrell J; Castelo, Carlos S; Stever, James C; Kaufman, Mark; Deng, Liang-Yu; Krehbiel, Michelle; Owens, Barbara L; Hall, Carolyn A; Brown, Beverlyn F Cay; Lash, Jeanne F; Fink, Carol J; Crow, Janet R; Bonjour, Gabriele N

2002-06-01

Data from a 1996-1997 survey of approximately 700 Reserve Component male veterans indicate that the consumption of pyridostigmine bromide pills, used as a pretreatment for potential exposure to the nerve agent Soman, was a significant predictor of declines in reported subjective health status after the war, even after controlling for a number of other possible factors. Reported reactions to vaccines and other medications also predicted declines in subjective health. While higher military rank generally predicted better health during and after the war, educational attainment, minority status, number of days in theater, and age generally did not predict changes in subjective health. Although servicemembers were directed to take three pills a day, veterans reported a range of compliance--less than a fourth (24%) followed the medical instructions compared to 61% who took fewer than three pills daily and 6% who took six or more pills a day. Implications for use of pyridostigmine bromide are discussed.

The mortality and cancer experience of New Zealand Vietnam war veterans: a cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

McBride, David; Cox, Brian; Broughton, John; Tong, Darryl

2013-09-03

The aim was to observe the patterns of mortality and cancer incidence in New Zealand Vietnam veterans. The objectives were to assess whether the patterns of disease observed were consistent with those associated with military service in Vietnam, and similar to the patterns identified in other groups of Vietnam veterans. A historical cohort study. Veterans, identified from service records, with Vietnam service between 1964 and 1972. Of the 3322 survivors of Vietnam service, we followed up 2783 (84%). Standardised mortality and incidence ratios (SMRs and SIRs, respectively) were calculated based on the number of deaths and cancer registrations observed, those expected being based on New Zealand national rates. All cause mortality was significantly reduced (SMR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.94) and cancer incidence non-significantly increased (SIR 1.06, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.16). The risk of mortality from cancers of the head and neck (SMR 2.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.93); oral cavity pharynx and larynx (SMR 2.13, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.81) and the incidence of chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL) (SIR 1.91, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.20) were, however, significantly increased. Other lymphohaematopoietic disorders, specifically multiple myeloma and Hodgkin disease, showed non-significant mortality excesses, reflected by a similar increase in incidence. Service in the Vietnam war was associated with defoliant herbicide exposure, including 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, picloram and cacodylic acid. Subsequent reviews of mechanistic, animal and epidemiological evidence led to certain conditions being deemed compensable. The pattern of mortality and cancer incidence is not at odds with the list of compensable conditions and consistent with that found in Australian veterans serving in the same area of Vietnam, but also consistent with smoking and the healthy soldier effect. In common with the Australian experience, this is the only veterans group to show a significant

Nursing during World War II: Finnmark County, Northern Norway

OpenAIRE

Immonen, Ingrid

2013-01-01

Introduction. This study is part the project “Nursing in Borderland – Finnmark 1939–1950” within nursing history that sheds light on nursing and health care during World War II in Finnmark County, Northern Norway. The study focuses on challenges in nursing care that arose during the war because of war activities in the Barents area. This article focuses on challenges caused by shortage of supplies. The aim of the project is to widen the understanding of development within health care and livi...

The structure of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in war veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Konecky, Brian; Meyer, Eric C; Kimbrel, Nathan A; Morissette, Sandra B

2016-09-01

The present research examined the underlying factor structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as conceptualized in the recently published fifth edition of the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5). Participants were 258 trauma-exposed Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans. A self-report measure of PTSD symptoms was administered to all participants and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to compare several different models of PTSD. CFA revealed that the best-fitting model was a six-factor model in which symptoms loaded onto the factors of intrusion, avoidance, negative affect, anhedonia, dysphoric arousal, and anxious arousal. These findings have important implications for ongoing conceptualization of PTSD and suggest that additional modifications to the diagnostic criteria for PTSD may still be warranted to more accurately reflect the underlying structure of PTSD symptoms.

Attentional bias for trauma-related words: exaggerated emotional Stroop effect in Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans with PTSD.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashley, Victoria; Honzel, Nikki; Larsen, Jary; Justus, Timothy; Swick, Diane

2013-03-14

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves debilitating symptoms that can disrupt cognitive functioning. The emotional Stroop has been commonly used to examine the impact of PTSD on attentional control, but no published study has yet used it with Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans, and only one previous study has compared groups on habituation to trauma-related words. We administered the emotional Stroop, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the PTSD Checklist (PCL) to 30 veterans with PTSD, 30 military controls, and 30 civilian controls. Stroop word types included Combat, Matched-neutral, Neutral, Positive and Negative. Compared to controls, veterans with PTSD were disproportionately slower in responding to Combat words. They were also slower and less accurate overall, did not show interference on Negative or Positive words relative to Neutral, and showed a trend for delayed but successful habituation to Combat words. Higher PCL and BDI scores also correlated with larger interference effects. Because of its specificity in detecting attentional biases to trauma-related words, the emotional Stroop task may serve as a useful pre- and post task with intervention studies of PTSD patients.

Prevalence, predictors and covariates of functional status impairment among Finnish Second World War veterans during 1992-2004.

Science.gov (United States)

Leskinen, Riitta; Laatikainen, Tiina; Peltonen, Markku; Levälahti, Esko; Antikainen, Riitta

2013-07-01

the functional status is one of the most important health measurements in the elderly. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of self-reported physical and mental conditions among Finnish Second World War veterans during 1992-2004. We also aimed to study the ability of these conditions in 1992 to predict the functional status impairment in 2004 and to determine whether the worsening of symptoms or the onset of new diseases during 1992-2004 was associated with impaired basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in 2004. the study population was 4,999 veterans living in Finland participating in both the Veteran Project 1992 and 2004. Logistic regression models were employed to identify predictors for impaired BADL and IADL. Analyses were conducted separately for men with and without disability and for women. the highest risk estimate for impaired BADL in 2004 was in men without disability who had a neurological disease in 1992 [odds ratios (OR): 5.78, 95% CI: 2.49-13.43], in men with disability with walking difficulties in 1992 (OR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.79-3.25) and in women with a musculoskeletal disease in 1992 (OR: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.58-3.62). For impaired IADL, walking difficulties had the highest risk estimate in all veteran groups. mental and physical conditions, especially walking difficulties, can predict veterans' future functional impairment even 12 years in advance, and worsening of these conditions is associated with impaired ADL.

International Context during and after World War II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A S Protopopov

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The author examines the international context of the Soviet Union and today's Russia during and after the World War II. Relations between the allies (the USSR, the US and the UK shortly after the end of World War II «gave a crack». Particular attention is paid to the development of the American nuclear program in an international context and objectives of the nuclear bombing of Japan, the expansion of NATO. The author concludes that the problem of military and economic development in the post-war period were largely dictated by the difficult international situation at that time. The Soviet Union was forced not only to establish a peaceful life, but also to take steps to create its own nuclear weapons and their means of delivery, strengthening the country's defense. After the troubled times of the second half of the 1980s and 1990s, in the XXI century Russia again began to strengthen its international position. The author proves the need for a consistent foreign policy.

Attentional bias for trauma-related words: exaggerated emotional Stroop effect in Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans with PTSD

OpenAIRE

Ashley, Victoria; Honzel, Nikki; Larsen, Jary; Justus, Timothy; Swick, Diane

2013-01-01

Background Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves debilitating symptoms that can disrupt cognitive functioning. The emotional Stroop has been commonly used to examine the impact of PTSD on attentional control, but no published study has yet used it with Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans, and only one previous study has compared groups on habituation to trauma-related words. Methods We administered the emotional Stroop, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the PTSD Checklist (PCL) ...

Veterans' Transitions to Community College: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, Holly A.

2012-01-01

Veterans on college campuses are not new; however, the recent influx of veterans returning home from war-time service present challenges to the colleges they attend. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the transition process experienced by veterans leaving military service and attending community college for the first time.…

End of World War II: Truth and Lie of History

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. G. Bahdanovich

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes the main events of the last period of the World War II. A special attention is paid to the feat of the Soviet Armed Forces, that defeated the Kwantun Army in August 1945 and precipitated an unconditional capitulation of Japan and brought freedom to the peoples of Asia. The paper also reveals tragic consequences of atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The authors emphasize a key role of the Soviet Union in victorious completion of the World War II.

World Wars at Home: U.S. Response to World War II Propaganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagy, Alex

1990-01-01

Focuses on how the United States Post Office reacted to the massive influx of political propaganda, primarily from the Soviet Union, immediately prior to and during World War II. Describes how the Post Office played an active role in stopping and burning some 50 tons of incoming material. (RS)

75 FR 15776 - Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-30

..., Employee Education System and Veterans Health Administration Overview of Former Prisoners of War Clinical... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War; Notice of Meeting... Act) that the Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War has scheduled a meeting for April 12-14...

WORLD WAR II THROUGH THE EYES OF TURKISH NOVELISTS / TÜRK ROMANCISININ GÖZÜYLE II. DÜNYA SAVASI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prof. Dr. Alev SINAR UĞURLU

2009-01-01

Full Text Available World War II started actually on 1st September1939 with the invasion of Poland by Germany, thenspread to almost the three fourths of the world with thepartaking of the states in the war such as England,France, Russia, Italy, Japan, and ended on 9th August1945 with the atomic bomb dropped by the USA onNagazaki. Due to the importance of its strategic location,Turkey was desired to partake in the war, but theRepublic of Turkey, adopting the principle “Peace athome, peace in the world”, refused to enter the war onthe condition that its territorial integrity would not bethreatened, and managed not to partake in this war byresisting to pressures made. However, although it did notenter the war, Turkey had to put up with great difficultiesduring those years, and there appeared an extremelynegative picture especially economically. Turkish writersregarded World War II as material for literature as theydid any other political and social events affecting thecountry deeply and considered it their duty to hand onthis historical period to next generations. The novelsmentioning World War II dealt with not only the state ofTurkey managing to stay “out of the stage” during thiswar, but also the situations of the states partaking in thewar such as Poland, Yugoslavia, England, France,Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and Russia and thepeople living in these countries.

Meaning as a Mission: Making sense of war and peacekeeping

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schok, M.L.

2009-01-01

The objective of this thesis was to examine the significance of meaning in a sample of veterans who were deployed during various war and peacekeeping operations. A cognitive perspective was chosen to explore how veterans make sense of their war zone experiences and find personal significance in

Suicide among Polish officers during World War II in Oflag II-C Woldenberg.

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Czabański, Adam; Lester, David

2013-06-01

Although scholars have examined the occurrence of suicide in the concentration camps during World War Two, little has appeared on suicide in prisoner-of-war camps. The present note presents an attempt to document the occurrence of suicide in the Oflag II-C Woldenberg camp in what is now Western Poland, and estimates a suicide rate of between 22.4 to 38.4 per 100,000 per year in the roughly 6,600 prisoners.

Effects of low-level exposure to sarin and cyclosarin during the 1991 Gulf War on brain function and brain structure in US veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Linda L; Rothlind, Johannes C; Cardenas, Valerie A; Meyerhoff, Dieter J; Weiner, Michael W

2010-09-01

Potentially more than 100,000 US troops may have been exposed to the organophosphate chemical warfare agents sarin (GB) and cyclosarin (GF) when a munitions dump at Khamisiyah, Iraq was destroyed during the Gulf War (GW) in 1991. Although little is known about the long-term neurobehavioral or neurophysiological effects of low-dose exposure to GB/GF in humans, recent studies of GW veterans from the Devens Cohort suggest decrements in certain cognitive domains and atrophy in brain white matter occur individuals with higher estimated levels of presumed GB/GF exposure. The goal of the current study is to determine the generalizability of these findings in another cohort of GW veterans with suspected GB/GF exposure. Neurobehavioral and imaging data collected in a study on Gulf War Illness between 2002 and 2007 were used in this study. We focused on the data of 40 GW-deployed veterans categorized as having been exposed to GB/GF at Khamisiyah, Iraq and 40 matched controls. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brain were analyzed using automated and semi-automated image processing techniques that produced volumetric measurements of gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and hippocampus. GW veterans with suspected GB/GF exposure had reduced total GM and hippocampal volumes compared to their unexposed peers (p< or =0.01). Although there were no group differences in measures of cognitive function or total WM volume, there were significant, positive correlations between total WM volume and measures of executive function and visuospatial abilities in veterans with suspected GB/GF exposure. These findings suggest that low-level exposure to GB/GF can have deleterious effects on brain structure and brain function more than decade later. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The war within : Neurobiological alterations in posttraumatic stress disorder

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geuze, E.

2006-01-01

For a large number of veterans, war does not end after they are removed from a combat zone. Traumatic stress affects nearly all veterans, but while the majority of veterans learn to live with their experiences, for some veterans traumatic stress seethes inside. In this dissertation posttraumatic

Microchimerism decades after transfusion among combat-injured US veterans from the Vietnam, Korean, and World War II conflicts.

Science.gov (United States)

Utter, Garth H; Lee, Tzong-Hae; Rivers, Ryan M; Montalvo, Lani; Wen, Li; Chafets, Daniel M; Reed, William F; Busch, Michael P

2008-08-01

Blood transfusion after traumatic injury can result in microchimerism (MC) of donor white cells (WBCs) in the recipient as late as 2 to 3 years postinjury, the longest prospective follow-up to date. The purpose of this study was to determine how long transfusion-associated MC lasts after traumatic injury. A group of US combat veterans who received transfusions who responded to a recruitment notice was retrospectively evaluated. Their blood was sampled, and MC was assessed by quantitative allele-specific polymerase chain reaction detection of differences at the HLA-DR locus or a panel of insertion-deletion polymorphism loci. Results of veterans were compared to those from an age- and gender-matched blood donor control group, from whom WBCs were retrieved from leukoreduction filters. Among 163 combat veterans who received transfusion and 150 control subjects who did not receive transfusions, 16 (9.8%) of the veterans and 1 (0.7%) control subject had evidence of MC (relative risk, 14.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.0-110). The veterans with MC included 3 who served in WWII (7% of subjects from that conflict), 5 in Korea (18%), and 6 in Vietnam (7%). Transfusion for combat-related injury can result in MC that lasts for 60 years, suggesting that it may involve permanent engraftment. MC is rare among male blood donors who did not receive transfusions, who are probably representative of individuals who have not had postnatal allogeneic exposures.

38 CFR 21.5053 - Restoration of contributions (Persian Gulf War).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Restoration of contributions (Persian Gulf War). 21.5053 Section 21.5053 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF... Assistance Under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 32 Participation § 21.5053 Restoration of contributions (Persian Gulf War...

Federally Chartered Corporation: Review of the Financial Statement Audit Reports for the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, Incorporated for Fiscal Years 1999 and 1998

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Steinhoff, Jeffrey

2000-01-01

As requested, we reviewed the audit reports covering the financial statements of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, Incorporated, a federally chartered corporation, for the years...

77 FR 45717 - Proposed Information Collection (Former Prisoner of War Medical History); Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-01

... use of other forms of information technology. Title: Former Prisoner of War (FPOW) Medical History, VA... Prisoner of War veteran. VA will use the data collected as a guide and reference for treatment planning for... Prisoner of War Medical History); Comment Request AGENCY: Veterans Health Administration, Department of...

38 CFR 3.2 - Periods of war.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Periods of war. 3.2..., Compensation, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation General § 3.2 Periods of war. This section sets forth the beginning and ending dates of each war period beginning with the Indian wars. Note that the term...

Propaganda to Mobilize Women for World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathis, Susan

1994-01-01

Describes government efforts to mobilize U.S. women during World War II. Discusses the need for women's participation and the problems confronted by women who joined the wartime labor force. Describes efforts to increase participation by women in the armed forces. (CFR)

Former Prisoner of War Statistical Tracking System

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Veterans Affairs — The Former Prisoner of War (POW) Statistical Tracking System database is a registry designed to comply with Public Law 97-37, the Former Prisoner of War Benefits Act...

Department of Veterans Affairs, Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses Task Force to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-29

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES); and the National Health Interview Survey ( NHIS ). As of July 1, 2010, VA has submitted to...NHANES and NHIS staff specific questions that if answered positively, will identify Veteran study subjects beginning in 2011 in both these National...several discussions with investigators on the NHANES and NHIS . Staffs from both surveys are willing to include Veteran-specific questions and to plan

75 FR 54445 - Proposed Information Collection (Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-07

... Collection (Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans) Activity: Comment Request... assist in VA's efforts to address the health concerns and problems of Gulf War Veterans. DATES: Written... of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans, VA Form 10-0488, and Consent Form for Release of Medical Records...

Patch testing with uranyl acetate in veterans exposed to depleted uranium during the 1991 Gulf war and the Iraqi conflict.

Science.gov (United States)

Shvartsbeyn, Marianna; Tuchinda, Papapit; Gaitens, Joanna; Squibb, Katherine S; McDiarmid, Melissa A; Gaspari, Anthony A

2011-01-01

The Depleted Uranium Follow-Up Program is a clinical surveillance program run by the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center since 1993 for veterans of the Gulf and Iraqi wars who were exposed to depleted uranium (DU) as a result of "friendly-fire" incidents. In 2009, 40 veterans from this cohort were screened for skin reactivity to metals by patch-testing with extended metal series and uranyl acetate (0.25%, 2.5%, and 25%). A control arm comprised 46 patients without any known occupational exposures to DU who were seen at the University of Maryland Dermatology Clinic for evaluation of allergic contact dermatitis. Excluding irritant reactions, no patch-test reactions to uranyl acetate were observed in the participants. Irritant reactions to DU were more common in the clinic cohort, likely reflective of the demographic differences between the two arms of the study. Biologic monitoring of urine uranium concentrations in the DU program participants with 24-hour urine samples showed evidence of percutaneous uranium absorption from the skin patches. We conclude that dermatitis observed in a subset of the veterans was unrelated to their military DU exposure. Our data suggest that future studies of skin testing with uranyl acetate should utilize 0.25%, the least irritating concentration.

First World War and Mental Health: a retrospective comparative study of veterans admitted to a psychiatric hospital between 1915 and 1918.

Science.gov (United States)

Lagonia, Paolo; Aloi, Matteo; Magliocco, Fabio; Cerminara, Gregorio; Segura-Garcia, Cristina; Del Vecchio, Valeria; Luciano, Mario; Fiorillo, Andrea; De Fazio, Pasquale

2017-01-01

The association between mental illness and war has been repeatedly investigated. Higher levels of depressive symptoms and an increased suicidal risk have been found in veterans. In this study we investigated the mental health conditions among Italian soldiers during the “Great War”, who were hospitalized in a mental health hospital in Italy. The study sample consists of 498 soldiers who were admitted during the World War I between 1915 and 1918, and 498 civilian patients admitted in two different periods (1898-1914, 1919- 1932). Psychiatric diagnoses have been recorded retrospectively by a detailed examination of clinical records. Socio-demographic informations, diagnosis at first admission, number of admissions, and deployment in war zones were collected. A logistic regression analysis was performed, the diagnosis of depression was considered as dependent variable while clinical and demographic variables as independent predictors. Soldiers deployed in war zones were more likely to have a diagnosis of depression compared to those not serving on the frontline. The logistic regression analysis showed that the diagnosis of depression is predicted by being a soldier and being deployed in a war area. Our data confirm that soldiers engaged in war are at higher risk of developing depression compared to non-deployed soldiers.

5 CFR 831.304 - Service with the Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Service with the Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II. 831.304 Section 831.304 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED... Nurse Corps during World War II. (a) Definitions and special usages. In this section— (1) Basic pay is...

20 CFR 404.1059 - Deemed wages for certain individuals interned during World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Deemed wages for certain individuals interned during World War II. 404.1059 Section 404.1059 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL...-Employment Income Wages § 404.1059 Deemed wages for certain individuals interned during World War II. (a) In...

Gender differences in associations between DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder symptom clusters and functional impairment in war veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Eric C; Konecky, Brian; Kimbrel, Nathan A; DeBeer, Bryann B; Marx, Brian P; Schumm, Jeremiah; Penk, Walter E; Gulliver, Suzy Bird; Morissette, Sandra B

2018-05-01

Understanding the links between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and functional impairment is essential for assisting veterans in transitioning to civilian life. Moreover, there may be differences between men and women in the relationships between PTSD symptoms and functional impairment. However, no prior studies have examined the links between functional impairment and the revised symptom clusters as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) or whether the associations between PTSD symptom clusters and functional impairment differ by gender. We examined the associations between the DSM-5 PTSD symptom clusters and functional impairment in 252 trauma-exposed Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans (79 females). Regression analyses included demographic factors and exposure to both combat and military sexual trauma as covariates. In the total sample, both the intrusions cluster (β = .18, p = .045) and the negative alterations in cognition and mood cluster (β = .45, p < .001) were associated with global functional impairment. Among male veterans, global functional impairment was associated only with negative alterations in cognition and mood (β = .52, p < .001). However, by contrast, among female veterans, only marked alterations in arousal and reactivity were associated with global functional impairment (β = .35, p = .027). These findings suggest that there may be important gender differences with respect to the relationship between PTSD symptoms and functional impairment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

38 CFR 3.950 - Helpless children; Spanish-American and prior wars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Helpless children; Spanish-American and prior wars. 3.950 Section 3.950 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF... § 3.950 Helpless children; Spanish-American and prior wars. Marriage is not a bar to the payment of...

75 FR 70365 - Agency Information Collection (Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-17

... (Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans) Activity Under OMB Review AGENCY...).'' SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Titles: Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans, VA..., will help VA to assess the health of Gulf War veterans who were exposed to a variety of environmental...

War, Journalism, and Oral History.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Gary

2000-01-01

Describes a project where students conducted oral history with either a war correspondent or a U.S. combat veteran for the course "War and the News Media: From Vietnam through Desert Storm and Beyond." Discusses how the students prepared for the interviews and the evaluation of their projects. (CMK)

World War II, post-war reconstruction and British women chemists.

Science.gov (United States)

Horrocks, Sally

2011-07-01

This paper draws on evidence from a range of sources to consider the extent to which World War II served as a turning point in the employment opportunities open to women chemists in Britain. It argues that wartime conditions expanded women's access to some areas of employment, but that these opportunities represented, in many ways, an expansion of existing openings rather than wholly new ones, and not all of them proved permanent. Instead, women chemists benefited more permanently from increased state expenditure on higher education and on research and development after the war. This enabled some women to remain in what had originally been temporary wartime posts and others to secure employment in wholly new positions. Women were most successful in securing positions created by the expansion of state welfare and support for agriculture, but also found new employment opportunities as a result of the heavy investment in weapons development that accelerated with the advent of the Cold War. In higher education, an initial expansion of openings was not sustained, and the proportion of women in university chemistry departments actually fell during the second half of the 1950s. Industry presents a rather ambiguous picture, with many firms continuing to refuse to employ women chemists, whereas elsewhere they enjoyed enhanced opportunities and better salaries than those offered before the war. This did not mean, however, that women chemists received equal treatment to their male colleagues, and, despite the changes, they remained concentrated in subordinate positions and were expected to concentrate on routine work. Prospects in the 1950s were certainly better than they had been during the 1930s, but they remained strongly gendered.

32 CFR Appendix D to Part 45 - State Directors of Veterans Affairs

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 55155. Mississippi President, State Veterans Affairs Board, 120 North State Street, War Memorial..., Trenton, NJ 08608. New Mexico Director, Veterans Service Commission, P.O. Box 2324, Santa Fe, NM 87503...

Gulf war illness--better, worse, or just the same? A cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hotopf, Matthew; David, Anthony S; Hull, Lisa; Nikalaou, Vasilis; Unwin, Catherine; Wessely, Simon

2003-12-13

Firstly, to describe changes in the health of Gulf war veterans studied in a previous occupational cohort study and to compare outcome with comparable non-deployed military personnel. Secondly, to determine whether differences in prevalence between Gulf veterans and controls at follow up can be explained by greater persistence or greater incidence of disorders. Occupational cohort study in the form of a postal survey. Military personnel who served in the 1991 Persian Gulf war; personnel who served on peacekeeping duties to Bosnia; military personnel who were deployed elsewhere ("Era" controls). All participants had responded to a previous survey. United Kingdom. Self reported fatigue measured on the Chalder fatigue scale; psychological distress measured on the general health questionnaire, physical functioning and health perception on the SF-36; and a count of physical symptoms. Gulf war veterans experienced a modest reduction in prevalence of fatigue (48.8% at stage 1, 43.4% at stage 2) and psychological distress (40.0% stage 1, 37.1% stage 2) but a slight worsening of physical functioning on the SF-36 (90.3 stage 1, 88.7 stage 2). Compared with the other cohorts Gulf veterans continued to experience poorer health on all outcomes, although physical functioning also declined in Bosnia veterans. Era controls showed both lower incidence of fatigue than Gulf veterans, and both comparison groups showed less persistence of fatigue compared with Gulf veterans. Gulf war veterans remain a group with many symptoms of ill health. The excess of illness at follow up is explained by both higher incidence and greater persistence of symptoms.

Brazilian Participation in World War II

Science.gov (United States)

2006-12-15

Brasil na Segunda Guerra Mundial (Brazil in War World II): In order to have personnel to perform the jobs of company commanders, it was necessary to...Branco, 136. 18Octavio Costa, Trinta Anos Depois da Volta. O Brasil na Segunda Guerra Mundial (Rio de Janeiro: Bibliex, 1976), 30. 46 19McCann...na Segunda Guerra Mundial . Rio de Janeiro: Biblioteca do Exército Editora, 1976. Dulles, John W. F. Vargas of Brazil: A Political Biography. Austin

Agent Orange exposure, Vietnam War veterans, and the risk of prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Chamie, Karim; DeVere White, Ralph W; Lee, Dennis; Ok, Joon-Ha; Ellison, Lars M

2008-11-01

It has been demonstrated that Agent Orange exposure increases the risk of developing several soft tissue malignancies. Federally funded studies, now nearly a decade old, indicated that there was only a weak association between exposure and the subsequent development of prostate cancer. Because Vietnam War veterans are now entering their 60s, the authors reexamined this association by measuring the relative risk of prostate cancer among a cohort of men who were stratified as either exposed or unexposed to Agent Orange between the years 1962 and 1971 and who were followed during the interval between 1998 and 2006. All Vietnam War era veterans who receive their care in the Northern California Veteran Affairs Health System were stratified as either exposed (n=6214) or unexposed (n=6930) to Agent Orange. Strata-specific incidence rates of prostate cancer (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision code 185.0) were calculated. Differences in patient and disease characteristics (age, race, smoking history, family history, body mass index, finasteride exposure, prebiopsy prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, clinical and pathologic stage, and Gleason score) were assessed with chi-square tests, t tests, a Cox proportional hazards model, and multivariate logistic regression. Twice as many exposed men were identified with prostate cancer (239 vs 124 unexposed men, respectively; odds ratio [OR], 2.19; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.75-2.75). This increased risk also was observed in a Cox proportional hazards model from the time of exposure to diagnosis (hazards ratio [HR], 2.87; 95% CI, 2.31-3.57). The mean time from exposure to diagnosis was 407 months. Agent Orange-exposed men were diagnosed at a younger age (59.7 years; 95% CI, 58.9-60.5 years) compared with unexposed men (62.2 years; 95% CI, 60.8-63.6 years), had a 2-fold increase in the proportion of Gleason scores 8 through 10 (21.8%; 95% CI, 16.5%-27%) compared with unexposed men (10.5%; 95% CI, 5

External and Internal Impact on Soviet Memorial Landscape Development by THE World War II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Cherkasski

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The World War II led to serious casualties and left deep scars / wounds of memory. As the victory over occupation regime was glorified, honored and starting from 1965 was widely celebrated at national level, there was a great gap between official and personal memory of war. Monuments are one of the forms of living examples of the past and thus are reliable sources for the study of different epochs and Zeitgeist / spirit of time and their changes. This article considers the development of Soviet memorial landscape by the World War II starting from the war termination to the Soviet Union collapse. Special attention is attached to internal political and international views / interpretations and development with respect to victims of war. In other words, the process of different groups of war victims exclusion and inclusion in Soviet collective memory under the influence of internal political and foreign political interests symbiosis. And, as a result, resultant attitude towards memorial places.

Costs of war: excess health care burdens during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (relative to the health care experience pre-war).

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-01

This report estimates the health care burden related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by calculating the difference between the total health care delivered to U.S. military members during wartime (October 2001 to June 2012) and that which would have been delivered if pre-war (January 1998 to August 2001) rates of ambulatory visits, hospitalizations, and hospital bed days of active component members of the U.S. Armed Forces had persisted during the war. Overall, there were estimated excesses of 17,023,491 ambulatory visits, 66,768 hospitalizations, and 634,720 hospital bed days during the war period relative to that expected based on pre-war experience. Army and Marine Corps members and service members older than 30 accounted for the majority of excess medical care during the war period. The illness/injury-specific category of mental disorders was the single largest contributor to the total estimated excesses of ambulatory visits, hospitalizations, and bed days. The total health care burdens associated with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are undoubtedly greater than those enumerated in this report because this analysis did not address care delivered in deployment locations or at sea, care rendered by civilian providers to reserve component members in their home communities, care of veterans by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, preventive care for the sake of force health protection, and future health care associated with wartime injuries and illnesses.

Gulf War Syndrome: a review of current knowledge and understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Minshall, D

2014-01-01

The 1991 Persian Gulf War was a resounding military success for coalition forces, who liberated Kuwait following the Iraqi invasion. The medical legacy we have from the conflict is the poorly understood, yet remarkable, phenomenon of Gulf War Syndrome, which surfaced soon after. Epidemiological research has proven beyond doubt that Gulf War veterans report a wide variety of symptoms, in excess of appropriately matched control subjects, and experience worse general health. Numerous toxic environmental hazards have been suggested as causes of Gulf War Syndrome, yet exhaustive scientific study has failed to provide conclusive proof of any link. No novel or recognised disease has been found to account for the symptomatic burden of veterans, and the optimal treatment remains uncertain. This understanding can be added to from an anthropological perspective, where the narratives of those afflicted provide further insight. The nature of military life was changing at the time of the Gulf War, challenging the identity and beliefs of some veterans and causing socio-cultural distress. The symptomatic presentation of Gulf War Syndrome can be considered an articulation of this disharmony. Gulf War Syndrome can also be considered within the group of post-combat disorders such as shellshock, the like of which have occurred after major wars in the last century. With the current withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Defence Medical Services (DMS) should heed the lessons of history.

The Rise of Conservatism since World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Dan T.

2003-01-01

Discusses the rise of the conservatism movement in the United States since World War II. States that laissez-faire capitalism and the rise of communism contributed to the popularity of conservatism in the United States. Focuses on the role of U.S. Presidents, such as Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. (CMK)

Gaming the Interwar: How Naval War College Wargames Tilted the Playing Field for the U.S. Navy During World War II

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-13

planners began to concentrate on the island- hopping campaign expected against Japan. By using Midway as an intermediate, unnamed objective, rather...your location. The morality would be debated, old ghosts would be dredged up from World War I, but the tactical framework had been laid from...GAMING THE INTERWAR: HOW NAVAL WAR COLLEGE WARGAMES TILTED THE PLAYING FIELD FOR THE U.S. NAVY DURING WORLD WAR II A thesis

Sexual assault during the time of Gulf War I: a cross-sectional survey of U.S. service men who later applied for Department of Veterans Affairs PTSD disability benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Murdoch, Maureen; Polusny, Melissa A; Street, Amy; Noorbaloochi, Siamak; Simon, Alisha B; Bangerter, Ann; Grill, Joseph; Voller, Emily

2014-03-01

To estimate the cumulative incidence of sexual assault during the time of Gulf War I among male Gulf War I Veterans who later applied for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) post-traumatic stress disorder disability benefits and to identify potential risk and protective factors for sexual assault within the population. Mailed, national, cross-sectional survey supplemented with VA administrative and clinical data. Of 2,415 Veterans sampled, 1,700 (70%) responded. After adjusting for nonignorable missing data, the cumulative incidence of sexual assault during Gulf War I in this population ranged from 18% [95% confidence intervals (CI): 5.0%-51.9%] to 21% (95% CI: 20.0-22.0). Deployment was not associated with sexual assault [Odds Ratio (OR), 0.96; 95% CI: 0.75-1.23], but combat exposure was (OR, 1.80; 95% CI: 1.52-2.10). Other correlates of sexual assault within the population included working in a unit with greater tolerance of sexual harassment (OR, 1.80; 95% CI: 1.52-2.10) and being exposed to more sexual identity challenges (OR, 1.76; 95% CI: 1.55-2.00). The 9-month cumulative incidence of sexual assault in this particular population exceeded the lifetime cumulative incidence of sexual assault in U.S. civilian women. Although Persian Gulf deployment was not associated with sexual assault in this population, combat exposure was. Reprint & Copyright © 2014 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Gulf war illness—better, worse, or just the same? A cohort study

Science.gov (United States)

Hotopf, Matthew; David, Anthony S; Hull, Lisa; Nikalaou, Vasilis; Unwin, Catherine; Wessely, Simon

2003-01-01

Objectives Firstly, to describe changes in the health of Gulf war veterans studied in a previous occupational cohort study and to compare outcome with comparable non-deployed military personnel. Secondly, to determine whether differences in prevalence between Gulf veterans and controls at follow up can be explained by greater persistence or greater incidence of disorders. Design Occupational cohort study in the form of a postal survey. Participants Military personnel who served in the 1991 Persian Gulf war; personnel who served on peacekeeping duties to Bosnia; military personnel who were deployed elsewhere (“Era” controls). All participants had responded to a previous survey. Setting United Kingdom. Main outcome measures Self reported fatigue measured on the Chalder fatigue scale; psychological distress measured on the general health questionnaire, physical functioning and health perception on the SF-36; and a count of physical symptoms. Results Gulf war veterans experienced a modest reduction in prevalence of fatigue (48.8% at stage 1, 43.4% at stage 2) and psychological distress (40.0% stage 1, 37.1% stage 2) but a slight worsening of physical functioning on the SF-36 (90.3 stage 1, 88.7 stage 2). Compared with the other cohorts Gulf veterans continued to experience poorer health on all outcomes, although physical functioning also declined in Bosnia veterans. Era controls showed both lower incidence of fatigue than Gulf veterans, and both comparison groups showed less persistence of fatigue compared with Gulf veterans. Conclusions Gulf war veterans remain a group with many symptoms of ill health. The excess of illness at follow up is explained by both higher incidence and greater persistence of symptoms. PMID:14670878

The Effects of World War II on Economic and Health Outcomes across Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Kesternich, Iris; Siflinger, Bettina; Smith, James P.; Winter, Joachim K.

2013-01-01

We investigate long-run effects of World War II on socio-economic status and health of older individuals in Europe. We analyze data from SHARELIFE, a retrospective survey conducted as part of SHARE in Europe in 2009. SHARELIFE provides detailed data on events in childhood during and after the war for over 20,000 individuals in 13 European countries. We construct several measures of war exposure—experience of dispossession, persecution, combat in local areas, and hunger periods. Exposure to war and more importantly to individual-level shocks caused by the war significantly predicts economic and health outcomes at older ages. PMID:24850973

Propaganda in Warner Brothers World War II Cartoons.

Science.gov (United States)

Machowski, James Stanley; Brown, James William

To examine the role of the animated cartoon in propaganda associated with World War II, 194 of 262 cartoons produced for theatrical release by Warner Brothers, Inc., from 1939 to 1946 were analyzed. Propaganda content was determined by the number and nature of symbols used and the cartoon's "attitudes" toward these symbols. An analysis…

The impact of war on Puerto Rican families: challenges and strengthened family relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Magaly Freytes, I; Hannold, Elizabeth M; Resende, Rosana; Wing, Kristen; Uphold, Constance R

2013-08-01

We describe the impact of war on Puerto Rican Veterans and family members. We used qualitative research methods to collect and analyze data. We interviewed 8 Veterans and 8 family members. We used the constant comparison method to review data to identify prominent themes. Two categories emerged: (1) Challenges associated with post-deployment family reintegration, and (2) A positive aftermath of war on the family. Overall, findings indicate that OEF/OIF Veterans and family members were not prepared for the changes they encounter post-deployment. Despite these challenges, some Veterans and family members strengthened their relationships and renewed their appreciation for one another.

A REMF's View of Viet Nam War Literature Bibliography.

Science.gov (United States)

Willson, David A.

An academic librarian who is a Vietnam War veteran was inspired by the exemplary collection of Vietnam War literature at the Colorado State University Library to begin his own personal collection of mass market paperbacks dealing with the Vietnam War. Although Vietnam War fiction was common on the mass market racks in the mid 1980s, it has been…

A salute to the nurses of World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

Breakiron, M

1995-11-01

The nation recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of World War II (WWII) with a renewed interest in Pearl Harbor and D-Day (ie, the day the Allies invaded Europe.) One group of war heroes--all volunteers--received little attention, although they endured bombings, torpedoes, antiaircraft fire, prison, starvation, and death. They were the nurses of WWII. They served all over the world and left a legacy that today's perioperative nurses are committed to preserving. This article was written to honor the nurses of WWII. It relates only a few stories of thousands that could be told.

Gulf war depleted uranium risks.

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Albert C

2008-01-01

US and British forces used depleted uranium (DU) in armor-piercing rounds to disable enemy tanks during the Gulf and Balkan Wars. Uranium particulate is generated by DU shell impact and particulate entrained in air may be inhaled or ingested by troops and nearby civilian populations. As uranium is slightly radioactive and chemically toxic, a number of critics have asserted that DU exposure has resulted in a variety of adverse health effects for exposed veterans and nearby civilian populations. The study described in this paper used mathematical modeling to estimate health risks from exposure to DU during the 1991 Gulf War for both US troops and nearby Iraqi civilians. The analysis found that the risks of DU-induced leukemia or birth defects are far too small to result in an observable increase in these health effects among exposed veterans or Iraqi civilians. The analysis indicated that only a few ( approximately 5) US veterans in vehicles accidentally targeted by US tanks received significant exposure levels, resulting in about a 1.4% lifetime risk of DU radiation-induced fatal cancer (compared with about a 24% risk of a fatal cancer from all other causes). These veterans may have also experienced temporary kidney damage. Iraqi children playing for 500 h in DU-destroyed vehicles are predicted to incur a cancer risk of about 0.4%. In vitro and animal tests suggest the possibility of chemically induced health effects from DU internalization, such as immune system impairment. Further study is needed to determine the applicability of these findings for Gulf War exposure to DU. Veterans and civilians who did not occupy DU-contaminated vehicles are unlikely to have internalized quantities of DU significantly in excess of normal internalization of natural uranium from the environment.

Impact of presumed service-connected diagnosis on the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare utilization patterns of Vietnam-Theater Veterans

Science.gov (United States)

Fried, Dennis A.; Rajan, Mangala; Tseng, Chin-lin; Helmer, Drew

2018-01-01

Abstract During the Vietnam War, the US military sprayed almost 20 million gallons of Agent Orange (AO), an herbicide contaminated with dioxin, over Vietnam. Approximately, 2.7 million US military personnel may have been exposed to AO during their deployment. Ordinarily, veterans who can demonstrate a nexus between a diagnosed condition and military service are eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) service-connected disability compensation. Vietnam Veterans have had difficulty, however, establishing a nexus between AO exposure and certain medical conditions that developed many years after the war. In response, VA has designated certain conditions as “presumed service connected” for Vietnam Veterans who were present and possibly exposed. Veterans with any of these designated conditions do not have to document AO exposure, making it easier for them to access the VA disability system. The extent to which VA healthcare utilization patterns reflect easier access afforded those with diagnosed presumptive conditions remains unknown. In this cross-sectional study, we hypothesized that Vietnam Veterans with diagnosed presumptive conditions would be heavier users of the VA healthcare system than those without these conditions. In our analysis of 85,699 Vietnam Veterans, we used binary and cumulative logit multivariable regression to assess associations between diagnosed presumptive conditions and VA healthcare utilization in 2013. We found that diagnosed presumptive conditions were associated with higher odds of 5+ VHA primary care visits (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.93–2.07), 5+ specialty care visits (OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 2.04–2.18), emergency department use (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.11–1.34), and hospitalization (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.17–1.29). Consistent with legislative intent, presumptive policies appear to facilitate greater VA system utilization for Vietnam Veterans who may have been exposed to AO. PMID:29742706

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Gulf War Veterans

Science.gov (United States)

... Accountability & Whistleblower Protection Transparency Media Room Inside the Media Room Public Affairs News Releases Speeches Videos Publications National Observances Veterans Day Memorial Day Celebrating America's Freedoms Special Events Adaptive Sports Program Creative Arts Festival ...

Cultural shift in mental illness: a comparison of stress responses in World War I and the Vietnam War.

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, Rasjid; Kaplick, Paul M

2017-12-01

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an established diagnostic category. In particular, over the past 20 years, there has been an interest in culture as a fundamental factor in post-traumatic stress disorder symptom manifestation. However, only a very limited portion of this literature studies the historical variability of post-traumatic stress within a particular culture. Therefore, this study examines whether stress responses to violence associated with armed conflicts have been a culturally stable reaction in Western troops. We have compared historical records from World War I to those of the Vietnam War. Reference is also made to observations of combat trauma reactions in pre-World War I conflicts, World War II, the Korean War, the Falklands War, and the First Gulf War. The data set consisted of literature that was published during and after these armed conflicts. Accounts of World War I Shell Shock that describe symptom presentation, incidence (both acute and delayed), and prognosis were compared to the observations made of Vietnam War post-traumatic stress disorder victims. Results suggest that the conditions observed in Vietnam veterans were not the same as those which were observed in World War I trauma victims. The paper argues that the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder cannot be stretched to cover the typical battle trauma reactions of World War I. It is suggested that relatively subtle changes in culture, over little more than a generation, have had a profound effect on how mental illness forms, manifests itself, and is effectively treated. We add new evidence to the argument that post-traumatic stress disorder in its current conceptualisation does not adequately account, not only for ethnocultural variation but also for historical variation in stress responses within the same culture.

Brief report: Comparison of methods to identify Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans using Department of Veterans Affairs administrative data.

Science.gov (United States)

Bangerter, Ann; Gravely, Amy; Cutting, Andrea; Clothier, Barb; Spoont, Michele; Sayer, Nina

2010-01-01

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has made treatment and care of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans a priority. Researchers face challenges identifying the OIF/OEF population because until fiscal year 2008, no indicator of OIF/OEF service was present in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) administrative databases typically used for research. In this article, we compare an algorithm we developed to identify OIF/OEF veterans using the Austin Information Technology Center administrative data with the VHA Support Service Center OIF/OEF Roster and veterans' self-report of military service. We drew data from two different institutional review board-approved funded studies. The positive predictive value of our algorithm compared with the VHA Support Service Center OIF/OEF Roster and self-report was 92% and 98%, respectively. However, this method of identifying OIF/OEF veterans failed to identify a large proportion of OIF/OEF veterans listed in the VHA Support Service Center OIF/OEF Roster. Demographic, diagnostic, and VA service use differences were found between veterans identified using our method and those we failed to identify but who were in the VHA Support Service Center OIF/OEF Roster. Therefore, depending on the research objective, this method may not be a viable alternative to the VHA Support Service Center OIF/OEF Roster for identifying OIF/OEF veterans.

Roosevelt's World War II Army of Community Service Workers. Children and Their Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Field, Sherry L.

1996-01-01

Profiles the extraordinary World War II public support efforts conducted by school children and teachers across the United States. Encouraged by the Roosevelt administration, teachers and pupils mobilized support for war bond sales and salvage collection drives. Many children raised "Victory Gardens" producing food to help the war…

Aeschylus and War

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This volume brings together a group of interdisciplinary experts who demonstrate that Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes is a text of continuing relevance and value for exploring ancient, contemporary and comparative issues of war and its attendant trauma. The volume features contributions from...... an international cast of experts, as well as a conversation with a retired U.S. Army Lt. Col., giving her perspectives on the blending of reality and fiction in Aeschylus’ war tragedies and on the potential of Greek tragedy to speak to contemporary veterans. This book is a fascinating resource for anyone...... interested in Aeschylus, Greek tragedy and its reception, and war literature....

8 CFR 329.5 - Natives of the Philippines with active duty service during World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Natives of the Philippines with active duty service during World War II. 329.5 Section 329.5 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY... of the Philippines with active duty service during World War II. (a) A person desiring to naturalize...

Veterans’ Disability Compensation: Trends and Policy Options

Science.gov (United States)

2014-08-01

for veterans who deployed to the Gulf War in 1990 or thereafter. However, VA has not made available data on remuneration for those conditions. 31...Associate Director for Economic Analysis, Congressional Budget Office, before the Subcommittee on Social Security of the House Committee on Ways and...program remunerates veterans for their service-connected medical conditions. In addition, determination of disability by VA is a first step toward

The Arabic Language Fog of War: Exploring Iraq War Veterans’ Motivations to Study Arabic Language and Culture Post-Deployment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Jennifer Nichols

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This article describes research into Iraq War Veterans studying Arabic at the college level post-deployment. What is it about their exposure to the language and culture that motivates them to study the language after serving in Iraq? Few research studies exist in the area of Veterans’ education, a federally recognized minority. The study’s purpose was to explore Iraq war veterans’ language learning motivations and described their experiences, through the use of qualitative research methodology and the development of case study narratives. Results indicate that understanding the Veteran experience can foster a diversity-friendly, inclusive environment in the critical language classroom. There are broader implications for veteran higher education, other Less Commonly Taught Languages, alternative pedagogies, non-traditional student education, K-12, foreign language education policy, foreign relations, diversity & equity in the classroom, and national security.

Example of human individual identification from World War II gravesite.

Science.gov (United States)

Ossowski, Andrzej; Kuś, Marta; Brzeziński, Piotr; Prüffer, Jakub; Piątek, Jarosław; Zielińska, Grażyna; Bykowska, Milena; Jałowińska, Katarzyna; Torgaszev, Anton; Skoryukov, Antoliy; Parafiniuk, Mirosław

2013-12-10

This paper presents the procedure elaborated by our team which was applied to the mode of identification of Red Army soldiers who were taken as prisoners by the German Army during World War II and deceased in captivity. In the course of our search the unmarked burial of ten Soviet prisoners of war was found. Historical, anthropological and genetic research conducted by us led to the personal identification of nine of them, including two by means of DNA analysis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Late sequelae of retained foreign bodies after world war II missile injuries.

Science.gov (United States)

Surov, Alexey; Thermann, Florian; Behrmann, Curd; Spielmann, Rolf-Peter; Kornhuber, Malte

2012-09-01

A number of people injured during the second world war harbour foreign bodies such as grenade splinters or bullets in some part of the body. Most of these metal fragments remain clinically silent. Some of them, however, may cause delayed complications. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of delayed complications associated with foreign bodies after world war II injuries. 159 patients with retained foreign bodies after world war II injuries were retrospectively identified radiologically in our data bases in the time interval from 1997 to 2009. Diverse delayed complications secondary to the metal objects were diagnosed in 3 cases (2%): one patient with grenade splinter migration into the choledochal duct, one case with pseudotumoural tissue reaction, and one patient with late osteomyelitis. The time from injury to clinical presentation varied from 56 to 61 years. PubMed and Medline were screened for additional cases with delayed sequelae after foreign body acquisition during the 2nd world war. A 30 year search period from 1980 up to date was selected. 15 cases were identified here. Our study demonstrates that health consequences of the 2nd world war extend into the present time, and therefore physicians should be aware of the presence of hidden foreign bodies and their different possible late reactions. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

38 CFR 11.84 - Redemption because of veteran's death.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... day the loan matures or within six months thereafter, the bank holding the note and certificate shall... Certificates Under Section 502 of the World War Adjusted Compensation Act § 11.84 Redemption because of veteran... World War Adjusted Compensation Act, as amended, accrued up to the date of the check issued to the bank...

BMI trajectory groups in veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenberger, Patricia H; Ning, Yuming; Brandt, Cynthia; Allore, Heather; Haskell, Sally

2011-09-01

The study sought to determine BMI trajectories in Iraq/Afghanistan veterans over 6 years and to examine sociodemographic factors associated with BMI trajectory membership. Our study sample included 16,656 veterans post-deployment and entering the Veteran Healthcare Administration (VHA) healthcare system. We used national VHA administrative sociodemographic data, tracked veteran BMI for 6 years, and used trajectory modeling to identify BMI trajectories and sociodemographic characteristics associated with trajectory membership. Five trajectory groups determined in the full sample were primarily differentiated by their post-deployment initial BMI: "healthy" (14.1%), "overweight" (36.3%), "borderline obese" (27.9%), "obese" (15.7%), and "severely obese" (6.0). Being female, younger, and white were associated with lower initial BMI trajectory group membership (p'seducation and white female Veterans were associated with the lowest initial BMI group (p'sEducation level and racial status are differentially related to BMI trajectory by gender. Published by Elsevier Inc.

75 FR 54965 - Proposed Information Collection (Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-09

... Collection (Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans) Activity: Comment Request... needed to assist in VA's efforts to address the health concerns and problems of Gulf War Veterans. DATES... use of other forms of information technology. Titles: Follow-Up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War...

Decision-Making under Stress: World War II and Beyond.

Science.gov (United States)

Johns, Robert

1986-01-01

Provides a teaching plan which helps students imaginatively take the roles of leaders in the United States during World War II so that they might more completely understand such difficult decisions as allying with the Soviet Union, relocating Japanese-Americans, and dropping the atomic bomb. Provides a statement of goals and objectives, required…

Suffering What They Must: The Shifting Alliances of Romania and Finland in World War II

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-01

17 Documents on German Foreign Policy 1918 -1945, 485. 18 Ronald D. Bachman and Eugene K. Keefe, Romania : A Country...Suffering What They Must: The Shifting Alliances of Romania and Finland in World War II A Monograph by MAJ Edward M. Kaspar United States Army...Must: The Shifting Alliances of Romania and Finland in World War II 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6

From War to Financial Crisis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harste, Gorm

2014-01-01

The present article analyzes the transformation of the long-term risks of protracted wars from the battlefield to the economic system. Major wars, supplied with strong capacities due to extended manpower resources, advanced logistic capabilities and permanency of campaign, expose their states...... to extremely costly engagements. This includes heavy long-term costs for war veterans. Accordingly, the center of gravity on the battlefield (Clausewitz) is transformed to the financial systems of taxes and credit systems. This is a classical historical lesson; but this story is indeed central to understanding...

Event-Related Potential Patterns Associated with Hyperarousal in Gulf War Illness Syndrome Groups

Science.gov (United States)

Tillman, Gail D.; Calley, Clifford S.; Green, Timothy A.; Buhl, Virginia I.; Biggs, Melanie M.; Spence, Jeffrey S.; Briggs, Richard W.; Haley, Robert W.; Hart, John; Kraut, Michael A.

2012-01-01

An exaggerated response to emotional stimuli is one of several symptoms widely reported by veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Many have attributed these symptoms to post-war stress; others have attributed the symptoms to deployment-related exposures and associated damage to cholinergic, dopaminergic, and white matter systems. We collected event-related potential (ERP) data from 20 veterans meeting Haley criteria for Gulf War Syndromes 1–3 and from 8 matched Gulf War veteran controls, who were deployed but not symptomatic, while they performed an auditory three-condition oddball task with gunshot and lion roar sounds as the distractor stimuli. Reports of hyperarousal from the ill veterans were significantly greater than those from the control veterans; different ERP profiles emerged to account for their hyperarousability. Syndromes 2 and 3, who have previously shown brainstem abnormalities, show significantly stronger auditory P1 amplitudes, purported to indicate compromised cholinergic inhibitory gating in the reticular activating system. Syndromes 1 and 2, who have previously shown basal ganglia dysfunction, show significantly weaker P3a response to distractor stimuli, purported to indicate dysfunction of the dopaminergic contribution to their ability to inhibit distraction by irrelevant stimuli. All three syndrome groups showed an attenuated P3b to target stimuli, which could be secondary to both cholinergic and dopaminergic contributions or disruption of white matter integrity. PMID:22691951

Maxo Vanka's collage "World War II" is a brilliant gematrical composition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tine T. Kurent

1999-12-01

Full Text Available The American-Croatian painter Maksimilian Vanka, 1 1889-1963, or Maxo for his friends, composed together with his American wife Margaret, her father dr. Stetten DeWitt and his friends Louis and Stella Adamic, his most enigmatic work, the "WORLD WAR II" collage. The collage originated at the reunion of Maxo Vanka, his wife Margaret, his friends Louis and Stella Adamic, with Margaret's father Dr. Stetten DeWitt, after his return from Europe at war. The party was exhilarated with Dr. Stetten's safe escape from Korcula (Dalmatia to Paris, Le Havre and on board of the French liner lie de France to New York, and preoccupied with the imminent World War.

Nonsuicidal self-injury and suicide attempts in Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimbrel, Nathan A; DeBeer, Bryann B; Meyer, Eric C; Gulliver, Suzy B; Morissette, Sandra B

2016-09-30

The present study examined the association between history of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and history of suicide attempts (SA) among 292 Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, half of whom carried a lifetime diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Consistent with hypotheses, veterans who reported a history of NSSI were significantly more likely to report a history of SA than veterans without a history of NSSI. In addition, logistic regression demonstrated that NSSI remained a significant predictor of SA even after a wide range of covariates (i.e., combat exposure, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, depression, alcohol dependence) were considered. Taken together, these findings suggest that clinicians working with veterans should include NSSI history as part of their standard risk assessment battery. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

The Netherlands and World War II, Jews and suicide

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ultee, W.C.; Luijkx, R.; van Tubergen, F.; Sher, L.; Vilens, A.

2009-01-01

World War II in the Netherlands lasted from May 1940 to May 1945. Suicide numbers peaked in these months, in the first case because of suicide by Jews, and in the second case because of suicide by collaborators with the German occupier. Suicide rates for Jews were higher in 1942 than in 1940 and

Luftwaffe Maritime Operations in World War II: Thought, Organization and Technology

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gould, Winston A

2005-01-01

.... This paper will examine the Luftwaffe's thinking, organization, and technology as they pertained to Countersea Operations during World War II, with a focus on the Battle of the Atlantic during the period 1939-1945...

The World War II Homefront: An ERIC/ChESS Sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinhey, Laura

2002-01-01

Provides citations with abstracts from the ERIC database focusing on the U.S. homefront during World War II. Includes background information and teaching materials on topics such as popular music from 1941-1945, propaganda directed towards women, and learning about Japanese American internment. (CMK)

Compensation and wellness: a conflict for veterans' health.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Niki; Mackenzie, Alison; Mobbs, Robyn

2008-05-01

In Australia greater attention is being given to health determinants, and the dominance of treatment in health policy and budgets is giving away some ground to prevention, health promotion, rehabilitation and disability management. This creates a dilemma for compensation systems: should the inclusion criteria be broadened to match the new thinking or should a narrower definition of "disease, injury or death" be retained? This issue is explored in the context of war syndromes among veterans. While veterans experience symptoms more frequently and more severely than military and community controls, their patterns of symptoms are not unique. Current compensation and benefit programs can create iatrogenic effects. It is concluded that compensation systems should be kept as safety nets while resources are provided to improve the capacity of primary health care caregivers, community organisations and veterans with war syndromes and their families to better deal with these problems. Adapting compensation systems to promote wellness through self-management health partnerships is one way of directing resources to individuals and their families. Action research at the community level with veterans, their families, their organisations, primary health care organisations, policy makers and researchers would allow this sector to work out the best way to apply existing efficacious tools to these modern health problems.

Posttraumatic stress disorder in bosnian war veterans: Analysis of stress events and risk factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuljić Blagoje

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD, the characteristics of stress-related events, and the risk factors for the development of PTSD. The total patient sample consisted of 100 Bosnian war veterans. Watson’s PTSD module was used in establishing PTSD diagnosis. Patients fulfilled the following questionnaires: personal data form, Posttraumatic Symptom Scale PTSS-10 (Holen, Impact of Event Scale (Horowitz, Life Event Scale, and Eysenck Personality Inventory. PTSD was diagnosed in 30% of the examined patients. Larger number of stress-related events, particularly of those regarded as life-threatening, wounding/death of a close person, and material losses were more frequent in persons with PTSD. The risk factors for the development of PTSD in this study were: age (30-40, marital status (married, lower level of education, the front-line combat exposure, neurotic manifestations, family problems in childhood, and neuroticism.

Soviet and American Airwomen During World War II: A Comparison of Their Formation, Treatment and Dismissal

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Myers, Beth

2003-01-01

.... World War II provides an interesting setting to study women and warfare because the belligerent countries mobilized millions of women for the war effort, both in civilian and military capacities...

Unilateral lower-limb loss: prosthetic device use and functional outcomes in servicemembers from Vietnam war and OIF/OEF conflicts.

Science.gov (United States)

Gailey, Robert; McFarland, Lynne V; Cooper, Rory A; Czerniecki, Joseph; Gambel, Jeffrey M; Hubbard, Sharon; Maynard, Charles; Smith, Douglas G; Raya, Michele; Reiber, Gayle E

2010-01-01

Rehabilitation goals following major combat-associated limb loss in World War II and the Vietnam war focused on treatment of the injury and a return to civilian life. The goal for Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) servicemembers is to restore function to the greatest possible degree and, if they desire, return them to Active Duty, by providing them with extensive rehabilitation services and a variety of prosthetic devices. Our study determines the usefulness of these diverse types of prosthetic devices for restoring functional capability and documents prosthesis use and satisfaction. We compare servicemembers and veterans with major combat-associated unilateral lower-limb loss: 178 from the Vietnam war and 172 from OIF/OEF conflicts. Of survey participants with unilateral lower-limb loss, 84% of the Vietnam group and 94% of the OIF/OEF group currently use at least one prosthetic device. Reasons for rejection varied by type of device, but common reasons were pain, prosthesis too heavy, and poor fit. Abandonment is infrequent (11% Vietnam group, 4% OIF/OEF group). Future efforts should aim to improve prosthetic-device design, decrease pain, and improve quality of life for these veterans and servicemembers.

Scapular Malunion in a Vietnam War Veteran: Superior Medial Angle of the Scapula Impinging on the Clavicle: A Case Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Sorenson, Scott M; Armstrong, April D

2015-01-01

Scapular malunion can be overlooked as a source of substantial upper-extremity pain and dysfunction and can generate unnecessary studies or treatments. We present the case of a Vietnam War veteran who sustained a projectile injury in the left shoulder and had persistent symptoms limiting his activity and quality of life for a number of years until surgical resection was performed. Scapular malunion should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient presenting with persistent upper-extremity pain and weakness following scapular fracture. Making the correct diagnosis based on the history, examination, and imaging will prevent unnecessary studies and invasive procedures.

Mexican Americans on the Home Front: Community Organizations in Arizona during World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

Marin, Christine

During World War II Arizona's Mexican-American communities organized their own patriotic activities and worked, in spite of racism, to support the war effort. In Phoenix the Lenadores del Mundo, an active fraternal society, began this effort by sponsoring a festival in January 1942. Such "mutualistas" provided an essential support system…

Driving simulator performance of veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Science.gov (United States)

Amick, Melissa M; Kraft, Melissa; McGlinchey, Regina

2013-01-01

Driving simulator performance was examined in Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) Veterans to objectively evaluate driving abilities among this cohort who self-report poorer driving safety postdeployment. OIF/OEF Veterans (n = 25) and age- and education-matched civilian controls (n = 25) participated in a 30 min driving simulator assessment that measured the frequency of minor, moderate, and severe driving errors. Frequency of errors in specific content domains (speed regulation, positioning, and signaling) was also calculated. All participants answered questions about number of lifetime traffic "warnings," moving violation tickets, and accidents. Veterans completed the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Military Version. On the driving simulator assessment, Veterans committed more minor, moderate, severe, and speeding errors and reported poorer lifetime driving records than the civilian control group. Exploratory analyses revealed an association between increasing errors on the driving simulator with increasing symptoms of PTSD, although statistically this correlation did not reach significance. These findings suggest that Veterans perform more poorly on an objective evaluation of driving safety and that the presence of PTSD could be associated with worse performance on this standardized driving simulator assessment.

Neurology in the Vietnam War.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunderson, Carl H; Daroff, Robert B

2016-01-01

Between December 1965 and December 1971, the United States maintained armed forces in Vietnam never less than 180,000 men and women in support of the war. At one time, this commitment exceeded half a million soldiers, sailors, and airmen from both the United States and its allies. Such forces required an extensive medical presence, including 19 neurologists. All but two of the neurologists had been drafted for a 2-year tour of duty after deferment for residency training. They were assigned to Vietnam for one of those 2 years in two Army Medical Units and one Air Force facility providing neurological care for American and allied forces, as well as many civilians. Their practice included exposure to unfamiliar disorders including cerebral malaria, Japanese B encephalitis, sleep deprivation seizures, and toxic encephalitis caused by injection or inhalation of C-4 explosive. They and neurologists at facilities in the United States published studies on all of these entities both during and after the war. These publications spawned the Defense and Veterans Head Injury Study, which was conceived during the Korean War and continues today as the Defense and Veterans Head Injury Center. It initially focused on post-traumatic epilepsy and later on all effects of brain injury. The Agent Orange controversy arose after the war; during the war, it was not perceived as a threat by medical personnel. Although soldiers in previous wars had developed serious psychological impairments, post-traumatic stress disorder was formally recognized in the servicemen returning from Vietnam. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Civilians in World War II and DSM-IV mental disorders: Results from the World Mental Health Survey Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Frounfelker, Rochelle; Gilman, Stephen E.; Betancourt, Theresa S.; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Alonso, Jordi; Bromet, Evelyn J.; Bruffaerts, Ronny; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Gluzman, Semyon; Gureje, Oye; Karam, Elie G.; Lee, Sing; Lépine, Jean-Pierre; Ono, Yutaka; Pennell, Beth-Ellen; Popovici, Daniela G.; Have, Margreet ten; Kessler, Ronald C.

2018-01-01

Purpose Understanding the effects of war on mental disorders is important for developing effective post-conflict recovery policies and programs. The current study uses cross-sectional, retrospectively reported data collected as part of the World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative to examine the associations of being a civilian in a war zone/region of terror in World War II with a range of DSM-IV mental disorders. Methods Adults (n= 3,370)who lived in countries directly involved in World War II in Europe and Japan were administered structured diagnostic interviews of lifetime DSM-IV mental disorders. The associations of war-related traumas with subsequent disorder onset-persistence were assessed with discrete-time survival analysis (lifetime prevalence) and conditional logistic regression (12-month prevalence). Results Respondents who were civilians in a war zone/region of terror had higher lifetime risks than other respondents of major depressive disorder (MDD; OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 1.9) and anxiety disorder (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 2.0). The association of war exposure with MDD was strongest in the early years after the war, whereas the association with anxiety disorders increased over time. Among lifetime cases, war exposure was associated with lower past year risk of anxiety disorders. (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2, 0.7). Conclusions Exposure to war in World War II was associated with higher lifetime risk of some mental disorders. Whether comparable patterns will be found among civilians living through more recent wars remains to be seen, but should be recognized as a possibility by those projecting future needs for treatment of mental disorders. PMID:29119266

Civilians in World War II and DSM-IV mental disorders: results from the World Mental Health Survey Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Frounfelker, Rochelle; Gilman, Stephen E; Betancourt, Theresa S; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Alonso, Jordi; Bromet, Evelyn J; Bruffaerts, Ronny; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Gluzman, Semyon; Gureje, Oye; Karam, Elie G; Lee, Sing; Lépine, Jean-Pierre; Ono, Yutaka; Pennell, Beth-Ellen; Popovici, Daniela G; Ten Have, Margreet; Kessler, Ronald C

2018-02-01

Understanding the effects of war on mental disorders is important for developing effective post-conflict recovery policies and programs. The current study uses cross-sectional, retrospectively reported data collected as part of the World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative to examine the associations of being a civilian in a war zone/region of terror in World War II with a range of DSM-IV mental disorders. Adults (n = 3370) who lived in countries directly involved in World War II in Europe and Japan were administered structured diagnostic interviews of lifetime DSM-IV mental disorders. The associations of war-related traumas with subsequent disorder onset-persistence were assessed with discrete-time survival analysis (lifetime prevalence) and conditional logistic regression (12-month prevalence). Respondents who were civilians in a war zone/region of terror had higher lifetime risks than other respondents of major depressive disorder (MDD; OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 1.9) and anxiety disorder (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 2.0). The association of war exposure with MDD was strongest in the early years after the war, whereas the association with anxiety disorders increased over time. Among lifetime cases, war exposure was associated with lower past year risk of anxiety disorders (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2, 0.7). Exposure to war in World War II was associated with higher lifetime risk of some mental disorders. Whether comparable patterns will be found among civilians living through more recent wars remains to be seen, but should be recognized as a possibility by those projecting future needs for treatment of mental disorders.

Impact of presumed service-connected diagnosis on the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare utilization patterns of Vietnam-Theater Veterans: A cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fried, Dennis A; Rajan, Mangala; Tseng, Chin-Lin; Helmer, Drew

2018-05-01

During the Vietnam War, the US military sprayed almost 20 million gallons of Agent Orange (AO), an herbicide contaminated with dioxin, over Vietnam. Approximately, 2.7 million US military personnel may have been exposed to AO during their deployment. Ordinarily, veterans who can demonstrate a nexus between a diagnosed condition and military service are eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) service-connected disability compensation. Vietnam Veterans have had difficulty, however, establishing a nexus between AO exposure and certain medical conditions that developed many years after the war. In response, VA has designated certain conditions as "presumed service connected" for Vietnam Veterans who were present and possibly exposed. Veterans with any of these designated conditions do not have to document AO exposure, making it easier for them to access the VA disability system. The extent to which VA healthcare utilization patterns reflect easier access afforded those with diagnosed presumptive conditions remains unknown. In this cross-sectional study, we hypothesized that Vietnam Veterans with diagnosed presumptive conditions would be heavier users of the VA healthcare system than those without these conditions. In our analysis of 85,699 Vietnam Veterans, we used binary and cumulative logit multivariable regression to assess associations between diagnosed presumptive conditions and VA healthcare utilization in 2013. We found that diagnosed presumptive conditions were associated with higher odds of 5+ VHA primary care visits (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.93-2.07), 5+ specialty care visits (OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 2.04-2.18), emergency department use (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.11-1.34), and hospitalization (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.17-1.29). Consistent with legislative intent, presumptive policies appear to facilitate greater VA system utilization for Vietnam Veterans who may have been exposed to AO.

China's Propaganda in the United States during World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsang, Kuo-jen

Drawing data from a variety of sources, a study was undertaken to place China's propaganda activities in the United States during World War II into a historical perspective. Results showed that China's propaganda efforts consisted of official and unofficial activities and activities directed toward overseas Chinese. The official activities were…

Setting the stage for recovery : Improving veteran PTSD treatment effectiveness using statistical prediction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haagen, J.F.G.

2017-01-01

Over half a million Dutch veterans participated in almost a hundred war and peace keeping missions since 1940. During past deployments, veterans promoted peace and stability in conflict situations, endeavoured to win the hearts and minds of local communities and improved the lives of those affected

Use of medical and mental health care by World War II survivors in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bramsen, I.; van der Ploeg, H.M.

1999-01-01

This study examined the mental and medical health care utilization of World War II (WW II) survivors and the characteristics of survivors seeking professional health care. Forty seven years after the end of WW II, a random sample of 4,057 Dutch WW II survivors answered a four-page questionnaire;

Impact of Psychological Problems and Marital Adjustment of Iranian Veterans on Their Children's Quality of Life and Happiness

Science.gov (United States)

Zargar, Fatemeh

2014-01-01

Background: The Iran-Iraq war during the 1980-1988 has left many consequences on veterans and their families that persist long after the war ended. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of psychological problems and marital adjustment of Iranian veterans on their children's quality of life and happiness 24 years after the war ended. Patients and Methods: The sample was all children of veterans in Isfahan city that registered by Veterans and Martyrs Affair Foundation (VMAF). One hundred sixty-three veterans were selected by systematic randomized sampling and the symptom checklist-90-revised (SCL-90-R) and dyadic adjustment scale (DAS) were administered for them. Their wives filled out the DAS and their children answered to World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) and Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI). The data from questionnaires completed by 149 families were analyzed using the multiple regressions analysis. Results: Global Severity Index (GSI) scores of veterans and veteran's age were inversely correlated with the scores of children's quality of life, while marital adjustment of parents and number of rooms in house were positively correlated. Mother's age was inversely correlated with the scores of children's happiness, while marital adjustment of the parents, the number of rooms in their house and the number of children were positively correlated. Conclusions: In veterans' family, psychological health of the veterans and marital adjustment of the parents have a significant relationship with their children's quality of life and happiness. PMID:25599063

Range and specificity of war-related trauma to posttraumatic stress; depression and general health perception: displaced former World War II children in late life.

Science.gov (United States)

Strauss, Kristin; Dapp, Ulrike; Anders, Jennifer; von Renteln-Kruse, Wolfgang; Schmidt, Silke

2011-02-01

Dose-response relation of war experiences and posttraumatic stress, depression and poor health functioning in late life is well documented in war-affected populations. The influence of differing trauma types experienced by war-affected population in the study of dose-response relation of war trauma and psychological maladaptation in late life has not been investigated. We examined a subgroup of displaced elders and investigated whether specific trauma types were associated with differential health outcomes. From representative practitioner lists, matched groups of former displaced and non-displaced World War II children were assigned, yielding a total sample of 417 participants (response rate 50%). Measurement encompassed a self-report survey including the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Consistent dose-relation between war-related experiences and posttraumatic stress or depressive symptoms in late life was found for both, displaced and non-displaced elders, whereas a gradient for poor health perception was only found in displaced people. Trauma types derived from principal component analysis showed differential associations with health outcomes. Human Right Violations emerged as risk factor for posttraumatic stress symptoms and Deprivation & Threat to Life as risk factor for depressive symptoms. Poor self-rated health was associated with multiple trauma types. Non-random recruitment, retrospective design and use of self-report. Posttraumatic stress and depression are associated with war-related experiences more than 60 years after World War II. Results suggest that different trauma types lead to unique variants of syndrome configurations, which may result from different etiological factors. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Literature and History--A Focus on the Era of the Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945).

Science.gov (United States)

Ahern, John; Sandmann, Alexa

1997-01-01

Provides an annotated bibliography and suggested teaching activities for units on the Great Depression and World War II. The materials support inquiry into the causes of the Great Depression and World War II and how these events transformed U.S. society. The annotated bibliography includes novels, memoirs, biographies, and political studies. (MJP)

75 FR 57839 - National POW/MIA Recognition Day, 2010

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-22

... those missing from the Vietnam War, Korean War, Cold War, World War II, and other conflicts. Their work... Service System Headquarters; the World War II Memorial; the Korean War Veterans Memorial; the Vietnam... prisoners of war in distant lands, and to all servicemembers who have defended American lives and liberties...

Perspectives of family and veterans on family programs to support reintegration of returning veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Ellen P; Sherman, Michelle D; McSweeney, Jean C; Pyne, Jeffrey M; Owen, Richard R; Dixon, Lisa B

2015-08-01

Combat deployment and reintegration are challenging for service members and their families. Although family involvement in mental health care is increasing in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system, little is known about family members' preferences for services. This study elicited the perspectives of returning Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder and their families regarding family involvement in veterans' mental health care. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 47 veterans receiving care for posttraumatic stress disorder at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System or Oklahoma City VA Medical Center and 36 veteran-designated family members. Interviews addressed perceived needs related to veterans' readjustment to civilian life, interest in family involvement in joint veteran/family programs, and desired family program content. Interview data were analyzed using content analysis and constant comparison. Both groups strongly supported inclusion of family members in programs to facilitate veterans' postdeployment readjustment and reintegration into civilian life. Both desired program content focused on information, practical skills, support, and gaining perspective on the other's experience. Although family and veteran perspectives were similar, family members placed greater emphasis on parenting-related issues and the kinds of support they and their children needed during and after deployment. To our knowledge, this is the first published report on preferences regarding VA postdeployment reintegration support that incorporates the perspectives of returning male and female veterans and those of their families. Findings will help VA and community providers working with returning veterans tailor services to the needs and preferences of this important-to-engage population. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Post traumatic stress disorder and resilience in veterans who served ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

current PTSD from 2.2% to 15.2%.5,11,12,13-15 Data from the Gulf and Iraqi Wars, found a PTSD prevalence between 2 and. 12%16-21,22 while combat veterans of the Yom Kippur War of. 1973 in ..... (p.330) The protective role of social support for both prisoners of .... Posttraumatic stress disorder and among U.S. army.

Thanks, but no thanks: how denial of osteopathic service in World War I and World War II shaped the profession.

Science.gov (United States)

Silver, Shawn A

2012-02-01

Osteopathic physicians were denied the same rights and privileges that were granted to allopathic physicians by the US government regarding voluntary and compulsory service in World War I and World War II. Even after changes to the examination process allowed osteopathic physicians to take the examinations required to obtain commission as a physician in the army, osteopathic physicians' service was still rejected. The US government's decision to ban DOs from serving in the war was a blessing in disguise that led to tremendous changes in osteopathic medicine, education, and public acceptance of osteopathic physicians. Using primary documents from military officials, congressional hearings, and archived publications of the American Osteopathic Association, the author recounts the battle osteopathic physicians fought to serve their country during war and the challenges they faced while obtaining both legal and social equality in the eyes of the government and the public.

Personal resilience and coping Part II: Identifying resilience and coping among U.S. military service members and veterans with implications for work.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Valerie; Liu, Baoxia

2016-05-27

U.S. military personnel face challenging situations including frequent deployments, family separations, and exposure to war. Identifying coping strategies used by the most resilient service members and veterans could positively influence military resiliency training programs. The purposes of this paper are to investigate the relationship between coping and resilience among U.S. military active service members and veterans, to identify the coping strategies used by those considered most resilient, and to discuss coping and resilience as they relate to the workplace. U.S. military active service members and veterans (N = 191) completed a demographic survey and two self-report questionnaires: The 14-Item Resilience Scale [1] and the Brief COPE [2]. Active duty service members had higher resilience scores than veterans (p  0.05). Active service members' resilience was predicted by their use of positive reframing and less use of self-blame as coping strategies, accounting for 52.3% of the variance (R2 = 0.523, F(2, 60) = 32.92, p = 0.000). Veterans' resilience was predicted by longer time-in-service, greater use of humor, and less use of self-blame as coping strategies, explaining 44.8% of the variance (R2 = 0.448, F(3, 116) = 31.408, p = 0.000). This research identifies the positive coping strategies, and least-used negative coping strategies, of the U.S. service members and veterans in our study population with higher resilience scores. Incorporating this information into military- or veteran-based resilience training is likely to increase training effectiveness.

Mental health, citizenship, and the memory of World War II in the Netherlands (1945-85).

Science.gov (United States)

Oosterhuis, Harry

2014-03-01

After World War II, Dutch psychiatrists and other mental health care professionals articulated ideals of democratic citizenship. Framed in terms of self-development, citizenship took on a broad meaning, not just in terms of political rights and obligations, but also in the context of material, social, psychological and moral conditions that individuals should meet in order to develop themselves and be able to act according to those rights and obligations in a responsible way. In the post-war period of reconstruction (1945-65), as well as between 1965 and 1985, the link between mental health and ideals of citizenship was coloured by the public memory of World War II and the German occupation, albeit in completely different, even opposite ways. The memory of the war, and especially the public consideration of its victims, changed drastically in the mid-1960s, and the mental health sector played a crucial role in bringing this change about. The widespread attention to the mental effects of the war that surfaced in the late 1960s after a period of 20 years of public silence should be seen against the backdrop of the combination of democratization and the emancipation of emotions.

Correlation of sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Jevtović, Sasa; Gregurek, Rudolf; Kalenić, Barbara; Brajković, Lovorka; Bras, Marijana; Loncar, Mladen; Germain, Anne

2011-01-01

The aim of the study was to examine the relationships between global sleep quality and its specific components and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptom severity questionnaire. We also researched whether sleep quality and sleep disturbances differed among groups of PTSD based on symptom severity categories. This study was conducted on the sample of 120 Croatian war veterans with PTSD. The following self-report instruments were used: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Addendum for PTSD, the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, the Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory. There were statistically significant differences between the three PTSD severity groups on general nervousness (PSQI-A variable), where patients with extremely severe PTSD have more symptoms of general nervousness than groups with severe or moderate PTSD. Differences were found between PTSD severity groups in episodes of terror and acting-out dreams, where patients with extremely severe PTSD have more symptoms of episodes of terror and acting-out dreams than groups with severe or moderate PTSD. Sleep quality was significantly correlated with state anxiety, trait anxiety, and depression, indicating that with decrease of anxiety and depression, sleep quality improves. Sleep latency was positively correlated with both state and trait anxiety. There wasn't any significant correlation between sleep latency and depression. Study suggests that sleep disturbances are equally severe across groups of veterans based on PTSD severity and that the severity of sleep disturbances is significantly related to severity of anxiety and depression symptoms.

Multiple diagnosis in posttraumatic stress disorder. The role of war stressors.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, B L; Lindy, J D; Grace, M C; Gleser, G C

1989-06-01

Prior studies have shown that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Vietnam veterans is associated with various aspects of war stressors and that other diagnoses often co-occur with PTSD in this population. The present report examines the prediction of other diagnoses, in combination with PTSD, from a variety of war stressor experiences in a broad sample of veterans recruited from clinical and nonclinical sources. The results show that PTSD with panic disorder is better explained by war stressors than other diagnostic combinations and that high-risk assignments and exposure to grotesque deaths were more salient than other stressor experiences in accounting for different diagnostic combinations. Implications of the findings for PTSD's placement in the DSM-III-R and for psychological and pharmacological treatments were discussed.

38 CFR 3.17 - Disability and death pension; Mexican border period and later war periods.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Disability and death pension; Mexican border period and later war periods. 3.17 Section 3.17 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ADJUDICATION Pension, Compensation, and Dependency and Indemnity...

Examination of Veterans Affairs disability compensation as a disincentive for employment in a population-based sample of Veterans under age 65.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Jack; Rosenheck, Robert A

2013-12-01

Concerns that disability benefits may create disincentives for employment may be especially relevant for young American military veterans, particularly veterans of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who are facing a current economic recession and turning in large numbers to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for disability compensation. This study describes the rate of employment and VA disability compensation among a nationally representative sample of veterans under the age of 65 and examines the association between levels of VA disability compensation and employment, adjusting for sociodemographics and health status. Data on a total of 4,787 veterans from the 2010 National Survey of Veterans were analyzed using multinomial logistic regressions to compare employed veterans with two groups that were not employed. Two-thirds of veterans under the age of 65 were employed, although only 36 % of veterans with a VA service-connected disability rating of 50 % or higher were employed. Veterans who received no VA disability compensation or who were service-connected 50 % or more were more likely to be unemployed and not looking for employment than veterans who were not service-connected or were service-connected less than 50 %, suggesting high but not all levels of VA disability compensation create disincentives for employment. Results were similar when analyses were limited to veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Education and vocational rehabilitation interventions, as well as economic work incentives, may be needed to maximize employment among veterans with disabilities.

Standing in the middle: Insider/outsider positionality while conducting qualitative research with opposing military veteran political groups

Science.gov (United States)

David Flores

2018-01-01

This case study describes the process and challenges of conducting qualitative research on two opposing military veteran political groups: Iraq Veterans Against the War and Vets for Freedom. The discussion is based on a dissertation project that compelled me to reflect on my simultaneous "insider" status as a military veteran and "outsider" status...

Romania’s economic contribution to making a Long World War II shorter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan GHEORGHE

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Romania’s participation in World War II was brought about by political reasons and strategic needs that resulted from the internationalpolitical situation at the middle of the twentieth century. One can hardly say that Romania did not do its best to avoid becoming involved in the war.From September 1939 to June 1941, the foreign policy laid focus on non-belligerency and neutrality. But eventually Romania was drawn in, too,right after the series of unfortunate events in the summer of 1940

WAR HORSES:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

War Horses: Helhesten and the Danish Avant-Garde During World War II This exhibition is the first to explore the history and significance of the accomplishments of Danish artists working during the Nazi occupation of their country (1940-45), who called themselves Helhesten, such as Ejler Bille......-1951), which they became part of. Cobra greatly influenced the development of European modern art after World War II. The exhibition includes over 100 works and reconstructs for the first time the most important exhibition these artists staged in Denmark during the war, 13 Artists in a Tent (1941). It draws...

Vaccination, quarantine, and hygiene: Korean sex slaves and No. 606 injections during the Pacific War of World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwahng, Sel J

2009-01-01

During the Pacific War (World War II), Japan maintained an elaborate system of sexual slavery by implementing certain practices based on institutionalized policies of hygiene, efficiency, and the use of mostly Korean girls and women. Two hygienic techniques were established--vaccination and quarantine. No. 606 injections were given at mandatory regularly scheduled medical examinations to prevent and treat venereal disease, and to also deter pregnancy, induce abortions, and ultimately sterilize sex slaves. Secondary textual analysis of data collected from 1995-2000, N = 67 interview transcripts, and participant observation in 2003 and 2006. Geographic area: East Asia and the Pacific Islands.

OPERATION ODESSA: THE FLIGHT OF NAZI WAR CRIMINALS TO LATIN AMERICA AFTER WORLD WAR II AND THE NAZI HUNTERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Eduardo Meinerz

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This article aims to analyze why Latin America, especially Argentina, was the region of the world that harbored the most Nazi war criminals—for example, Josef Mengele, Adolf Eichmann and Klaus Barbie—after World War II. It also aims to analyze how this fact has set the tone for the appearance of literary works about the fantastic adventures of “Nazi hunters” seeking the whereabouts of those individuals. For this purpose, in the first part of the article we will address Nazis’ escape to Latin America. Next, we analyze some literary works by authors who called themselves Nazi hunters.

Women and Body Image in Wartime: Advertisements for Foundation Garments during World War II in the United States

OpenAIRE

板橋, 晶子

2013-01-01

This paper examines the images of women war workers in advertisements for foundation garments during World War II in the United States. In wartime America, functional underwear such as brassieres and girdles were sold as a “vital necessity” for women at work, especially those engaged in defense work. \\Advertisements for foundation garments frequently depicted women war workers who were doing man-sized jobs and lauded those women for their contribution to the war effort, and women war workers’...

Women veterans' healthcare delivery preferences and use by military service era: findings from the National Survey of Women Veterans.

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Washington, Donna L; Bean-Mayberry, Bevanne; Hamilton, Alison B; Cordasco, Kristina M; Yano, Elizabeth M

2013-07-01

The number of women Veterans (WVs) utilizing the Veterans Health Administration (VA) has doubled over the past decade, heightening the importance of understanding their healthcare delivery preferences and utilization patterns. Other studies have identified healthcare issues and behaviors of WVs in specific military service eras (e.g., Vietnam), but delivery preferences and utilization have not been examined within and across eras on a population basis. To identify healthcare delivery preferences and healthcare use of WVs by military service era to inform program design and patient-centeredness. Cross-sectional 2008-2009 survey of a nationally representative sample of 3,611 WVs, weighted to the population. Healthcare delivery preferences measured as importance of selected healthcare features; types of healthcare services and number of visits used; use of VA or non-VA; all by military service era. Military service era differences were present in types of healthcare used, with World War II and Korea era WVs using more specialty care, and Vietnam era-to-present WVs using more women's health and mental health care. Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) WVs made more healthcare visits than WVs of earlier military eras. The greatest healthcare delivery concerns were location convenience for Vietnam and earlier WVs, and cost for Gulf War 1 and OEF/OIF/OND WVs. Co-located gynecology with general healthcare was also rated important by a sizable proportion of WVs from all military service eras. Our findings point to the importance of ensuring access to specialty services closer to home for WVs, which may require technology-supported care. Younger WVs' higher mental health care use reinforces the need for integration and coordination of primary care, reproductive health and mental health care.

The influence of mindfulness, self-compassion, psychological flexibility, and posttraumatic stress disorder on disability and quality of life over time in war veterans.

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Meyer, Eric C; Frankfurt, Sheila B; Kimbrel, Nathan A; DeBeer, Bryann B; Gulliver, Suzy B; Morrisette, Sandra B

2018-07-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) strongly predicts greater disability and lower quality of life (QOL). Mindfulness-based and other third-wave behavior therapy interventions improve well-being by enhancing mindfulness, self-compassion, and psychological flexibility. We hypothesized that these mechanisms of therapeutic change would comprise a single latent factor that would predict disability and QOL after accounting for PTSD symptom severity. Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans (N = 117) completed a study of predictors of successful reintegration. Principal axis factor analysis tested whether mindfulness, self-compassion, and psychological flexibility comprised a single latent factor. Hierarchical regression tested whether this factor predicted disability and QOL 1 year later. Mindfulness, self-compassion, and psychological flexibility comprised a single factor that predicted disability and QOL after accounting for PTSD symptom severity. PTSD symptoms remained a significant predictor of disability but not QOL. Targeting these mechanisms may help veterans achieve functional recovery, even in the presence of PTSD symptoms. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Effects of Japan's Apology for World War II Atrocities on Regional Relations

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Cathey, Emily A

2008-01-01

This thesis explores the impact of atrocities that Japan committed against its neighbors during and prior to World War II on Japan's relationships with its neighbors, China and the Republic of Korea...

The History of MIS-Y: U.S. Strategic Interrogation During World War II

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kleinman, Steven M

2002-01-01

As World War II unfolded, the strategic interrogation programs established by the British, German, and American forces evolved into robust collection entities that proved to be a unique source of critical intelligence...

46 CFR 32.20-1 - Equipment installations on vessels during World War II-TB/ALL.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Equipment installations on vessels during World War II-TB/ALL. 32.20-1 Section 32.20-1 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS SPECIAL EQUIPMENT, MACHINERY, AND HULL REQUIREMENTS Equipment Installations § 32.20-1 Equipment installations on vessels during World War II—TB/ALL....

Jung's evolving views of Nazi Germany: from 1936 to the end of World War II.

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Schoenl, William

2014-04-01

This article first shows Jung's evolving views of Nazi Germany from 1936 to the beginning of World War II. In a lecture at the Tavistock Clinic, London, in October 1936, he made his strongest and most negative statements to that date about Nazi Germany. While in Berlin in September 1937 for lectures to the Jung Gesellschaft, his observations of Hitler at a military parade led him to conclude that should the catastrophe of war come it would be far more and bloodier than he had previously supposed. After the Sudetenland Crisis in Fall 1938, Jung in interviews made stronger comments on Hitler and Nazi Germany. The article shows how strongly anti-Nazi Jung's views were in relation to events during World War II such as Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland, the fall of France, the bombings of Britain, the U.S. entry into the War, and Allied troops advancing into Germany. Schoenl and Peck, 'An Answer to the Question: Was Jung, for a Time, a "Nazi Sympathizer" or Not?' (2012) demonstrated how his views of Nazi Germany changed from 1933 to March 1936. The present article shows how his views evolved from 1936 to the War's end in 1945. © 2014, The Society of Analytical Psychology.

Illness Among Persian Gulf War Veterans: Case Validation Studies

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Doebbeling, Bradley

1999-01-01

..., and fibromyalgia were particularly elevated. The existence of a causal relationship between either military exposures or other risk factors and documented illness for most symptomatic PGW veterans remains to be demonstrated...

The long-term impact of war on health and wellbeing in Northern Vietnam: some glimpses from a recent survey.

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Teerawichitchainan, Bussarawan; Korinek, Kim

2012-06-01

War is deemed a major threat to public health; yet, the long-term effects of war on individual health have rarely been examined in the context of developing countries. Based on data collected as a pilot follow-up to the Vietnam Longitudinal Survey, this study examines current health profiles of northern Vietnamese war survivors who entered early adulthood during the Vietnam War and now represent Vietnam's older adult population. To ascertain how war and military service in the early life course may have had long-term impacts on health status of Vietnam's current older adults, we compare multi-dimensional measures of health among veterans and nonveterans, and within these groups, regardless of their military service, between combatants and noncombatants. Multivariate results suggest that despite prolonged exposure to war, veterans and those who served in combat roles are not significantly different from their civilian and noncombatant counterparts on most health outcomes later in life. This is in contrast to American veterans who fought on the opposing side of the war. The near absence of differences in older adult health among northern Vietnamese with varying degrees of war involvement might be explained by the encompassing extent of war; the notion that time heals; and the hardiness and resilience against ill health that are by-products of shared struggle in war and a victorious outcome. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of war on fertility: a review of the literature.

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Abu-Musa, Antoine A; Kobeissi, Loulou; Hannoun, Antoine B; Inhorn, Marcia C

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to review the existing literature on the effect of war on female and male fertility. A MEDLINE search for studies that included participants defined as infertile because they were unsuccessful in achieving a pregnancy after a year and studies that assessed the effect of war on semen parameters and menstrual dysfunction were performed. Twenty articles were included in this review. For female fertility, studies showed that women who were prisoners of war or who were living in areas exposed to bombardment had increased risk of menstrual abnormalities. For male fertility, the results were conflicting. The Vietnam War was not associated with difficulty in conception although one study revealed a decrease in sperm characteristics. Studies of male US and Danish 1990/91 Gulf war veterans showed no evidence of reduced fertility; however, studies of UK and Australian veterans reported increased risk of infertility. The Lebanese and Slovenian civil wars were associated with a decrease in sperm parameters. Exposure to mustard gas was also associated with abnormal semen parameters; however, exposure to depleted uranium had no effect on semen characteristics. Most of the studies examined had major limitations including recall bias and small number of cases included.

Poetry and World War II: Creating Community through Content-Area Writing

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Friese, Elizabeth E. G.; Nixon, Jenna

2009-01-01

Two educators and a classroom of fifth grade students integrated poetry writing into social studies curriculum focusing on World War II. Several strategies and approaches to writing poetry are highlighted including list poems, writing from photographs and artifacts, and two voice poems. The study culminated in a poetry reading and the creation of…

The Invasion of Iran by the Allies during World War II

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Süleyman Erkan

2010-12-01

Full Text Available When the Nazi Germany attacked the Soviets at the beginning of World War II, the USA, the UK and the Soviet Union took part on the same side and were called the Allies. In order to convey the military aid to the Soviets through Iran, the USA and the UK invaded Iran with the Soviets and dethroned Ahmad Reza Shah, who felt sympathy for Germany. By signing a treaty in 1942, they pledged to evacuate their troops from Iran six months after the war ended. They published a declaration that they would protect Iran’s territorial integrity as well as they repeated these decisions during the conference they made in Tehran in 1943. However; despite these decisions, a hidden rivalry began between the USSR and the West in Iran. The rivalry became very clear towards the end of the war. The Soviets wouldn’t withdraw from Iran. Additionally, they endeavored to divide Iran. The Iran crisis of 1946 between the West and the Soviets formed the start of the Cold War according to some people. As a country, Iran was highly affected by this process.

The Remembrance of World War One and the Austrian Federation of Jewish War Veterans

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Gerald Lamprecht

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses discourses and activities of memory of the Austrian “Federation of Jewish War Veterans” (Bund jüdischer Frontsoldaten/BJF, based primarily on the analysis of the journal “Jewish Front” (Jüdische Front as well as on archival sources. A remarkable increase in anti-Semitic activities as well as acts of violence committed by the National Socialists led former Jewish soldiers of the Austrian army to found the BJF in 1932. The aim of the BJF was to defend the Austrian Jewry against anti-Semitic accusations as well as to strengthen their Jewish self-consciousness by focusing on the remembrance of the Jewish military service during the Great War and an idealized and exaggerated war experience. To reach their objectives, the BJF was organized hierarchically and militarily. The members wore uniforms, and the BJF organized military inspections, spread propaganda via the journal “Jewish Front” and initiated the erection of Jewish war memorials in several Austrian cities. Due to the fact that the BJF wanted to unify the Austrian Jewry under its leadership, it claimed to be above all party lines and propagandized a common Austrian Jewish identity.

Agent Orange Exposure and Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance: An Operation Ranch Hand Veteran Cohort Study.

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Landgren, Ola; Shim, Youn K; Michalek, Joel; Costello, Rene; Burton, Debra; Ketchum, Norma; Calvo, Katherine R; Caporaso, Neil; Raveche, Elizabeth; Middleton, Dan; Marti, Gerald; Vogt, Robert F

2015-11-01

Multiple myeloma has been classified as exhibiting "limited or suggestive evidence" of an association with exposure to herbicides in Vietnam War veterans. Occupational studies have shown that other pesticides (ie, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides) are associated with excess risk of multiple myeloma and its precursor state, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS); however, to our knowledge, no studies have uncovered such an association in Vietnam War veterans. To examine the relationship between MGUS and exposure to Agent Orange, including its contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), in Vietnam War veterans. This was a prospective cohort study conducted in 2013 to 2014, testing for MGUS in serum specimens collected and stored in 2002 by the Air Force Health Study (AFHS). The relevant exposure data collected by the AFHS was also used. We tested all specimens in 2013 without knowledge of the exposure status. The AFHS included former US Air Force personnel who participated in Operation Ranch Hand (Ranch Hand veterans) and other US Air Force personnel who had similar duties in Southeast Asia during the same time period (1962 to 1971) but were not involved in herbicide spray missions (comparison veterans). Agent Orange was used by the US Air Force personnel who conducted aerial spray missions of herbicides (Operation Ranch Hand) in Vietnam from 1962 to 1971. We included 479 Ranch Hand veterans and 479 comparison veterans who participated in the 2002 follow-up examination of AFHS. Agent Orange and TCDD. Serum TCDD levels were measured in 1987, 1992, 1997, and 2002. Risk of MGUS measured by prevalence, odds ratios (ORs), and 95% CIs. The 479 Ranch Hand veterans and 479 comparison veterans had similar demographic and lifestyle characteristics and medical histories. The crude prevalence of overall MGUS was 7.1% (34 of 479) in Ranch Hand veterans and 3.1% (15 of 479) in comparison veterans. This translated into a 2.4-fold increased risk

PTSD and Use of Outpatient General Medical Services Among Veterans of the Vietnam War.

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Schlenger, William E; Mulvaney-Day, Norah; Williams, Christianna S; Kulka, Richard A; Corry, Nida H; Mauch, Danna; Nagler, Caryn F; Ho, Chia-Lin; Marmar, Charles R

2016-05-01

The primary goal of this analysis was to assess whether recent use of outpatient services for general medical concerns by Vietnam veterans varies according to level of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology over time. Another goal was to determine whether PTSD symptomatology was associated with veterans' reports of discussing behavioral health issues as part of a general medical visit. Self-reported service use data and measures of PTSD were from a nationally representative sample of 848 male and female Vietnam theater veterans (individuals who were deployed to the Vietnam theater of operations) who participated in the National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study, a 25-year follow-up of a cohort of veterans originally interviewed from 1984-1988 as part of the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study. Four categories of PTSD symptomatology course over 25 years were defined, and logistic regression models were used to assess their relationship with recent use of outpatient general medical services. Male and female theater veterans with high or increasing PTSD symptomatology over the period were more likely than those with low symptomatology to report recent VA outpatient visits. Males in the increasing and high categories were also more likely to discuss behavioral health issues at general medical visits. Vietnam veterans with high and increasing PTSD symptomatology over time were likely to use VA outpatient general health services. Attention to stressors of the aging process and to persistence of PTSD symptoms is important for Vietnam veterans, as is addressing PTSD with other psychiatric and medical comorbidities within the context of outpatient general medical care.

[Developing indices for caloric restriction related to World War II--a pilot study].

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Vin-Raviv, Neomi; Dekel, Rachel; Barchana, Micha; Linn, Shi; Keinan-Boker, Lital

2011-04-01

The vast numbers of studies regarding caloric restriction (CR) and breast cancer risk are based on war-related extreme situations. Studying the impact of CR in Jews during World War II (WW II) is challenging due to its variance and duration. To develop novel research tools in order to assess CR exposure in Jews that occurred more than 60 years ago during WW II. A pilot study based on Israeli women born in Europe in 1926-45, who lived there during WWII. Primary incident breast cancer patients and population-based controls were interviewed using a detailed questionnaire referring to demographic, obstetric factors and WW II experiences. Exposure to WWII-related CR was assessed by several proxy variables based on this information. The individual hunger score was higher in the exposed cases [mean score 141.06 vs. 130.07 in the controls). The same trend was observed for self perceived hunger score (mean score 2.75 in cases vs. 2.40 in controls) and hunger symptoms score (4.89 vs. 3.56, respectively). The novel research tools are appropriate for comparative assessment of CR exposure in case control studies.

Marking Time: Women and Nazi Propaganda Art during World War II

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Barbara McCloskey

2012-04-01

Full Text Available "Marking Time" considers the relative scarcity of woman's image in Nazi propaganda posters during World War II. This scarcity departs from the ubiquity of women in paintings and sculptures of the same period. In the fine arts, woman served to solidify the "Nazi myth" and its claim to the timeless time of an Aryan order simultaneously achieved and yet to come. Looking at poster art and using Ernst Bloch's notion of the nonsynchronous, this essay explores the extent to which women as signifiers of the modern – and thus as markers of time – threatened to expose the limits of this Nazi myth especially as the regime's war effort ground to its catastrophic end.

Honoring the Call to Duty: Veterans’ Disability Benefits in the 21st Century

Science.gov (United States)

2007-10-01

War or the 1899-1901 Philippine Insurrection.14 I.2 World War I By the early 20th century, the reconstituted Armed Forces of the United States...to the tardiness of the current system. Third, when medical evidence, possibly new, about the veteran from non-VA medical facilities is critical to

Gulf War Illness and the Health of Gulf War Veterans

Science.gov (United States)

2008-11-01

after his return.432 Seventy- five Gulf War personnel were hospitalized for chicken pox during deployment.1431 Only a few cases of viral hepatitis were...and independent of circulating uranium levels. Of particular interest are findings from an ongoing study at the University of New Mexico indicating that...periods, can produce chronic neurological or behavioral effects. The New Mexico study is an important example of a particularly relevant approach

Beyond the Iron Triangle: Implications for the Veterans Health Administration in an Uncertain Policy Environment

Science.gov (United States)

2014-12-04

VAMC VA Medical Center VBA Veterans Benefits Administration VFW Veterans of Foreign War of the United States VHA Veterans Health...System, August 26, 2014, accessed August 27, 2014, http://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-14-02603-267.pdf. 2 Sloan D. Gibson, “Remarks of Acting Secretary...Sloan D. Gibson During VFW Annual Convention” (address at the 115th VFW Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO, July 22, 2014), accessed July 27, 2014, http

‘Objectifying’ the War. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial as a Secular Message Board.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adi Wimmer

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. has become one of the most important cultural signifiers of the nation. Only what it signifies is far from clear. ‘A place of healing’ is a frequently applied epithet; in conjunction with partial memory loss; but ‘healing’ does not work without prior analysis of the wound. In postmodern fashion; anyone can read into it what they want. Evidence for its enduring popularity are the roughly 90 000 objects that have since its inception in 1982 been deposited at ‘the Wall’. These depositions represent an uncensored and hard to control alternative discourse on Vietnam; they are collected daily and stored at a huge warehouse. The ‘Wall’ is not only a sacred site; a locus of grief and contemplation; and a locus of re-uniting the nation; it has also become a prominent place where cultural battles are waged. Since 1995 there has been a permanent exhibition of a selected “Offerings at the Wall” at the Smithsonian Institute. They collectively represent a discourse refusing to be co-opted into a national strategy to re-interpret the Vietnam War as “in truth a noble cause” and an event in which American soldiers acted honourably.

2008 Defense Economics Conference: The Economics of War

Science.gov (United States)

2008-11-17

PERCY (Congressional Budget Office): You mentioned—there is a history of increasing or providing bonus payments or other compensation to veterans after...previous conflicts, after the Civil War and after— ENGERMAN: Even before, the War of 1812 is where that starts. PERCY : I’m wondering what your...Analysis and Evaluation) Gary C. Hufbauer Reginald Jones Senior Fellow Peterson Institute for International Economics Jack A. Jackson Research Staff Member

As Guerras Mundiais e seus veteranos: uma abordagem comparativa The World Wars and their veterans: a comparative approach

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Francisco César Alves Ferraz

2008-01-01

Full Text Available As Guerras Mundiais deixaram para a posteridade dezenas de milhões de ex-combatentes, que retornaram aos lares transformados física e psicologicamente. Em seu retorno, enfrentaram problemas de toda sorte para a reintegração social. Neste artigo são abordados os processos de reintegração social dos ex-combatentes norte-americanos, franceses e ingleses, nas duas guerras mundiais. A principal conclusão é que, mais que a existência ou não de uma estrutura de apoio e programas de retorno dos combatentes à sociedade, a variável decisiva para definição do sucesso ou não da reintegração social foi a relação que a sociedade não-combatente travou com a guerra lutada e com seus combatentes. Em outras palavras, a aceitação ou não, entre a população civil, da participação de seus jovens nos conflitos, bem como a memória social dessas guerras, repercutiram profundamente na forma como esses milhões de jovens retornaram às suas vidas sociais e profissionais.The World Wars left to posterity tens of millions of combat veterans who returned home physically and psychologically transformed. They faced all kinds of problems related to their social reintegration. This article examines the social reintegration processes of North-American, French and English ex-combatants from both World Wars. The main conclusion is that, more than the existence or not of a support structure and programs to reintegrate combatants into society, the decisive factor for success or failure in reintegration was the relationship of civilian society to the war. In other words, the civilian population's level of acceptance of their youngsters' participation in the conflicts, as well as the social memory of the wars, had a deep effect on the ways these millions of young people were able to return to their social and professional lives.

Coalmining and the National Scheme for Disabled Ex-Servicemen after the First World War.

Science.gov (United States)

Mantin, Mike

2016-04-02

After the First World War, disabled British veterans returned home to an uncertain future of work. In addition to voluntary efforts, the government's response to the national employment crisis - the National Scheme for Disabled Ex-Servicemen (commonly known as the King's Roll) - was established in 1919 to encourage employers to hire a five per cent quota of disabled ex-servicemen. Historians have recently revisited the scheme, noting that in many cases the process was slow and fraught, with many disabled veterans facing the prospect of unemployment, yet few have paid attention to soldiers' pre-war working backgrounds and the specific requests of British industries. This article focuses on British coalminers returning from war. What role was there in this national situation for an industry known for its own high rate of accident and injury? Although the King's Roll made some attempt to find veterans specifically targeted jobs above and below ground according to their impairments, it proved unable to incorporate coalmining. Instead, many disabled ex-servicemen returned to the workplace and utilized their existing identities as miners to navigate the process. With the industry beginning to decline, many faced potential regression in job status, exploitation or unemployment. By shifting to an industry-specific focus, this case study explores the contested nature of work for disabled people after the First World War, and highlights the interrelation and importance of workplace identity for the returning disabled veteran.

External Qi therapy to treat symptoms of Agent Orange Sequelae in Korean combat veterans of the Vietnam War.

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Lee, Myeong Soo; Woo, Won-Hong; Lim, Hyun-Ja; Hong, Sung-Soo; Kim, Hye-Jung; Moon, Sun-Rock

2004-01-01

We investigated the efficacy of Qi therapy as a non-pharmacological treatment for various symptoms presented by Korean combat veterans of the Vietnam War with Agent Orange Sequelae. Nine subjects volunteered to receive 30 minutes of Qi therapy, twice per day for 7 days. There was marked improvement in 89% of the patients with impaired physical activity, 86% of those with psychological disorder, 78% of those with heavy drug use, and 67% of those with fatigue, indigestion and high blood glucose levels. This data suggests that Qi therapy combined with conventional treatment has positive effects in reducing and managing the pain, psychosomatic disorders, and substance abuse in patients with Agent Orange Sequelae. We cannot completely discount the possible influence of the placebo effect, and more objective, clinical measures are needed to study the long-term effects of Qi therapy.

Blood Biomarkers of Chronic Inflammation in Gulf War Illness.

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Gerhard J Johnson

Full Text Available More than twenty years following the end of the 1990-1991 Gulf War it is estimated that approximately 300,000 veterans of this conflict suffer from an unexplained chronic, multi-system disorder known as Gulf War Illness (GWI. The etiology of GWI may be exposure to chemical toxins, but it remains only partially defined, and its case definition is based only on symptoms. Objective criteria for the diagnosis of GWI are urgently needed for diagnosis and therapeutic research.This study was designed to determine if blood biomarkers could provide objective criteria to assist diagnosis of GWI.A surveillance study of 85 Gulf War Veteran volunteers identified from the Department of Veterans Affairs Minnesota Gulf War registry was performed. All subjects were deployed to the Gulf War. Fifty seven subjects had GWI defined by CDC criteria, and 28 did not have symptomatic criteria for a diagnosis of GWI. Statistical analyses were performed on peripheral blood counts and assays of 61 plasma proteins using the Mann-Whitney rank sum test to compare biomarker distributions and stepwise logistic regression to formulate a diagnostic model.Lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts were higher in GWI subjects. Six serum proteins associated with inflammation were significantly different in GWI subjects. A diagnostic model of three biomarkers-lymphocytes, monocytes, and C reactive protein-had a predicted probability of 90% (CI 76-90% for diagnosing GWI when the probability of having GWI was above 70%.The results of the current study indicate that inflammation is a component of the pathobiology of GWI. Analysis of the data resulted in a model utilizing three readily measurable biomarkers that appears to significantly augment the symptom-based case definition of GWI. These new observations are highly relevant to the diagnosis of GWI, and to therapeutic trials.

38 CFR 1.18 - Guidelines for establishing presumptions of service connection for former prisoners of war.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... establishing presumptions of service connection for former prisoners of war. 1.18 Section 1.18 Pensions... Guidelines for establishing presumptions of service connection for former prisoners of war. (a) Purpose. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs will establish presumptions of service connection for former prisoners of war...

Quality of life among veterans with chronic spinal cord injury and related variables.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahimzadeh, Mohammad Hosein; Soltani-Moghaddas, Seyed Hosein; Birjandinejad, Ali; Omidi-Kashani, Farzad; Bozorgnia, Shahram

2014-06-01

In recent decades, the incidence of spinal cord injuries has increased. In a systemic review on epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury in developing countries reported 25.5/million cases per year. To assess the quality of life (QOL) of the veterans among Iran-Iraq war with chronic spinal cord injuries (SCI) and to evaluate long-term impressions of SCI on their quality of life. Fifty-two veterans, all male, with chronic spinal cord injury from Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) were interviewed and examined. The mean age of veterans at the time of interview was 49.3 years (38 to 80 years). Veterans were assessed by using a 36-item short-form (SF-36), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and the Barthel index. The presence or absence of pressure sores and spasticity were documented as well. The mean age of veterans at the time of study was 49.3 years. Pearson's correlation test showed that depression and anxiety have a reverse association with mental component summary (MCS) scale and physical component summary (PCS) scale scores, respectively. Regression analysis showed a negative effect of depression and pressure sore on PCS. Moreover, no association was found between the duration of injury and age with quality of life. Lower QOL was found among veterans with chronic SCI. More researches on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are needed to give us a better understanding of changes in life of patients with SCI and the ways to improve them.

Mindfulness meditation for veterans---implications for occupational health providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuellar, Norma G

2008-08-01

Mindfulness meditation (MfM) is a mind-body therapy identified by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Initially taught in a formal classroom setting, MfM is a sustainable intervention with minimal costs that can be used over time. For veterans, after mastery, this technique shows promise in improving health outcomes and quality of life. This article describes MfM, discusses the conceptual framework and evidence-based research for MfM, and identifies the implications of MfM use by health care providers who are caring for war veterans.

Wheeled mobility: factors influencing mobility and assistive technology in veterans and servicemembers with major traumatic limb loss from Vietnam war and OIF/OEF conflicts.

Science.gov (United States)

Laferrier, Justin Z; McFarland, Lynne V; Boninger, Michael L; Cooper, Rory A; Reiber, Gayle E

2010-01-01

Returning wounded veterans and servicemembers to their highest level of function following traumatic injury is a priority of the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. We surveyed 245 veterans from the Vietnam war and 226 servicemembers and veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) conflicts with at least one major traumatic lower-limb loss to determine their use of mobility assistive technology (AT) and patterns of limb abandonment. Prosthetic device use without wheelchair use is found in 50.5% of Vietnam and 42.8% of OIF/OEF groups. Prostheses and supplementary wheelchairs are used by Vietnam (32%) and OIF/OEF (53%) groups (p Vietnam group (18%) than in the OIF/OEF group (4.0%, p Vietnam participants, multivariate analysis found that multiple-limb loss (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 14.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.5-38.5), bilateral lower-limb loss (AOR = 12.7; 95% CI 6.2-26.1), and number of comorbidities (AOR = 1.3; 95% CI 1.2-1.5) are associated with increased likelihood of wheelchair use. In OIF/OEF participants, bilateral lower-limb loss (AOR = 29.8; 95% CI 11.0-80.7), multiple-limb loss (AOR = 16.3; 95% CI 3.1-85.3), cumulative trauma disorder (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI 1.2-4.9), and number of combat injuries (AOR = 1.4; 95% CI 1.2-1.7) are associated with wheelchair use. Combined use of different types of mobility ATs promotes improved rehabilitation and ability to function.

Helping War Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Incarcerated Individuals' Role in Therapeutic Animal Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Furst, Gennifer

2016-05-01

A grassroots movement of nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations is creating programs in which incarcerated individuals train rescued shelter dogs as therapeutic canines for Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Driven in part by reports of Veterans not receiving adequate treatment for PTSD, the programs are the latest iteration of prison-based animal programs and are founded on the principles of animal therapy and healing powers of animals. The far-reaching and deleterious collateral consequences of PTSD create social and economic burdens on the country; providing beneficial interventions for Veterans is a pressing social problem. Without oversight, a patchwork of agencies has developed that provides Veterans with dogs with varying levels of training and differing abilities. To best serve the needs of Veterans, the programs need regulation and standardized methods of training. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 54(5), 49-57.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

A Dynamic Model of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for Military Personnel and Veterans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Navid Ghaffarzadegan

Full Text Available Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD stands out as a major mental illness; however, little is known about effective policies for mitigating the problem. The importance and complexity of PTSD raise critical questions: What are the trends in the population of PTSD patients among military personnel and veterans in the postwar era? What policies can help mitigate PTSD? To address these questions, we developed a system dynamics simulation model of the population of military personnel and veterans affected by PTSD. The model includes both military personnel and veterans in a "system of systems." This is a novel aspect of our model, since many policies implemented at the military level will potentially influence (and may have side effects on veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The model is first validated by replicating the historical data on PTSD prevalence among military personnel and veterans from 2000 to 2014 (datasets from the Department of Defense, the Institute of Medicine, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other sources. The model is then used for health policy analysis. Our results show that, in an optimistic scenario based on the status quo of deployment to intense/combat zones, estimated PTSD prevalence among veterans will be at least 10% during the next decade. The model postulates that during wars, resiliency-related policies are the most effective for decreasing PTSD. In a postwar period, current health policy interventions (e.g., screening and treatment have marginal effects on mitigating the problem of PTSD, that is, the current screening and treatment policies must be revolutionized to have any noticeable effect. Furthermore, the simulation results show that it takes a long time, on the order of 40 years, to mitigate the psychiatric consequences of a war. Policy and financial implications of the findings are discussed.

A Dynamic Model of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for Military Personnel and Veterans

Science.gov (United States)

Ghaffarzadegan, Navid; Ebrahimvandi, Alireza; Jalali, Mohammad S.

2016-01-01

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stands out as a major mental illness; however, little is known about effective policies for mitigating the problem. The importance and complexity of PTSD raise critical questions: What are the trends in the population of PTSD patients among military personnel and veterans in the postwar era? What policies can help mitigate PTSD? To address these questions, we developed a system dynamics simulation model of the population of military personnel and veterans affected by PTSD. The model includes both military personnel and veterans in a “system of systems.” This is a novel aspect of our model, since many policies implemented at the military level will potentially influence (and may have side effects on) veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The model is first validated by replicating the historical data on PTSD prevalence among military personnel and veterans from 2000 to 2014 (datasets from the Department of Defense, the Institute of Medicine, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other sources). The model is then used for health policy analysis. Our results show that, in an optimistic scenario based on the status quo of deployment to intense/combat zones, estimated PTSD prevalence among veterans will be at least 10% during the next decade. The model postulates that during wars, resiliency-related policies are the most effective for decreasing PTSD. In a postwar period, current health policy interventions (e.g., screening and treatment) have marginal effects on mitigating the problem of PTSD, that is, the current screening and treatment policies must be revolutionized to have any noticeable effect. Furthermore, the simulation results show that it takes a long time, on the order of 40 years, to mitigate the psychiatric consequences of a war. Policy and financial implications of the findings are discussed. PMID:27716776

Cancer in US Air Force veterans not involved with spraying herbicides during the Vietnam War

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavuk, M. [SpecPro, Inc. (United States); Michalek, J.; Ketchum, N. [Air Force Research Laboratory, San Antonio, TX (United States); Akhtar, F. [The START Center, San Antonio, TX (United States)

2004-09-15

The Air Force Health Study is a 20-year prospective study examining the health, mortality and reproductive outcomes in US Air Force veterans of Operation Ranch Hand who sprayed herbicides in Vietnam from 1962 to 1971. Comparison veterans flew or serviced C-130 transport aircraft in Southeast Asia (SEA) during the same time period but did not spray herbicides. They were stationed mostly in Taiwan, the Philippines, Guam, Japan, and Thailand and spent on average less than 30% of their SEA service in Vietnam. Comparison veterans also spent approximately 30% more time in SEA than Ranch Hand veterans. No increases in Ranch Hand cancer mortality and morbidity were found in earlier investigations, but a recent study contrasting cancer rates in Air Force veterans and in the general US (white male) population reported increases in cancer at all SEER sites, prostate cancer and melanoma in Ranch Hand veterans and cancer at all SEER sites and prostate cancer in Comparison veterans. Associations between dioxin exposure category and cancer were found after restriction to Ranch Hand veterans who served in SEA no more than 2 years and to those who spent all of their SEA service in Vietnam. Overall cancer incidence in the general population in countries of SEA is about half of that in the United States, but cancers of the oral cavity/nasopharynx and liver are more prevalent in this region. Here we examine in more detail whether years served in SEA had any effect on the risk of cancer among Comparison veterans.

77 FR 76170 - Presumption of Exposure to Herbicides for Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Not Supported

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-26

... during the Vietnam War. After careful review of the IOM report, the Secretary determines that the... served in deep-water naval vessels off the coast of Vietnam during the Vietnam War are referred to as... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Presumption of Exposure to Herbicides for Blue Water Navy Vietnam...

No evidence for altered cellular immune functions in personnel deployed in the Persian Gulf during and after the Gulf War--The Danish Gulf War study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bregenholt, S; Ishøy, T; Skovgaard, L T

2001-01-01

Veterans who have participated in the Gulf War suffer from a number of symptoms, collectively referred to as the Gulf War Syndrome. It has been hypothesized that a change in the systemic cytokine balance or other changes in immunological parameters could be responsible for some of the symptoms. We...... analyzed the peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cell activity of 686 Gulf War personnel who had been present in the Persian Gulf area during and immediately after the Gulf War as well as 231 gender and age-matched controls. The test material included individual samples of frozen peripheral blood...

Out of a Clear Blue Sky? FOM, The Bomb, and The Boost in Dutch Physics Funding after World War II

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoeneveld, F; van Dongen, J.A.E.F.

2013-01-01

Soon after the end of World War II, Dutch science was reconstituted by novel funding agencies with well-filled coffers. The currently received view is that in a vulnerable and war-torn society the new institutions were created on the basis of technocratic ideals that date back to pre-war years. One

Out of a clear blue sky? FOM, the bomb and the boost in Dutch physics funding after World War II

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoeneveld, F.; van Dongen, J.

2013-01-01

Soon after the end of World War II, Dutch science was reconstituted by novel funding agencies with well-filled coffers. The currently received view is that in a vulnerable and war-torn society the new institutions were created on the basis of technocratic ideals that date back to pre-war years. One

A cohort study examining headaches among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan wars: Associations with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaramillo, Carlos A; Eapen, Blessen C; McGeary, Cindy A; McGeary, Donald D; Robinson, Jedediah; Amuan, Megan; Pugh, Mary Jo

2016-03-01

To describe the prevalence and persistence of headache and associated conditions in an inception cohort of U.S. veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans (IAV) suffer from persistent and difficult-to-treat headaches that have been found to co-occur with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other deployment related comorbidities. This longitudinal retrospective cohort study used data from the national Veterans Health Administration (VA) data repository for IAV who first received VA care in 2008 (baseline) and also received care each year in 2009, 2010, and 2011. We used ICD-9-CM codes, to identify those treated for headache each year (2008-2011). Individuals with headache diagnosed each year were classified as having persistent headache. We also identified comorbidities that may be associated with baseline headache using algorithms validated for use with ICD-9-CM codes. Comorbidities included TBI, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and conditions associated with these diagnoses (anxiety, memory/attention/cognition, neck pain, tinnitus/hyperacusis, photosensitivity/photo blurring, insomnia, malaise/fatigue, and vertigo/dizziness). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine characteristics associated with baseline headache as well as those associated with persistent headache. Among all IAV, 38,426 received their first year of VA care in 2008 and had care each year 2009-2011: 13.7% of these were diagnosed with headache in 2008. Veterans diagnosed with headache in 2008 were more likely than those without a headache diagnosis to also have a diagnosis of TBI alone (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] 6.75; 95% CI 5.79-7.86), TBI + depression (AOR 7.09; 95% CI 5.23-9.66), TBI + PTSD (AOR 10.16; 95% CI 8.96-11.53), TBI + PTSD + depression (AOR 9.40; 95% CI 8.12-10.09), and neck pain (AOR 2.44; 95% CI 2.14-2.77). Among those with headache diagnosis in 2008, 24.3% had a headache diagnosis each of the

Relationship of Stress Exposure to Health in Gulf War Veterans

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fairbank, John

2002-01-01

... or symptoms, and factors that may mediate these relationships. The proposed study has five key aims intended to address these gaps and enhance understanding of illnesses reported by GW veterans: (1...

Relationships of Stress Exposures to Health in Gulf War Veterans

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fairbank, John

2000-01-01

... or symptoms, and factors that may mediate these relationships. The proposed study has five key aims intended to address these gaps and enhance understanding of illnesses reported by GW veterans: (1...

Relationships of Stress Exposure to Health in Gulf War Veterans

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fairbanks, John

2001-01-01

... or symptoms, and factors that may mediate these relationships. The proposed study has five key aims intended to address these gaps and enhance understanding of illnesses reported by OW veterans: (1...

The Effect of World War II on Women in Engineering

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Barker, Anne M.

The field of engineering has been one of the most difficult for women to enter. Even with an increase in the proportion of women in the engineering workforce from 0.3% before the 1970s to 9.5% in 1999, women are still seriously underrepresented. This article examines the history of women in engineering in the United States during World War II. Women were actively recruited as engineering aides by the federal government, which saw them as a temporary substitute for men who were in the military. Yet this crisis did not break down the barriers to and prejudices against women in engineering, nor did it give them a real opportunity to become professional engineers equal to men. After the war, calls for a return to normalcy were used to reestablish social norms, which kept women at home and reserved desirable places in the workforce, including in engineering, for men.

Relationships of Stress Exposures to Health in Gulf War Veterans

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Fairbank, John

2003-01-01

... or symptoms, and factors that may mediate these relationships. The proposed study has five key aims intended to address these gaps and enhance understanding of illnesses reported by 6W veterans: (1...

Effect of Diet on Gulf War Illness: A Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

Award Number: W81XWH-15-1-0636 TITLE: Effect of Diet on Gulf War Illness: A Pilot Study PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Ashok Tuteja, M.D. M.P.H...CONTRACT NUMBER Effect of Diet on Gulf War Illness 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-15-1-0636 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6 . AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER...headache) in Veterans with Gulf War Illness. We will also determine if the change in gut flora is a mechanism for improvement in symptoms of IBS and GW

38 CFR 21.5741 - Eligibility under more than one program.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... VETERANS AFFAIRS (CONTINUED) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION Educational Assistance Test Program...) Title II of the Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1952, (iii) The War Orphans' Educational...

Unexplored aspects of the South Africa's First World War history ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Although the Great War of 1914-18 is within living memory it is disturbing to discover how many gaps there seem to be in our knowledge of this subject. In this offering I shall consider some of these in the hope that the interest of other researchers may be aroused, before the last of the veterans of that most terrible of all wars, ...

77 FR 59041 - National POW/MIA Recognition Day, 2012

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-25

... Korean War, World War II, and other conflicts. And as these patriots are finally laid to rest, we pray..., Defense, and Veterans Affairs; the Selective Service System Headquarters; the World War II Memorial; the... the President of the United States of America A Proclamation For more than two centuries, Americans...

The din of gunfire: Rethinking the role of sound in World War II newsreels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masha Shpolberg

2014-12-01

Full Text Available French film historian Laurent Véray has famously called World War I ‘the first media war of the twentieth century’. Newsreels, which first appeared in 1910, brought the war to movie theaters across Europe and the U.S., screening combat for those on the ‘home front’. However, while the audience could see the action it could not hear it – sometimes only live music would accompany the movements of the troops. The arrival of sound newsreels in 1929 radically transformed moviegoers’ experiences of the news, and, by necessity, of armed conflict. Drawing on examples of World War II newsreels from British Pathé’s archive that was recently made available online, this article seeks to delineate the logic governing the combination of voice-over commentary, music, sound effects, and field-recorded sound, and argues that it can be traced directly to the treatment of sound in the ‘Great War’ fiction films of the preceding decade.

Observations on Occupation and Military Governance: An Analysis of the American Occupation of Japan and Germany in World War II

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Duray, Jr, Paul H

2007-01-01

Prior to the current Global War on Terror (GWOT), the United States military had not participated in occupation and military governance mission on as a massive a scale as that experienced in World War II...

Visual event-related potentials as markers of hyperarousal in Gulf War Illness: evidence against a stress-related etiology

Science.gov (United States)

Tillman, Gail D.; Calley, Clifford S.; Green, Timothy A.; Buhl, Virginia I.; Biggs, Melanie M.; Spence, Jeffrey S.; Briggs, Richard W.; Haley, Robert W.; Kraut, Michael A.; Hart, John

2012-01-01

An exaggerated response to emotional stimuli is among the many symptoms widely reported by veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. These symptomologies have been attributed to damage and dysfunction associated with deployment-related exposures. We collected event-related potential data from 22 veterans meeting Haley criteria for Gulf War (GW) Syndromes 1-3 and from 8 matched GW veteran controls, who were deployed but not symptomatic, while they performed a visual three-condition oddball task where images authenticated to be associated with the 1991 Persian Gulf War were the distractor stimuli. Hyperarousal reported by ill veterans was significantly greater than that by control veterans, but this was not paralleled by higher amplitude P3a in their ERP responses to GW-related distractor stimuli. Whereas previous studies of PTSD patients have shown higher amplitude P3b responses to target stimuli that are placed amid trauma-related nontarget stimuli, ill veterans in this study showed P3b amplitudes to target stimuli—placed amid GW-related nontarget stimuli—that were significantly lower than those of the control group. Hyperarousal scores reliably predicted P3b, but not P3a, amplitudes. Although many factors may contribute to P3b amplitude differences—most notably depression and poor sleep quality, symptoms that are prevalent in the GW syndrome groups—our findings in context of previous studies on this population are consistent with the contention that dysfunction in cholinergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems, and in white matter and basal ganglia may be contributing to impairments in GW veterans. PMID:23149040

Post-combat syndromes from the Boer war to the Gulf war: a cluster analysis of their nature and attribution

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Jones, Edgar; Hodgins-Vermaas, Robert; McCartney, Helen; Everitt, Brian; Beech, Charlotte; Poynter, Denise; Palmer, Ian; Hyams, Kenneth; Wessely, Simon

2002-01-01

Objectives To discover whether post-combat syndromes have existed after modern wars and what relation they bear to each other. Design Review of medical and military records of servicemen and cluster analysis of symptoms. Data sources Records for 1856 veterans randomly selected from war pension files awarded from 1872 and from the Medical Assessment Programme for Gulf war veterans. Main outcome measures Characteristic patterns of symptom clusters and their relation to dependent variables including war, diagnosis, predisposing physical illness, and exposure to combat; and servicemen's changing attributions for post-combat disorders. Results Three varieties of post-combat disorder were identified—a debility syndrome (associated with the 19th and early 20th centuries), somatic syndrome (related primarily to the first world war), and a neuropsychiatric syndrome (associated with the second world war and the Gulf conflict). The era in which the war occurred was overwhelmingly the best predictor of cluster membership. Conclusions All modern wars have been associated with a syndrome characterised by unexplained medical symptoms. The form that these assume, the terms used to describe them, and the explanations offered by servicemen and doctors seem to be influenced by advances in medical science, changes in the nature of warfare, and underlying cultural forces. What is already known on this topicService in the Gulf war is associated with an increased rate of reported symptoms and worsening subjective healthPost-combat syndromes have been described after most modern conflicts from the US civil war onwardsWhat this study addsThere seems to be no single post-combat syndrome but a number of variations on a themeThe ever changing form of post-combat syndromes seems to be related to advances in medical understanding, the developing nature of warfare, and cultural undercurrentsBecause reported symptoms are subject to bias and changing emphasis related to advances in medical

Understanding the Influence of Parkinson Disease on Adolf Hitler's Decision-Making during World War II.

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Gupta, Raghav; Kim, Christopher; Agarwal, Nitin; Lieber, Bryan; Monaco, Edward A

2015-11-01

Parkinson disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the presence of Lewy bodies and a reduction in the number of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the basal ganglia. Common symptoms of PD include a reduction in control of voluntary movements, rigidity, and tremors. Such symptoms are marked by a severe deterioration in motor function. The causes of PD in many cases are unknown. PD has been found to be prominent in several notable people, including Adolf Hitler, the Chancellor of Germany and Führer of Nazi Germany during World War II. It is believed that Adolf Hitler suffered from idiopathic PD throughout his life. However, the effect of PD on Adolf Hitler's decision making during World War II is largely unknown. Here we examine the potential role of PD in shaping Hitler's personality and influencing his decision-making. We purport that Germany's defeat in World War II was influenced by Hitler's questionable and risky decision-making and his inhumane and callous personality, both of which were likely affected by his condition. Likewise his paranoid disorder marked by intense anti-Semitic beliefs influenced his treatment of Jews and other non-Germanic peoples. We also suggest that the condition played an important role in his eventual political decline. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Malnutrition and subsequent ischemic heart disease in former prisoners of war of World War II and the Korean conflict.

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Page, W F; Ostfeld, A M

1994-12-01

The harsh treatment of former prisoners of war (POWs) of World War II and the Korean conflict resulted in severe malnutrition. Although rarely linked to specific long-term medical problems, a specific marker of malnutrition, self-reported lower limb edema (presumably due to a vitamin B deficiency) was associated with a three-fold increase in subsequent death attributed to ischemic heart disease (IHD) during the follow-up period from 1967 through 1975. Although there is at present no medical basis for linking edema, which is perhaps a marker for some unmeasured risk factor, to subsequent IHD, this finding may nonetheless have medical implications for the group of former POWs and other populations with severe dietary deficiency. It also suggests there may be a need to reexamine currently held theories on malnutrition and subsequent chronic disease.

Ending War and Making Peace in Scandinavia, 1814–1848

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ottosen, Morten Nordhagen

2016-01-01

The Napoleonic wars had a tremendous impact on the Scandinavian countries. Political and social upheaval and economic disruption ensured that ending war was no straightforward or rapid process. For traumatized veterans and those who had lost a husband or father, war never quite ended, to say...... nothing of those who remained under military occupation even after the nominal conclusion of peace. Still, the parallel process of making peace after 1815 was quite remarkable in Scandinavia, as 300 years of bitter rivalry, enmity, and perpetual conflict rapidly gave way to reconciliation to a point where...

Autobiographical memories in testimonies of WWII Veterans with dementia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tricia Olea Santos

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This study is a continuation of investigations of personal narratives of healthy older adults and those with aphasia. It focuses on autobiographical memories in testimonies of elderly WWII veterans with dementia, with particular emphasis on emotional events that occurred at the time of their memory peak. This study describes how declines in memory affect changes in language in narratives of memorable experiences at the time in old age when life review is typically experienced. Ten WWII veterans with dementia were selected from a larger study of healthy elderly veterans. Participants were between the ages of 86-91 years old, with the majority obtaining higher education. Based on the Arizona Battery for Communication Disorders of Dementia, participants demonstrated dementia of mild-to-moderate severity. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit memorable war experiences. Modifications to the interview were made, such as the use of photos to set the topic and occasional closed-ended questions to facilitate responses. Information was recorded and analyzed in terms of the amount and specificity of linguistic information, overall coherence of narratives, and the evaluations of memorable war experiences. The participants were not able to produce complete narratives; they instead relayed short episodes of their war experiences. Difficulties with semantic and episodic memory were reflected in the reduced length of their stories. Anomia was inherent in these episodes, as evidenced by the absence of specific names, dates and places. Lack of specificity was exhibited in reduced details and the use of nonspecific referents, such as “thing,” “stuff,” “there.” Participants produced coherent short story episodes. Coherence in episodic structure was maintained by the ability to relate events in a temporal sequence. Repetition was a strategy that served essential functions of emphasizing a point and/or clarifying breakdowns in communication

The Battle of Moscow - Turning Point of World War II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V M Falin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article is dedicated to the Battle of Moscow in October- December, 1941. Author analyzes the causes of the failure of German army, who tries to encircle and capture Moscow, the events taking place on the outskirts of Moscow, German troops attempts to encircle Moscow. The author presents data on the speech by Adolf Hitler in Berlin on October 5, 1941, in which he acknowledged the failure of the Blitzkrieg and the Battle for Moscow and its suburbs. The researcher uses the documents of the Wehrmacht High Command, which stated that after the Battle of Moscow, German troops could not on any further stage of the war to restore the quality and morale of the armed forces, with whom Reich rushed to a campaign for world domination. The author, a prominent public and political figure of the USSR, also relies on personal recollections, interviews with prominent generals of World War II, including I. Konev.

[Importance of medical treatment in second echelon during war in Croatia, example--war surgical hospital in Garesnica].

Science.gov (United States)

Gverić, Tugomir; Huljev, Dubravko; Zdilar, Boris; Kolak, Toni; Barisic, Jadranko; Ahmetasovic, Snjezana Gveric; Trajbar, Dubravka; Lojo, Nermin; Sever, Marko

2009-05-01

At beginning of 1991, the increasing necessity of emergency surgical treatment of wounded persons in Croatia led to the formation of mobile surgical teams. However, this system was abandoned due to many problems and echelon health division was formed. One of the war surgical hospitals (second echelon) was the War Surgical Hospital Garesnica. In this study, materials of the Croatian War Veterans Ministry, Ministry of Defense, Garesnica War Surgical Hospital and Garesnica Defense Office archive were used. We analyzed the number and localization of wounds, and describe the organization, work and results of the War Surgical Hospital in Garesnica. During the work of the War Surgical Hospital in Garesnica, 909 surgical examinations were performed, 521 wounded were surgically treated (45% civilians and 55% soldiers), 331 wounded were operated on, 5 lethal outcomes were recorded, 68% of wounds were localized on the extremities, 19% on the thorax and abdomen, and 13% on the head end neck. In this article the organization and work of the War Surgical Hospital in Garesnica is described, which had a major role in providing emergency medical care to people wounded in west Slavonia.

Friendship in War: Camaraderie and Prevention of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Nevarez, Michael D; Yee, Hannah M; Waldinger, Robert J

2017-10-01

Aspects of social support during combat deployment, such as unit cohesion, have been shown to affect later posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development among veterans. We utilized a longitudinal database to assess how relationship quality with fellow soldiers in World War II (WWII) might be linked with postwar PTSD symptoms. Data were available on 101 men who experienced combat exposure in WWII, documented through postwar assessment. Upon study entry (1939 to 1942), data were collected on the quality of participants' early childhood relationships and their emotional adjustment during college. Data on WWII experiences were collected in 1946. Relationship quality with fellow soldiers in WWII was examined as a moderator of the link between combat exposure and postwar PTSD symptoms. Prewar emotional adjustment was examined as a mediator between quality of childhood relationships and subsequent quality of relationships quality with fellow soldiers during war. Better quality relationships with fellow soldiers attenuated (i.e., moderated) the link between combat exposure severity and PTSD symptom count, explaining a significant percent of the variance, R 2 = .19, p war. These findings have implications for PTSD risk factor screening prior to deployment, and underscore the importance of interpersonal support among soldiers during deployment. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

The Destruction of Jewish Libraries and Archives in Cracow during World War II.

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Sroka, Marek

2003-01-01

Examines the loss of various collections, especially school libraries and the Ezra Library, in Cracow (Poland) during World War II. Highlights include Nazi policies toward Cracow's Jews; the destruction of libraries, archives, and collections; Jewish book collections in the Staatsbibliotek Krakau (state library); and the removal of books by Jewish…

Homelessness and money mismanagement in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Elbogen, Eric B; Sullivan, Connor P; Wolfe, James; Wagner, Henry Ryan; Beckham, Jean C

2013-12-01

We examined the empirical link between money mismanagement and subsequent homelessness among veterans. We used a random sample of Iraq and Afghanistan War era veterans from the National Post-Deployment Adjustment Survey in 2009-2011. Veterans were randomly selected from a roster of all US military service members in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom who were separated from active duty or in the Reserves/National Guard. Veterans (n = 1090) from 50 states and all military branches completed 2 waves of data collection 1 year apart (79% retention rate). Thirty percent reported money mismanagement (e.g., bouncing or forging a check, going over one's credit limit, falling victim to a money scam in the past year). Multivariate analysis revealed money mismanagement (odds ratio [OR] = 4.09, 95% CI = 1.87, 8.94) was associated with homelessness in the next year, as were arrest history (OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 1.33, 5.29), mental health diagnosis (OR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.26, 5.33), and income (OR = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.13, 0.71). Money mismanagement, reported by a substantial number of veterans, was related to a higher rate of subsequent homelessness. The findings have implications for policymakers and clinicians, suggesting that financial education programs offered by the US Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs may be targeted to effectively address veteran homelessness.

Powers of Persuasion--Poster Art of World War II. Teaching with Documents.

Science.gov (United States)

National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC.

Guns, tanks, and bombs were the principal weapons of World War II, but there were other, more subtle forms of warfare. Words, posters, and films waged a constant battle for the hearts and minds of the U.S. citizenry as military weapons engaged the enemy. Persuading the U.S. public became a wartime industry, almost as important as the manufacturing…

Disability Rating, Age at Death, and Cause of Death in U.S. Veterans with Service-Connected Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Maynard, Charles; Trivedi, Ranak; Nelson, Karin; Fihn, Stephan D

2018-03-26

The association between disability and cause of death in Veterans with service-connected disabilities has not been studied. The objective of this study was to compare age at death, military service and disability characteristics, including disability rating, and cause of death by year of birth. We also examined cause of death for specific service-connected conditions. This study used information from the VETSNET file, which is a snapshot of selected items from the Veterans Benefits Administration corporate database. We also used the National Death Index (NDI) for Veterans which is part of the VA Suicide Data Repository. In VETSNET, there were 758,324 Veterans who had a service-connected condition and died between the years 2004 and 2014. Using the scrambled social security number to link the two files resulted in 605,493 (80%) deceased Veterans. Age at death, sex, and underlying cause of death were obtained from the NDI for Veterans and military service characteristics and types of disability were acquired from VETSNET. We constructed age categories corresponding to period of service; birth years 1938 and earlier corresponded to Korea and World War II ("oldest"), birth years 1939-1957 to the Vietnam era ("middle"), and birth years 1958 and later to post Vietnam, Gulf War, and the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan ("youngest"). Sixty-two percent were in the oldest age category, 34% in the middle group, and 4% in the youngest one. The overall age at death was 75 ± 13 yr. Only 1.6% of decedents were women; among women 25% were in the youngest age group, while among men only 4% were in the youngest group. Most decedents were enlisted personnel, and 60% served in the U.S. Army. Nearly 61% had a disability rating of >50% and for the middle age group 54% had a disability rating of 100%. The most common service-connected conditions were tinnitus, hearing loss, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the oldest group, nearly half of deaths were due to

War time experiences of triage and resuscitation: Australian Army nurses in the Vietnam War, 1967-1971.

Science.gov (United States)

Biedermann, N E; Harvey, N R

2001-07-01

The experiences of nurses in war is prolifically described in the North American scholarly literature, and in the Australian nursing literature to a lesser extent. The literature describes the plights and achievements of nurses caring for soldiers and civilians often under the most undesirable of circumstances. A central focus of war time nursing is the resuscitation of critically wounded soldiers. This paper addresses the experiences of the Australian Army nurses who were involved in the triage and resuscitation of critically wounded allied and enemy soldiers in the Vietnam War between 1967 and 1971. As part of a research study to explore and analyse the nature of nursing work in the Vietnam War, seventeen Vietnam veteran nurses were interviewed about their experiences. This paper explores the progression of the triage department in the Australian military hospital in Vung Tau, and it highlights that the majority of the nurses who took part in this study were clinically unprepared, particularly as emergency nurses.

The Experience of Soviet Medicine in World War II 1941-1945. Volume I.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-02-25

countries. The low percentage of neuropsychological patients in the Soviet Army is evidence of the achievements of pre- war years of the Soviet people...unsplinted 269 I I II I fracture did not bother them. To the question of the physician about =npn.aints, they most often pointed out hunger . As early

Changing eating habits on the home front: Lost lessons from World War II research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wansink, B.

2002-01-01

Programs intended to improve nutrition often fall short of expectations. One exception, however, occurred during the rationing years of World War II, when U.S. citizens were encouraged to incorporate protein-rich organ meats into their protein-deficient diets. Unfortunately,, most of tire insights

Supported Employment for Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury: Patient Perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Kathleen F; Pogoda, Terri K; Gilbert, Tess A; Resnick, Sandra G; Twamley, Elizabeth W; O'Neil, Maya E; Sayer, Nina A

2018-02-01

To quantify the need for, and interest in, supported employment (SE) among recent military veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI); and to examine characteristics associated with veterans' interest in SE. Stratified random sample of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans confirmed to have TBI through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) screening and evaluation system. Community-based via mailed survey. We recruited 1800 veterans with clinician-confirmed TBI (mild TBI: n=1080; moderate/severe TBI: n=720) through multiple mailings. Among 1451 surveys that were not returned undeliverable, N=616 (42%) responded. Not applicable. Veterans rated their interest in SE after reading a script describing the program. Additional measures assessed mental health and pain-related comorbidities, employment, financial/housing difficulties, demographics, and military service characteristics. Estimates were weighted to represent the population of veterans with VHA clinician-confirmed TBI. Unemployment was reported by 45% (95% confidence interval [CI], 43-47) of veterans with TBI. Although 42% (95% CI, 40-44) reported they would be interested in using SE if it were offered to them, only 12% had heard of SE (95% CI, 11-14) and interest in SE. However, those who were unemployed, looking for work, experiencing financial strain, or at risk for homelessness were more likely to be interested in SE. Our research highlights an important gap between veterans' vocational needs and interests and their use of SE. Systematically identifying and referring those with employment and financial/housing difficulties may help close this gap. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Contemporary paternal genetic landscape of Polish and German populations: from early medieval Slavic expansion to post-World War II resettlements

OpenAIRE

Rębała, Krzysztof; Martínez-Cruz, Begoña; Tönjes, Anke; Kovacs, Peter; Stumvoll, Michael; Lindner, Iris; Büttner, Andreas; Wichmann, H-Erich; Siváková, Daniela; Soták, Miroslav; Quintana-Murci, Lluís; Szczerkowska, Zofia; Comas, David

2012-01-01

Homogeneous Proto-Slavic genetic substrate and/or extensive mixing after World War II were suggested to explain homogeneity of contemporary Polish paternal lineages. Alternatively, Polish local populations might have displayed pre-war genetic heterogeneity owing to genetic drift and/or gene flow with neighbouring populations. Although sharp genetic discontinuity along the political border between Poland and Germany indisputably results from war-mediated resettlements and homogenisation, it re...

38 CFR 3.252 - Annual income; pension; Mexican border period and later war periods.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...; Mexican border period and later war periods. 3.252 Section 3.252 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief... Dependency, Income and Estate § 3.252 Annual income; pension; Mexican border period and later war periods. (a) Annual income limitations; old-law pension. Where the right to old-law pension is payable under section...

Substance use comorbidity among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrakis, Ismene L; Rosenheck, Robert; Desai, Rani

2011-01-01

There is considerable concern about the emergence of significant substance abuse among younger veterans of war in the Middle East, especially among those with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but little information exists on the magnitude of this problem. Using national administrative data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) (n = 1,001,996), we examined rates of diagnosed substance use disorders in Veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan diagnosed with PTSD compared to other psychiatric disorders; and compared rates among veterans of other service eras. Of VA patients with a selected mental disorder, 21.0% had a comorbid substance diagnosis. Veterans who served in the post-Vietnam era (VET) (1973-1991) had the highest rates of comorbidity. Logistic regression models indicated that veterans with each selected psychiatric diagnosis were significantly more likely to be dually diagnosed in comparison to veterans with PTSD; post-Vietnam veterans were significantly more likely to be dually diagnosed than veterans from other eras. Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are most strongly associated with dual diagnosis in OEF/OIF (Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom) veterans. There are high rates of substance use disorders among veterans with mental illness. The highest rates of comorbidity occur among those with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia; and in post-VET veterans.  © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Everything for the Lulz: Historical Memes and World War II Memory on Lurkomor’e

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Makhortykh, M.

2015-01-01

The article explores interactions between digital media and cultural memory in post-Soviet countries by focusing on internet memes related to World War II. It introduces the concept of historical internet memes, which are groups of digital content units associated with a historical event or a

About Military Sexual Trauma

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Veterans Health Administration 58,393 views 2:45 World War II Veterans Honored at Bay Pines Community Living Center - Duration: 2:55. ... Loading... Loading... About Press Copyright Creators ...

Mortality and injuries among Iranians in Iraq-Iran war: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Salamati, Payman; Razavi, Seyed Mansour; Shokraneh, Farhad; Mohazzab Torabi, Saman; Laal, Marjan; Hadjati, Gholamreza; Khaji, Ali; Rahimi Movaghar, Vafa

2013-09-01

The Iraq-Iran war was one of the longest conflicts in the twentieth century. The aim of our research was to review the incidence of mortality and injuries of the war. A search strategy was designed and run in Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, and Iranian databases including Scientific Information Database (SID), IranMedex, and Magiran. Also, searching grey literature, checking references, tracking citations, hand-searching of focused journals, and websites were utilized for retrieval of related studies. All of articles which studied epidemiology of mortality or injuries of the war were included. The excluding criteria were case reports, case series, laboratory researches, and nonoriginal studies. Fourteen articles out of 1751 primary results were selected to be included in the study. During the war (1980 - 1988), 188,015 to 217,489 Iranians were killed (about 70 people per day). The mean age of mortality was 23 years. Six thousand four hundred twenty-seven (2.9%) of those who died during the war were females. One thousand five chemical warfare victims died between 1983 and 1994. From 1985 through 1998, 82 veterans had successful suicides too. At the end of war, we had 398, 587 veterans who needed follow- up. Among them, there were 52,000 chemical warfare victims. Between 1988 and 2003, 1400 people died and 2313 injured due to landmines and unexploded ordnances in five border provinces. The war caused a lot of mortalities and morbidities in our country. Now, 24 years after the war, many physically, mentally, and chemically injured victims have remained. We suggest other studies about indirect impacts of the war on societies, families, friends, and affiliates of the victims.

History of respiratory mechanics prior to World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

West, John B

2012-01-01

The history of respiratory mechanics is reviewed over a period of some 2,500 years from the ancient Greeks to World War II. A cardinal early figure was Galen (130-199 AD) who made remarkably perceptive statements on the diaphragm and the anatomy of the phrenic nerves. The polymath Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) contributed observations on pulmonary mechanics including the pleural space and bronchial airflow that still make good reading. Vesalius (1514-1564) produced magnificent illustrations of the lung, ribcage, and diaphragm. In the 17th century, the Oxford School including Boyle, Hooke, Lower, and Mayow were responsible for many contributions on mechanical functions including the intercostal muscles and the pleura. Hales (1677-1761) calculated the size and surface area of the alveoli, the time spent by the blood in the pulmonary capillaries, and intrathoracic pressures. Poiseuille (1799-1869) carried out classical studies of fluid mechanics including one of the first demonstrations of flow limitation in collapsible vessels. The culmination of the pre-World War II period was the outstanding contributions of Rohrer (1888-1926) and his two Swiss countrymen, Wirz (1896-1978) and von Neergaard (1887-1947). Rohrer developed the first comprehensive, quantitative treatment of respiratory mechanics in the space of 10 years including an analysis of flow in airways, and the pressure-volume behavior of the respiratory system. von Neergaard performed landmark studies on the effects of surface tension on pressure-volume behavior. Progress over the 2,500 years was slow and erratic at times, but by 1940 the stage was set for the spectacular developments of the next 70 years. © 2012 American Physiological Society

Famine food of vegetal origin consumed in the Netherlands during World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

Vorstenbosch, Tom; de Zwarte, Ingrid; Duistermaat, Leni; van Andel, Tinde

2017-11-17

Periods of extreme food shortages during war force people to eat food that they normally do not consider edible. The last time that countries in Western Europe experienced severe scarcities was during World War II. The so-called Dutch famine or Hunger Winter (1944-1945) made at least 25,000 victims. The Dutch government took action by opening soup kitchens and providing information on wild plants and other famine food sources in "wartime cookbooks." The Dutch wartime diet has never been examined from an ethnobotanical perspective. We interviewed 78 elderly Dutch citizens to verify what they remembered of the consumption of vegetal and fungal famine food during World War II by them and their close surroundings. We asked whether they experienced any adverse effects from consuming famine food plants and how they knew they were edible. We identified plant species mentioned during interviews by their local Dutch names and illustrated field guides and floras. We hypothesized that people living in rural areas consumed more wild species than urban people. A Welch t test was performed to verify whether the number of wild and cultivated species differed between urban and rural citizens. A total number of 38 emergency food species (14 cultivated and 21 wild plants, three wild fungi) were mentioned during interviews. Sugar beets, tulip bulbs, and potato peels were most frequently consumed. Regularly eaten wild species were common nettle, blackberry, and beechnuts. Almost one third of our interviewees explicitly described to have experienced extreme hunger during the war. People from rural areas listed significantly more wild species than urban people. The number of cultivated species consumed by both groups was similar. Negative effects were limited to sore throats and stomachache from the consumption of sugar beets and tulip bulbs. Knowledge on the edibility of famine food was obtained largely by oral transmission; few people remembered the written recipes in wartime

Beyond war and PTSD: The crucial role of transition stress in the lives of military veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Mobbs, Meaghan C; Bonanno, George A

2018-02-01

Although only a relatively small minority of military veterans develop Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), mental health theory and research with military veterans has focused primarily on PTSD and its treatment. By contrast, many and by some accounts most veterans experience high levels of stress during the transition to civilian life, however transition stress has received scant attention. In this paper we attempt to address this deficit by reviewing the wider range of challenges, rewards, successes, and failures that transitioning veterans might experience, as well as the factors that might moderate these experiences. To illuminate this argument, we briefly consider what it means to become a soldier (i.e., what is required to transition into military service) and more crucially what kind of stressors veterans might experience when they attempt to shed that identity (i.e., what is required to transition out of military service). We end by suggesting how an expanded research program on veteran transition stress might move forward. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality of Life Among Veterans With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury and Related Variables

OpenAIRE

Ebrahimzadeh, Mohammad Hosein; Soltani-Moghaddas, Seyed Hosein; Birjandinejad, Ali; Omidi-Kashani, Farzad; Bozorgnia, Shahram

2014-01-01

Background: In recent decades, the incidence of spinal cord injuries has increased. In a systemic review on epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury in developing countries reported 25.5/million cases per year. Objectives: To assess the quality of life (QOL) of the veterans among Iran-Iraq war with chronic spinal cord injuries (SCI) and to evaluate long-term impressions of SCI on their quality of life. Patients and Methods: Fifty-two veterans, all male, with chronic spinal cord injury fro...

Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in U.S. veterans: 1. Race, sex, and geographic distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurtzke, J F; Beebe, G W; Norman, J E

1979-09-01

Five thousand three hundred five World War II and Korean conflict veterans who have been compensated by the Veterans Administration for multiple sclerosis (MS) were matched to controls on the basis of age, date of entry into military service, and branch of service. Case/control ratios for white males, white females, and black males were 1.04, 1.86, and 0.45, respectively. The coterminous 48 states, divided into three tiers on the basis of latitude, exhibited the well-known north-south gradient in risk: For all races and both sexes, case/control ratios were 1.41, 1.00, and 0.53 for the North, Middle, and South tiers. Both white females and black males showed this same north-to-south variation in risk. The case/control ratio for males of races other than black or white was 0.23, with possible deficits in risk for American Indians and Japanese-Americans. Filipinos and Hawaiian Japanese were significantly low-risk groups. These findings suggest that both a racial and a possibly genetic predisposition, as well as a geographically determined differential exposure to an environmental agent, are related to the risk of MS.

38 CFR 51.42 - Drugs and medicines for certain veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... AFFAIRS (CONTINUED) PER DIEM FOR NURSING HOME CARE OF VETERANS IN STATE HOMES Per Diem Payments § 51.42... illness or injury for a veteran receiving care in a State home, if: (1) The veteran: (i) Has a singular or... of such drugs and medicines for a service-connected disability; and (ii) Is in need of nursing home...

The use of depleted uranium in II Gulf War and its impact on Iraq and the perspective of international law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yahya, Ali Mahmood

2012-01-01

In the piece radioactive depleted uranium is a mineral density of 1.7 times heavier than lead a radiation active low level remains on the uranium used as fuel in nuclear reactors or after the manufacture of atomic bombs, and when it enters this dust into the body either by breathing or eating it causes harm caused by toxic chemotherapy and radiation in each of the bronchi and bronchial lung damage and also damage to the kidneys, liver, bone and the incidence of cancer and the potential for causing damage to the gene, Americans and British used between 300-800 tons of depleted uranium irradiated in ammunition were distributed in the deserts of Kuwait and southern Iraq in the 1991 II Gulf War when it began U.S. tanks, planes and Warthog A-10 using this ammunition against the Iraqi army Russian was measured by the level of radiation in the region by the Environmental Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Baghdad and found equal to that between several hundred to a thousand times the natural level of radiation to the soil of lraq, which is (70 bq/kg) of the soil and congenital malformations of newborns has increased 7 times the rate in 1990 as the use of depleted uranium in the war against Iraq caused thousands of cancer cases among civilians in the Iraq and the so-called symptoms of Gulf War illness or disease, the curse of Iraq suffered by many soldiers, members of the U.S. and Europe are due to exposure to radiation from depleted uranium, in addition to this has started to show thousands of cases of deformity among Iraqi children who were born after the war and the high proportion of children of war veterans were born and their distortions or suffering from acute illness. The Piece Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter of Human Rights and the Treaty of the Organization of Armed Conflict, Conventions and Protocols to the Four Geneva and UN Resolution 1540, for the year 2004, and the principles of international law are

[Coping skills and social support in German long-time survivors of rape in the end of World War II].

Science.gov (United States)

Eichhorn, Svenja; Klauer, Thomas; Grundke, Elena; Freyberger, Harald J; Brähler, Elmar; Kuwert, Philipp

2012-05-01

The aim of the study was to document perceived social support in a sample of German war-raped women in World War II. Furthermore the impact of this potential resource on today's posttraumatic symptoms should be pointed out. 27 women (M = 80.3 years, SD = 3.1 years) answered each a semi-structured interview and several questionnaires. Perceived social support shows clearly lower values than in the comparative samples. The measured degree of the variable in the present sample bears negative relationship to the actual posttraumatic symptoms of the women. In World War II sexually traumatized women could profit only few from the examined resource. The found negative relationship between perceived social support and posttraumatic symptoms shows additionally the potentially long-lasting impact of these form of coping on psychological health in trauma victims. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Criminal Justice Involvement, Trauma, and Negative Affect in Iraq and Afghanistan War Era Veterans

Science.gov (United States)

Elbogen, Eric B.; Johnson, Sally C.; Newton, Virginia M.; Straits-Troster, Kristy; Vasterling, Jennifer J.; Wagner, H. Ryan; Beckham, Jean C.

2012-01-01

Objective: Although criminal behavior in veterans has been cited as a growing problem, little is known about why some veterans are at increased risk for arrest. Theories of criminal behavior postulate that people who have been exposed to stressful environments or traumatic events and who report negative affect such as anger and irritability are at…

The first world war drives rehabilitation toward the modern concepts of disability and participation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonfiglioli Stagni, S; Tomba, P; Viganò, A; Zati, A; Benedetti, M G

2015-06-01

The First World War produced a huge number of disabled soldiers. During the war, surgeons realized that it was not enough to merely treat the limbs of the wounded soldiers; it was also necessary to train them to use their remaining abilities to their greatest capacity. Governments at the same time realized that such a high number of veterans created a financial burden, by entitling disabled veterans to full healthcare, raising the issues of social welfare. Both in the US and Europe, programs of rehabilitation were instituted, providing injured soldiers with long-term medical care and vocational training aimed at restituting soldier's independence for a speedy return to work. In Italy at the Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, one of the most renowned Hospitals for the treatment of orthopedic deformities, Putti set up a technologically advanced Orthopedic Workshop, and a Rehabilitation House. The so called "reconstruction programs" addressed all aspects of rehabilitation (including physiotherapy, curative workshops and vocational therapy), seeing disability in terms of function. The experience gained in the treatment of war victims markedly enriched rehabilitation techniques, but overall the First World War helped engender the concept of rehabilitative programs to assist disabled veterans reintegrate in the workplace, thus laying the foundations of the modern concept of participation at a social level. In the centenary of Italy's entry into the First World War, it is worth underlining just how much hindsight affords us a new perspective on Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. It reminds us that rehabilitation is not merely the role of medicine, but forms part of a multifaceted approach involving societal roles and expectations, regardless of the psychological and physical impairments suffered by the individuals concerned.

Potency of Education Historical Tourismof World War II Japanese Cavesand Bunkersin Coastal Banyuwangi

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmi, Miftahul; Qiram, Ikhwanul

2018-05-01

Banyuwangi district has some Japanese caves and bunkers of World War II. The location of the objects are along the Banyuwangi coast as a maritime defense during the war. This structures can be used as education historical tourism object. There are many similar structures in other area that have been neglected and do not get enough preservation attention. This research is aimed to identify the potency of education historical tourism of Japanese caves and bunker in Banyuwangi. The research is done by field research for the observation of objects physical condition. It is also done by interviewing local government, historical actors and surrounding community. The result shows that the caves and bunker have a great potency but have not been used as education historical object.

Putting Their Lives on the Line: Personal Narrative as Political Discourse among Japanese Petitioners in American World War II Internment

Science.gov (United States)

Okawa, Gail Y.

2011-01-01

One of the more complex and premeditated acts of covert violence during World War II concerns the American surveillance, arrest, and incarceration of thousands of resident Japanese immigrants prior to and upon the outbreak of the Pacific War. While briefly outlining the historical and political context of this mass incarceration, specifically…

Bringing the war back home: mental health disorders among 103,788 US veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan seen at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Seal, Karen H; Bertenthal, Daniel; Miner, Christian R; Sen, Saunak; Marmar, Charles

2007-03-12

Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) have endured high combat stress and are eligible for 2 years of free military service-related health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, yet little is known about the burden and clinical circumstances of mental health diagnoses among OEF/OIF veterans seen at VA facilities. US veterans separated from OEF/OIF military service and first seen at VA health care facilities between September 30, 2001 (US invasion of Afghanistan), and September 30, 2005, were included. Mental health diagnoses and psychosocial problems were assessed using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. The prevalence and clinical circumstances of and subgroups at greatest risk for mental health disorders are described herein. Of 103 788 OEF/OIF veterans seen at VA health care facilities, 25 658 (25%) received mental health diagnosis(es); 56% of whom had 2 or more distinct mental health diagnoses. Overall, 32 010 (31%) received mental health and/or psychosocial diagnoses. Mental health diagnoses were detected soon after the first VA clinic visit (median of 13 days), and most initial mental health diagnoses (60%) were made in nonmental health clinics, mostly primary care settings. The youngest group of OEF/OIF veterans (age, 18-24 years) were at greatest risk for receiving mental health or posttraumatic stress disorder diagnoses compared with veterans 40 years or older. Co-occurring mental health diagnoses and psychosocial problems were detected early and in primary care medical settings in a substantial proportion of OEF/OIF veterans seen at VA facilities. Targeted early detection and intervention beginning in primary care settings are needed to prevent chronic mental illness and disability.

Maribor General Hospital from its foundation until World War II.

Science.gov (United States)

Pivec, Gregor

2006-01-01

The author describes the history of Maribor General Hospital from its foundation in 1799 until the beginning of World War II. In 1799 the magistrate of the town of Maribor issued a memorandum regarding the establishment of a town hospital in the renovated building of the town hospice, providing space for 24 patients. The work of the hospital was carried out in the former hospice building until 1855. In the period between its establishment and eventual relocation 26 beds were added. The last two decades of the hospital's operation at the original location were marked by the assiduous work of the town's physicist, Dr. Anton Kuker. In the first half of the 19th century, the population of Maribor grew rapidly as a consequence of the construction of the Southern Railway. The town authorities therefore purchased the Prosenjak family villa in the Magdalena suburbs and relocated the hospital to it in 1855, providing 28 rooms for 110 patients. For a whole century, the care of patients was taken over by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. The hospital was soon admitting over 1000 patients a year, the most common complaints being pulmonary catarrh, gastritis and fever. In 1872, when the Master of Surgery Feliks Ferk joined the hospital, the internal "medical" and the "external" surgical departments were formed. Although medical studies were not easily accessible, there were a number of Slovene physicians working in the hospital and the town in that period. In the last decades of the 19th century, the hospital was often renovated and enlarged. The infrastructure (telephone, water supply system, heating, lighting) had also been modernized before World War I. In 1914, the first X-ray apparatus was purchased. Between the wars, the hospital's development was boosted by recruitment of the Slovene physicians Ivan Matko, Mirko Cernic, Janko Dernovsek and Hugon Robic. The initial external and medical departments split into several departments: internal medicine, surgery

GENERAL HOSPITAL MARIBOR FROM ITS FOUNDATION TILL WORLD WAR II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregor Pivec

2004-04-01

Full Text Available Author describes the history of General Hospital Maribor from its foundation (1799 to the beginning of World War II. In 1799 the magistrate of the town Maribor issued a memorandum regarding establishment of a town hospital in the renovated building of the town hospice, providing space for 24 patients. The work of the hospital was carried out in the former hospice building until 1855. 26 beds were added in the period between its establishment and eventual relocation. The last two decades of the hospital’s operation at the original location were marked by the assiduous work of the town’s physicist, Dr. Anton Kuker. In the first half of the 19th century, the population of Maribor rapidly grew as a consequence of the construction of the Southern Railway. The city authorities therefore purchased the Prosenjak family villa in the Magdalena suburbs and relocated the hospital to it in 1855, providing 28 rooms for 110 patients. For a whole century, the care of patients was taken over by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. The hospital was soon admitting over 1000 patients a year; the most common complaints being pulmonary catarrh, gastritis and fever. In 1872, when the Master of Surgery, Feliks Ferk, joined the hospital, the internal, medical, and the »external« surgical departments were formed. Although medical studies were not easily accessible, there was a number of Slovene physicians working in the hospital and the town in that period. In the last decades of the 19th century, the hospital was often renovated and enlarged. The infrastructure (telephone, water supply system, heating, lighting had also been modernized by World War I. In 1914, the first X-ray apparatus was purchased. Between the wars, the hospital’s development was stepped up by the recruitment of the Slovene physicians Ivan Matko, Mirko Černič, Janko Dernovšek and Hugon Robič. The initial external and medical departments split into several departments

Agent Orange exposure and cancer incidence in Korean Vietnam veterans: a prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Sang-Wook; Ohrr, Heechoul

2014-12-01

During the Vietnam War, US and allied military sprayed approximately 77 million liters of tactical herbicides including Agent Orange, contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. To the authors' knowledge, few studies to date have examined the association between Agent Orange exposure and cancer incidence among Korean veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. An Agent Orange exposure index, based on the proximity of the veteran's military unit to the area that was sprayed with Agent Orange, was developed using a geographic information system-based model. Cancer incidence was followed for 180,251 Vietnam veterans from 1992 through 2003. After adjustment for age and military rank, high exposure to Agent Orange was found to significantly increase the risk of all cancers combined (adjusted hazards ratio [aHR], 1.08). Risks for cancers of the mouth (aHR, 2.54), salivary glands (aHR, 6.96), stomach (aHR, 1.14), and small intestine (aHR, 2.30) were found to be significantly higher in the high-exposure group compared with the low-exposure group. Risks for cancers of all sites combined (aHR, 1.02) and for cancers of the salivary glands (aHR, 1.47), stomach (aHR, 1.03), small intestine (aHR, 1.24), and liver (aHR, 1.02) were elevated with a 1-unit increase in the exposure index. Exposure to Agent Orange several decades earlier may increase the risk of cancers in all sites combined, as well as several specific cancers, among Korean veterans of the Vietnam War, including some cancers that were not found to be clearly associated with exposure to Agent Orange in previous cohort studies primarily based on Western populations. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

World War II uranium hexafluoride inhalation event with pulmonary implications for today

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, R.H.; Kathren, R.L.

1985-01-01

Two individuals were exposed to massive quantities of airborne uranium hexafluoride (UF6) and its hydrolysis products following a World War II equipment rupture. An excretion pattern for uranium exhibited by these patients is, in light of current knowledge, anomalous. The possible role of pulmonary edema is discussed. Examination of these individuals 38 years later showed no physical changes believed to be related to their uranium exposure and no deposition of uranium could be detected

Bridging psychological barriers between the child and the father after his returning from the war: Could group art therapy help?

Science.gov (United States)

Mandić-Gajić, Gordana

2016-07-01

War veterans with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have poorer family and parenting functioning, but little research has focused on these impairments. This paper presented how the series of drawings and the group art therapy process enhanced bridging the psychological barriers of a 33-year-old male PTSD war veteran to engagement with the child. After two years of deployment he returned home and suffered mostly from PTSD numbness and avoidance symptoms. The veteran had the family readjustment difficulties and felt guilty for being detached from his 3-year-old son. He under-went integrative treatment in the Day Unit Program. The drawings series were made by free associations. Clinical observations and group discussions were recorded in the group art therapy protocols. The presented patient got gratifications and support from the group members for his illustration of popular cartoon heroes, and decided to draw Mickey Mouse at home. On the next session he shared his satisfaction for bridging the gap between him and his son, having done the same drawings with his son at home. Beck's depression inventory (BDI) was used for self-rating of depression and a reduction of BDI score from 18 to 6 during the treatment course was recorded. Series of drawings illustrated shift from war related past toward current family life of the war veteran. Group art therapy gave him gratification and support with hope and a sense of belonging, thus facilitated his parenting readjustment.

On depleted uranium: gulf war and Balkan syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Duraković, A

2001-04-01

The complex clinical symptomatology of chronic illnesses, commonly described as Gulf War Syndrome, remains a poorly understood disease entity with diversified theories of its etiology and pathogenesis. Several causative factors have been postulated, with a particular emphasis on low level chemical warfare agents, oil fires, multiple vaccines, desert sand (Al-Eskan disease), botulism, Aspergillus flavus, Mycoplasma, aflatoxins, and others, contributing to the broad scope of clinical manifestations. Among several hundred thousand veterans deployed in the Operation Desert Storm, 15-20% have reported sick and about 25,000 died. Depleted uranium (DU), a low-level radioactive waste product of the enrichment of natural uranium with U-235 for the reactor fuel or nuclear weapons, has been considered a possible causative agent in the genesis of Gulf War Syndrome. It was used in the Gulf and Balkan wars as an armor-penetrating ammunition. In the operation Desert Storm, over 350 metric tons of DU was used, with an estimate of 3-6 million grams released in the atmosphere. Internal contamination with inhaled DU has been demonstrated by the elevated excretion of uranium isotopes in the urine of the exposed veterans 10 years after the Gulf war and causes concern because of its chemical and radiological toxicity and mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. Polarized views of different interest groups maintain an area of sustained controversy more in the environment of the public media than in the scientific community, partly for the reason of being less than sufficiently addressed by a meaningful objective interdisciplinary research.

Can social policy influence socioeconomic disparities? Korean War GI Bill eligibility and markers of depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Vable, Anusha M; Canning, David; Glymour, M Maria; Kawachi, Ichiro; Jimenez, Marcia P; Subramanian, Subu V

2016-02-01

The Korean War GI Bill provided socioeconomic benefits to veterans; however, its association with health is unclear; we hypothesize GI Bill eligibility is associated with fewer depressive symptoms and smaller disparities. Data from 246 Korean War GI Bill eligible veterans and 240 nonveterans from the Health and Retirement Study were matched on birth year, southern birth, race, height, and childhood health using coarsened exact matching. Number of depressive symptoms in 2010 (average age = 78 years) was assessed using a modified, validated Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, dichotomized to reflect elevated depressive symptoms. Regression analyses were stratified into low (at least one parent markers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wilfred Own Re-Visited: A Psychoanalytic Reading of War, Memory, and Crisis of Identity in Wilfred Owen’s Poem Mental Cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Güneş

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses upon the psychoanalytic reading of Wilfred Owen’s poem Mental Cases. In so doing, first, the paper examines how the disturbing experiences and feelings of a tragic event such as a war, torture, rape or murder, which the surviving  victims, civilians and veteran soldiers store in the realm of their unconscious in the Freudian sense, start annoying their feelings after a while. That is, these memories of the past event continuously come later on in life under the troubling influence of recurring flashbacks of the traumatic events, nightmares, irritability, anxiety, and social withdrawal. Eventually these undesirable traumatic past experiences and memories repressed in the unconscious obviously causes individuals to have a kind of psychological disorder which powerfully affects their daily behaviour, life and identity. Secondly, the paper explores this relationship between conscious and unconscious aspect of life, along with the perception of identity, in Owen’s poem Mental Cases, in which the shell-shocked, war-torn veteran soldiers, who experienced and witnessed the shock of World War I and the death of their fellow soldiers, constantly remember the soldiers and innocent civilians who were brutally killed or whom they brutally killed in World War I. Now, these veteran soldiers call back those unhappy times, along with the death of soldiers and civilians, and then suffer in their psyche with a sense of guilt and disappointment: that is, recalling their shocking traumatic war experiences and their killing of many innocent people apparently cripple their vision of life and shatter their identities in the present. Through his representation of these veteran soldiers in such a way, Owen, as in his other poems, artistically and forcefully shows his own reaction, anger and dissatisfaction about the war and its distressing outcome in Mental Cases. Finally, the paper also examines how Owen’s critical view of war and its traumatic

Consequences of captivity: health effects of far East imprisonment in World War II.

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Robson, D; Welch, E; Beeching, N J; Gill, G V

2009-02-01

Though medical consequences of war attract attention, the health consequences of the prisoner-of-war (POW) experience are poorly researched and appreciated. The imprisonment of Allied military personnel by the Japanese during the World War II provides an especially dramatic POW scenario in terms of deprivation, malnutrition and exposure to tropical diseases. Though predominantly British, these POWs also included troops from Australia, Holland and North America. Imprisonment took place in various locations in Southeast Asia and the Far East for a 3.5-year period between 1942 and 1945. Nutritional deficiency syndromes, dysentery, malaria, tropical ulcers and cholera were major health problems; and supplies of drugs and medical equipment were scarce. There have been limited mortality studies on ex-Far East prisoners (FEPOWs) since repatriation, but these suggest an early (up to 10 years post-release) excess mortality due to tuberculosis, suicides and cirrhosis (probably related to hepatitis B exposure during imprisonment). In terms of morbidity, the commonest has been a psychiatric syndrome which would now be recognized as post-traumatic stress disorder--present in at least one-third of FEPOWs and frequently presenting decades later. Peptic ulceration, osteoarthritis and hearing impairment also appear to occur more frequently. In addition, certain tropical diseases have persisted in these survivors--notably infections with the nematode worm Strongyloides stercoralis. Studies 30 years or more after release have shown overall infection rates of 15%. Chronic strongyloidiasis of this type frequently causes a linear urticarial 'larva currens' rash, but can potentially lead to fatal hyperinfection if immunity is suppressed. Finally, about 5% of FEPOW survivors have chronic nutritional neuropathic syndromes--usually optic atrophy or sensory peripheral neuropathy (often painful). The World War II FEPOW experience was a unique, though often tragic, accidental experiment into

Child protection and adult depression: evaluating the long-term consequences of evacuating children to foster care during World War II.

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Santavirta, Nina; Santavirta, Torsten

2014-03-01

This paper combined data collected from war time government records with survey data including background characteristics, such as factors that affected eligibility, to examine the adult depression outcomes of individuals who were evacuated from Finland to temporary foster care in Sweden during World War II. Using war time government records and survey data for a random sample of 723 exposed individuals and 1321 matched unexposed individuals, the authors conducted least squares adjusted means comparison to examine the association between evacuation and adult depression (Beck Depression Inventory). The random sample was representative for the whole population of evacuees who returned to their biological families after World War II. The authors found no statistically significant difference in depressive symptoms during late adulthood between the two groups; for example, the exposed group had a 0.41 percentage points lower average Beck Depression Inventory score than the unexposed group (p = 0.907). This study provides no support for family disruption during early childhood because of the onset of sudden shocks elevating depressive symptoms during late adulthood. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Supporting the education goals of post-9/11 veterans with self-reported PTSD symptoms: a needs assessment.

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Ellison, Marsha Langer; Mueller, Lisa; Smelson, David; Corrigan, Patrick W; Torres Stone, Rosalie A; Bokhour, Barbara G; Najavits, Lisa M; Vessella, Jennifer M; Drebing, Charles

2012-01-01

The influx of young adult veterans with mental health challenges from recent wars combined with newly expanded veteran education benefits has highlighted the need for a supported education service within the Veterans Administration. However, it is unknown how such a service should be designed to best respond to these needs. This study undertook a qualitative needs assessment for education supports among veterans with post-9/11 service with self-reported PTSD symptoms. Focus groups were held with 31 veterans, 54% of whom were under age 30. Transcripts were analyzed and interpreted using a thematic approach and a Participatory Action Research team. Findings indicate a need for age relevant services that assist with: education planning and access, counseling for the G.I. Bill, accommodations for PTSD symptoms, community and family re-integration, and outreach and support. The veterans recommended that supported education be integrated with the delivery of mental health services, that services have varied intensity, and there be linkages between colleges and the Veterans Health Administration.

Darlene J. Sadlier. Americans All. Good Neighbor Cultural Diplomacy in World War II.

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Gisela Cramer

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This publication adds to a rapidly growing volume of scholarship on U.S. cultural diplomacy. Most of this scholarship focuses on the Cold War and on Europe. This volume, in turn, is concerned with a lesser-known episode that came to fruition during World War II and that focused not on Europe but on Latin America. As Nazi German troops entered Paris, the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration set out to launch a massive campaign to win hearts and minds for inter-American cooperation and solidarity. This campaign came to be spearheaded by an emergency agency, the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs or CIAA. Headed by the young multimillionaire and entrepreneur Nelson A. Rockefeller, the CIAA existed for only six years, but during its brief existence it helped to construct a dense State-private network that managed cultural relations with foreign countries and that continued to operate and expand long after the war was over. Of course, by then Latin America was no longer at the center of geopolitical attention. Well before the end of hostilities, the State Department began to prepare for the winding down of the CIAA’s cultural programs. The agency itself was abolished in 1946. With the onset of the Cold War, the State-private network reshuffled, its main attention now focusing elsewhere and mainly on Europe.

China, Japan, and the United States in World War II: The Relinquishment of Unequal Treaties in 1943

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Xiaohua Ma

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to examine how the United States transformed its foreign policy to promote China as an “equal state” in international politics during World War II, with focus on the process of the American relinquishment of its unequal treaties with China in 1943. In particular, it concentrates on analyzing the conflicts between the United States and Japan in the process of relinquishment. By examining the rivalry between the United States and Japan in the social warfare – propaganda – we can see that the relinquishment of the unequal treaties in 1943 not only marked a historical turning point in America’s China policy, but also had a great impact on the transformation of East Asian politics in World War II and its influence in the world politics.

Posttraumatic growth, social acknowledgment as survivors, and sense of coherence in former German child soldiers of World War II

OpenAIRE

Forstmeier, Simon; Kuwert, P; Spitzer, C; Freyberger, H J; Maercker, Andreas

2009-01-01

Objectives: To examine posttraumatic growth and its predictors social acknowledgment as survivors, sense of coherence, trauma severity, and further factors in former child soldiers more than 60 years after deployment. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: University-based geropsychiatric center in Germany. Participants: 103 former German child soldiers of World War II, mean age 78 years, 96% experienced at least one war trauma. Measurement: Subjects completed the Posttraumatic Growth ...

Effects of low-level sarin and cyclosarin exposure and Gulf War Illness on brain structure and function: a study at 4T.

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Chao, Linda L; Abadjian, Linda; Hlavin, Jennifer; Meyerhoff, Deiter J; Weiner, Michael W

2011-12-01

More than 100,000 US troops were potentially exposed to chemical warfare agents sarin (GB) and cyclosarin (GF) when an ammunition dump at Khamisiyah, Iraq was destroyed during the 1991 Persian Gulf War (GW). We previously found reduced total gray matter (GM) volume in 40 GW veterans with suspected GB/GF exposure relative to 40 matched, unexposed GW veterans on a 1.5T MR scanner. In this study, we reexamine the relationship between GB/GF exposure and volumetric measurements of gross neuroanatomical structures in a different cohort of GW veterans on a 4T MR scanner. Neuropsychological and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from a cross sectional study on Gulf War Illness performed between 2005 and 2010 were used in this study. 4T MRI data were analyzed using automated image processing techniques that produced volumetric measurements of gray matter (GM), white matter (WM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Binary comparisons of 64 GB/GF exposed veterans and 64 'matched', unexposed veterans revealed reduced GM (p=0.03) and WM (p=0.03) volumes in the exposed veterans. Behaviorally, exposed veterans committed more errors of omission (p=0.02) and tended to have slower responses (p=0.05) than unexposed veterans on the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), a measure sustained and selective attention. Regression analyses confirmed that GB/GF exposure status predicted GM (β=-0.11, p=0.02) and WM (β=-0.14, p=0.03) volumes, and number of CPT omission errors (β=0.22, p=0.02) over and above potentially confounding demographic, clinical, and psychosocial variables. There was no dose-response relationship between estimated levels of GB/GF exposure and brain volume. However, we did find an effect of Gulf War Illness/Chronic Multisymptom Illness on both GM and WM volume in the GB/GF exposed veterans. These findings confirm previous reports by our group and others of central nervous system pathology in GW veterans with suspected exposure to low levels of GB/GF two decades after the

Veteran family reintegration, primary care needs, and the benefit of the patient-centered medical home model.

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Hinojosa, Ramon; Hinojosa, Melanie Sberna; Nelson, Karen; Nelson, David

2010-01-01

Men and women returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq face a multitude of difficulties while integrating back into civilian life, but the importance of their veteran status is often overlooked in primary care settings. Family physicians have the potential to be the first line of defense to ensure the well-being of veterans and their families because many will turn to nonmilitary and non-Veterans Affairs providers for health care needs. An awareness of the unique challenges faced by this population is critical to providing care. A patient-centered medical home orientation can help the family physician provide veterans and their families the care they need. Specific recommendations for family physicians include screening their patient population; providing timely care; treating the whole family; and integrating care from multiple disciplines and specialties, providing veterans and families with "one-stop shopping" care. An awareness of the unique challenges faced by veterans and their families translates into better overall outcomes for this population.

Interactions among energy consumption, economic development and greenhouse gas emissions in Japan after World War II

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The long-term dynamic changes in the triad, energy consumption, economic development, and Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in Japan after World War II were quantified, and the interactions among them were analyzed based on an integrated suite of energy, emergy and economic indices...

Electrophysiological correlates of semantic memory retrieval in Gulf War Syndrome 2 patients.

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Tillman, Gail D; Calley, Clifford S; Buhl, Virginia I; Chiang, Hsueh-Sheng; Haley, Robert W; Hart, John; Kraut, Michael A

2017-02-15

Gulf War veterans meeting criteria for Haley Syndrome 2 of Gulf War illness endorse a particular constellation of symptoms that include difficulty with processing information, word-finding, and confusion. To explore the neural basis of their word-finding difficulty, we assessed event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with semantic memory retrieval in 22 veterans classified as Syndrome 2 and 28 veterans who served as controls. We recorded EEGs while subjects judged whether pairs of words that represented object features combined to elicit a retrieval of an object memory or no retrieval. Syndrome 2 subjects' responses were significantly slower, and those participants were less accurate than controls on the retrieval trials, but they performed similarly on the nonretrieval trials. Analysis of the ERPs revealed a difference between retrievals and nonretrievals that has previously been detected around 750ms at the left temporal region was present in both the Syndrome 2 patients and controls. However, the Syndrome 2 patients also showed an ERP difference between retrievals and nonretrievals at the midline parietal region that had a scalp voltage polarity opposite from that recorded at the left temporal area. We hypothesize that the similarities between task performance and ERP patterns in Syndrome 2 veterans and in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment reflect disordered thalamic cholinergic neural activity, possibly in the dorsomedial nucleus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parenting with PTSD: A Review of Research on the Influence of PTSD on Parent-Child Functioning in Military and Veteran Families

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Suzannah K. Creech

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD is strongly associated with exposure to war related trauma in military and veteran populations. In growing recognition that PTSD may influence and be influenced by social support and family systems, research has begun to explore the effects that war related trauma and the ensuing PTSD may have on varied aspects of close relationship and family functioning. Far less research, however, has examined the influence of war-related PTSD on parent-child functioning in this population. This paper provides a timely review of emergent literature to examine the impacts that PTSD may have on parenting behaviors and children’s outcomes with a focus on studies of military and veterans of international conflicts since post-9/11. The review sheds light on the pathways through which PTSD may impact parent-child relationships, and proposes the cognitive-behavioral interpersonal theory of PTSD as a theoretical formulation and extends this to parenting/children. The review identifies the strengths and limitations in the extant research and proposes directions for future research and methodological practice to better capture the complex interplay of PTSD and parenting in military and veteran families.

Association of the World War II Finnish Evacuation of Children With Psychiatric Hospitalization in the Next Generation.

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Santavirta, Torsten; Santavirta, Nina; Gilman, Stephen E

2018-01-01

Although there is evidence that adverse childhood experiences are associated with worse mental health in adulthood, scarce evidence is available regarding an emerging concern that the next generation might also be affected. To compare the risk of psychiatric hospitalization in cousins whose parents were vs were not exposed to the Finnish evacuation policy that involved a mean 2-year stay with a Swedish foster family. This multigenerational, population-based cohort study of Finnish individuals and their siblings born between January 1, 1933, and December 31, 1944, analyzed the association of evacuee status as a child during World War II in the first generation with the risk of psychiatric hospitalization among offspring in the second generation. Evacuee status during World War II was determined using the Finnish National Archive's registry of participants in the Finnish evacuation. Data on evacuee status were linked to the psychiatric diagnoses in the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register from January 1, 1971, through December 31, 2012, for offspring (n = 93 391) born between January 1, 1950, and December 31, 2010. Sex-specific Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios for risk of psychiatric hospitalization during the follow-up period. Because offspring of evacuees and their nonevacuated siblings are cousins, the Cox proportional hazards regression models included fixed effects to adjust for confounding factors in families. Data analysis was performed from June 15, 2016, to August 26, 2017. Parental participation in the evacuation during World War II (coded 1 for parents who were evacuated and placed in foster care and 0 for those not evacuated). Offspring's initial admission to the hospital for a psychiatric disorder, obtained from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register from January 1, 1971, through December 31, 2012. Of the 93 391 study persons, 45 955 (49.2%) were women and 47 436 (50.8) were men; mean (SD) age in

Poisson regression analysis of the mortality among a cohort of World War II nuclear industry workers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frome, E.L.; Cragle, D.L.; McLain, R.W.

1990-01-01

A historical cohort mortality study was conducted among 28,008 white male employees who had worked for at least 1 month in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during World War II. The workers were employed at two plants that were producing enriched uranium and a research and development laboratory. Vital status was ascertained through 1980 for 98.1% of the cohort members and death certificates were obtained for 96.8% of the 11,671 decedents. A modified version of the traditional standardized mortality ratio (SMR) analysis was used to compare the cause-specific mortality experience of the World War II workers with the U.S. white male population. An SMR and a trend statistic were computed for each cause-of-death category for the 30-year interval from 1950 to 1980. The SMR for all causes was 1.11, and there was a significant upward trend of 0.74% per year. The excess mortality was primarily due to lung cancer and diseases of the respiratory system. Poisson regression methods were used to evaluate the influence of duration of employment, facility of employment, socioeconomic status, birth year, period of follow-up, and radiation exposure on cause-specific mortality. Maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters in a main-effects model were obtained to describe the joint effects of these six factors on cause-specific mortality of the World War II workers. We show that these multivariate regression techniques provide a useful extension of conventional SMR analysis and illustrate their effective use in a large occupational cohort study

The relationship between employment and veteran status, disability and gender from 2004-2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

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Smith, Diane L

2014-01-01

In 2011, about 1.8 million or 8 percent of the 22.2 million veterans were women in the US. The unemployment rate for female veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan rose to 13.5%, above the 8.4% for non-veteran adult women. To examine data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), from 2004-2011 to determine the relationship between employment and veteran status, disability and gender. Chi square analysis was used to determine if significant differences existed between the employment rate of female veterans with disabilities and female veterans without disabilities, female non-veterans with disabilities and male veterans with disabilities. Binomial logistic regression analysis was used to determine how veteran status, disability and gender affected the likelihood of not being employed. Significant differences were found in employment rate between female veterans with disabilities and female veterans without disabilities, but not when compared to female non-veterans with disabilities or male veterans with disabilities. Disability was the strongest factor increasing the likelihood of not being employed, though veteran status and female gender were also predictive. Female veterans with disabilities experience low levels of employment. Policies and programs are needed to address the unique needs of these veterans.

Violations of war: testing the meaning-making model among Vietnam veterans.

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Steger, Michael F; Owens, Gina P; Park, Crystal L

2015-01-01

Posttrauma adjustment theories postulate that intense stressors violate people's beliefs about the world and perceived ability to achieve valued goals. Failure to make meaning from traumatic events exacerbates negative adjustment (e.g., PTSD), whereas success facilitates positive adjustment (e.g., stress-related growth). The current study aimed to test this model of direct and indirect effects among a sample of veterans. Vietnam veterans (N = 130) completed assessment measures in an online survey format. Participants were largely male (91%) and Caucasian (93%) with a mean age of 61 years. Results supported basic model tenets, linking military stress severity to violations of beliefs and goals. In the final model, only goal violations carried indirect effects of severity on PTSD symptoms. Presence of and search for meaning carried a portion of the indirect effects between goal violations and both PTSD and stress-related growth. Findings suggest that traumatic stress may disrupt people's goals and meaning-making may center on these disruptions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.