Operation Desert Storm. Health Concerns of Selected Indiana Persian Gulf War Veterans.

摘要

Despite DOD and VA efforts to address the concerns of these and other Persian Gulf veterans, those we surveyed still expressed concerns about their health and dissatisfaction with services from DOD and VA. Most respondents were still in the reserves and almost all reported that they had health problems they believed were caused by their service in the Persian Gulf. Most also reported that these problems limited their physical and social activities to some extent. Because all of the individuals we surveyed had already expressed some concern about their health, the fact that they reported having health problems after returning from the Persian Gulf is not surprising. Over half of the respondents had taken advantage of medical services, either the special examinations or other health care, available to them through VA or DOD. Many, however, were dissatisfied with the medical care they received or were unaware of services available. DOD and VA have undertaken a variety of efforts to address the concerns raised by Persian Gulf veterans, including expanding the health examinations available to them. Also, in response to recent legislation, both agencies are expanding outreach efforts to better ensure that veterans are aware of services available. Whether these efforts will satisfy these veterans concerns remains to be seen.