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Lange, G., Tiersky, L., DeLuca, J., Peckerman, A.,
Pollet, C.,
Policastro, T.,Scharer, J., Ottenweller J.E., Fiedler, N., Natelson, B.H.
Center for Environmental Hazards Research, East Orange,
NJ; EOHSI,
Piscataway, NJ; Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education
Corporation, West Orange, NJ
Background: Returning from the Persian Gulf War,
many veterans reported medically unexplained symptoms labeled Gulf War
Illness (GWI). Hypotheses to account for GWI range from exposure to chemical
warfare agents to the illness being the somatic manifestation of known
psychiatric disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine whether
the presence of GWI can be explained by psychiatric disorders as assessed
by DSM-III-R.
Methods: The following criteria were used to select
Persian Gulf Veterans with GWI (PGV-F) for this study: 1) presenting with
fatigue as a major complaint, 2) fulfilling clinical case definitions
for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Idiopathic Chronic Fatigue, and/or Multiple
Chemical Sensitivity. Ninety-five Registry Persian Gulf Veterans (PGV)
were examined; 53 PGV-F and 42 did not report any health problems since
the Gulf War (PGV-H). All subjects were assessed for presence of Axis
I psychiatric disorders via the Diagnostic Interview Schedule III-R (Q-DIS-III-R).
The frequency distributions of DSM-III-R Axis I diagnoses were compared
between PGV-F and PGV-H.
Results: Compared to PGV-H, DSM-III-R psychiatric
diagnoses were similarly distributed in 49% of PGV-F. Since returning
from the Gulf War, either no or only one psychiatric disorder was diagnosed
in this group of veterans. The profile of psychiatric diagnoses was significantly
different from PGV-H in the remaining 51% of PGVs with GWI. Most veterans
in the latter group had multiple coexistent psychiatric diagnoses since
their return from the Gulf War.
Conclusion: Psychiatric disorders as assessed by
DSM-III-R criteria cannot explain symptoms of GWI among all PGV’s
with fatiguing illness.
KEYWORDS: Gulf War Illness, Psychiatric Diagnoses, Fatiguing
Illness
New Jersey Center for Environmental Hazards Research, Department
of Veterans Affairs, East Orange, New Jersey |
