PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH OF GULF WAR-ERA MILITARY PERSONNEL

This study assessed the effects of the Persian Gulf War on the psychol ogical health and adjustment of military personnel in Hawaii and Penns ylvania who either deployed (N = 1,524) or did not deploy (N = 2,727) to the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Ah p articipants anonymously completed a questionnaire providing informatio n on demographics, psychological and psychosocial health, deployment s tressors, current life problems, current distress, and causal attribut ions of present problems. Results indicate that deployed veterans expe rienced significant levels of stress intheater and continue to report significant stress in their lives today. Although considerable stress is experienced, the majority of veterans are handling it unremarkably. Implications for future deployments and the need fdr military-normed assessment instruments are discussed.