Effects of the Persian Gulf War on veterans with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder.

The authors prospectively studied 32 male veterans with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the Persian Gulf War. The veterans were enrolled in a Veterans Affairs mental health clinic and met the DSM-III-R criteria for PTSD. The purpose of the study was to evaluate exacerbation and reactivation of PTSD symptomatology utilizing the Mississippi Scale and the Impact of Event Scale, two widely used self-report inventories for assessment of PTSD symptoms. Results did not support an increase in the PTSD symptoms of avoidance and intrusion during the actual combat period. Possible reasons for this finding are discussed.