Gulf War Veterans and the Impact of Post-Traumatic Stress

By: Ryan Webb

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Length: 9 mins

Publisher's summary

This study researched the occurrence of post-traumatic anniversary reactions in Gulf War veterans. The article defines an anniversary reaction as “a specifically timed, emotionally invested episode during which an individual experiences significant psychiatric or medical symptoms.” In other words, an anniversary reaction occurs when a veteran develops abnormal physical or mental symptoms on the anniversary of a previous traumatic experience. The goal of the study was to more fully explain these reactions so that the veterans who experienced them, and the clinicians who develop treatment, could find better ways of dealing with these chronic periods of psychological distress. Researchers also wanted to examine the relationship between post-traumatic stress and anniversary reactions. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress include “irritability, intrusive memories, emotional numbness, and efforts to avoid thinking about the war.” By linking anniversary reactions to post traumatic stress disorder, the ability to predict periods of greatest affliction could be facilitated and “dealt with more effectively.”