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New Orleans Cohort Study of Persian Gulf War Veterans

 

Investigator Access

What's Available



Check with the study contact and publications for information on a public dataset, data archive, data enclave, or website where data might be available.

Available Documentation

Dates Data are Available

Access Criteria

Study Characteristics

Objectives
  • Characterize war-zone stressors associated with deployment to the Persian Gulf War
  • Document acute and chronic psychological sequelae to war-zone participation, including negative mood states, mental disorders, physical complaints, and cognitive deficits
  • Identify risk factors predictive of subsequent psychological symptoms and psychopathology, including stressor characteristics and individual differences

Era of Service

Gulf War

Population

Male and female U.S. Army, Marine, Air Force, Navy Reserve, and National Guard service members who were mobilized in Operation Desert Storm

Study Design

Prospective cohort

Time Period

1991

Setting

Units returning from deployment in Operation Desert Storm through New Orleans, LA

N

Time 1: 1,520 participants (data analyses run on 1,272)
Time 2: 349 participants

Response Rate

Unconfirmed

Recruitment Method

Participants recruited from enrollment lists of local military units mobilized for Operation Desert Storm

Compensation

None

Data Collected
  • Demographics
  • Stressor experiences
  • Negative mood states and traits
  • Psychiatric and physical symptoms
  • Symptoms of PTSD
  • Wartime experiences/stressors

Data Collection Methods 

Data were collected via

  • Psychiatric interviews
  • Psychological assessment batteries
  • Open-ended questionnaires

Timing of data collections

  • Initial psychological assessments - average of 9 months after deployed troops returned
  • Follow-up assessments - average of 16 months after initial debriefing

Funding Sources

VA Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Service
VA Medical Research Award to Jennifer J. Vasterling and Patricia B. Sutker

Investigators

Primary Investigator: Jennifer Vasterling, PhD
Primary Investigator: Patricia Sutker, PhD
Primary Investigator: Kevin Brailey, PhD

Contact

Unconfirmed

Selected Publications

Brailey K, Vasterling JJ, Sutker PB. Psychological aftermath of participation in the Persian Gulf War. In: Lundberg A, editor. The Environment and Mental Health: A Guide for Clinicians.1 Hillsdale (NJ): Erlbaum; 1998. p. 83–101.

Vasterling JJ, Brailey K, Constans JI, Sutker PB. Attention and memory dysfunction in posttraumatic stress disorder. Neuropsychology. 1998 Jan;12(1):125-33.

Benotsch EG, Brailey K, Vasterling JJ, Uddo M, Constans JI, Sutker PB. War zone stress, personal and environmental resources, and PTSD symptoms in Gulf War veterans: a longitudinal perspective. J Abnorm Psychol. 2000 May;109(2):205-13.

More Information

None

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