Journal article
Living With Toxic Wounds: The Voices and Visual Self-Representations of Gulf War Veterans
Qualitative health research, pp 10497323231213818-10497323231213818
29 Nov 2023
PMID: 38019750
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Operations Desert Shield and Storm occurred over 30 years ago, yet many of those who were deployed continue to experience chronic and debilitating symptoms, now recognized as Gulf War Illness (GWI). While efforts have been made to explore clinical treatments for GWI, misperceptions and skepticism about its complex nature and a lack of consensus on its etiology impede progress in this area. A critical necessity remains to better understand the experiences, needs, and concerns of veterans with GWI. In this qualitative research study, 40 Gulf War veterans were interviewed about their perceptions regarding symptoms of physical health, cognitive functioning, quality of life, and the quality of care received. In addition, they depicted their experiences through an artistic elicitation collage. Through a grounded theory method, key findings indicated that there are remaining hurdles, such as challenging symptoms, persisting unknowns about the illness, and variations in treatment quality. Veterans have mostly managed and coped with GWI, but they voice the need for acknowledgment and support. The main implication from this study is the significance of both clinical and institutional validation and recognition of the GWI experience as well as the need for specific support systems.
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Details
- Title
- Living With Toxic Wounds: The Voices and Visual Self-Representations of Gulf War Veterans
- Creators
- Rebekka Dieterich-Hartwell - Drexel UniversityBani Malhotra - Drexel UniversityAsli Arslanbek - Drexel UniversityBryann DeBeer - University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusTabitha Alverio - Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical CentersGirija Kaimal - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Qualitative health research, pp 10497323231213818-10497323231213818
- Publisher
- Sage
- Number of pages
- 13
- Grant note
- GW170039 / Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs through the Gulf War Illness Research Program
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Creative Arts Therapies
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001111096500001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85178420300
- Other Identifier
- 991021811727804721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Information Science & Library Science
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
- Social Sciences, Biomedical
- Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary