Living With Toxic Wounds: The Voices and Visual Self-Representations of Gulf War Veterans.

Autor:	Dieterich-Hartwell R; Department of Creative Arts Therapies, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA., Malhotra B; Department of Creative Arts Therapies, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA., Arslanbek A; Department of Creative Arts Therapies, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA., DeBeer B; Rocky Mountain Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) for Suicide Prevention, Rocky Mountain Regional VHA Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA.; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA., Alverio T; Rocky Mountain Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) for Suicide Prevention, Rocky Mountain Regional VHA Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA.; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA., Kaimal G; Department of Creative Arts Therapies, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Qualitative health research [Qual Health Res] 2024 Apr; Vol. 34 (5), pp. 411-423. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Nov 29.
DOI:	10.1177/10497323231213818
Abstrakt:	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. Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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