War and Health: Lessons from the Gulf War - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0470512296 ISBN 13: 9780470512296

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2007

Synopsis

War and Health: Lessons from the Gulf War summarises 14 years of scientific and medical research into ‘Gulf War Syndrome’. It sets the record straight and promotes more informed dialogue between public, media, politicians and medicine. The book concludes that the syndrome has no causal basis and there is no specific Gulf-related illness. Based on published findings and the contributors’ own clinical experience, the book explores both causality and outcomes. It describes the issues that have promulgated the concept of ‘Gulf War Syndrome’ and looks at the historical background to post-combat disorders, identifying common features and factors that shape their symptoms and the explanations attached to them.

War and Health: Lessons from the Gulf War provides primary care doctors, hospital physicians and medical students with an up-to-date understanding of the scientific evidence and fills a significant gap in the medical and psychiatric literature.

About this title

About the Author

Harry Lee was professor of renal and metabolic medicine at Southampton University Medical School and for nine years was head of the Medical Assessment Programme for Gulf War Veterans at St Thomas’ Hospital, London.

Edgar Jones is professor of the history of medicine and psychiatry at the King’s Centre for Military Health Research and has published widely on the subject of war syndromes.

From the Back Cover

With the progressive reduction in the size of the British armed forces, the number of doctors with direct experience of treating veterans has declined. And yet the range and number of deployments that soldiers, sailors and airmen are called upon to perform have increased as the UK has taken on a global policing role. This book is designed to provide doctors who treat service personnel and veterans with a succinct and clear picture of the medical and psychological issues that they will encounter in connection with the Persian Gulf War of 1991. With contributions from acknowledged experts, it addresses medical, psychiatric, historical and anthropological issues surrounding claims for so-called Gulf War syndrome . This contentious label has been the subject of much debate and a high-profile inquiry chaired by Lord Lloyd and supported by the British Legion. With the wealth of media speculation and emotive appeals on the behalf of veterans, it has been difficult to gain a balanced and objective view of the nature of Gulf-related illness. Indeed, considerable sums have been expended by both the US and UK governments on research and, while this has addressed important questions, the findings are not always easily interpreted by even the informed reader.

In this book, the vast wealth of scientific research conducted into Gulf-related illness is summarised and distilled into readable sections for non-specialists. It will be of interest to practising physicians, GPs and psychiatrists both in the military and the NHS. While the emphasis is on the UK, the book will also be useful for healthcare professionals in any country whose military personnel are engaged in the Gulf.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0470512296
• ISBN 13: 9780470512296
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 154
• Editor: Lee Harry, Jones Edgar