Evaluation of the critical warzone experiences scale among Gulf War I-era veterans: Associations with PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Prior research has established the psychometric properties of the Critical Warzone Experiences (CWE) scale among post-9/11 Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans; however, the psychometric properties of the CWE among Gulf War I-era veterans have not yet been established. The first objective of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the CWE among Gulf War I-era veterans. The second objective was to test the hypothesis that the CWE would have a significant indirect effect on suicidal thoughts and behaviors via posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms. To test these hypotheses, a survey packet that included the CWE and measures of PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors was administered to 1,153 Gulf War I-era veterans. Consistent with prior research in post-9/11 Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans, the CWE exhibited good internal consistency (α = .85), a unidimensional factor structure (RMSEA = .056, CFI = .959, SRMR = .033; average factor loading = .69), and good concurrent validity with PTSD (r = .47, p < .001) and depressive (r = .31, p < .001) symptoms among Gulf War I-era veterans. Additionally, as hypothesized, a significant indirect effect from the CWE to suicidal thoughts and behaviors via PTSD and depressive symptoms (ß = .35, p < .001) was also observed. Taken together, our findings provide strong support for using the CWE with Gulf War I-era veterans.

Differential posttraumatic stress disorder symptom cluster response to stellate ganglion block: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Empirically supported treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exist, but research suggests these therapies are less effective, acceptable, and feasible to deliver to active duty service members (SMs) compared to civilians. Stellate ganglion block (SGB) procedure, in which a local anesthetic is injected around the cervical sympathetic chain or stellate ganglion to temporarily inhibit sympathetic nervous activity, is gaining popularity as an alternative PTSD treatment in military settings. However, it is unknown whether certain PTSD symptoms are more responsive to SGB than others. The current study involved a secondary analysis of data collected from a previous randomized controlled trial of SGB compared to sham (normal saline) injection (N = 113 SMs). PTSD symptoms were assessed via clinical interview and self-report at baseline and 8 weeks post-SGB or sham. Logistic regression analyses showed that the marked alterations in arousal and reactivity PTSD symptom cluster demonstrated the greatest symptom severity reductions after SGB, relative to sham. The reexperiencing cluster also showed pronounced response to SGB in clinician-rated but not self-reported outcomes. Post-hoc item-level analyses suggested that arousal and reactivity cluster findings were driven by reductions in hypervigilance, concentration difficulties, and sleep disturbance, whereas clinician-rated reexperiencing cluster findings were driven by reductions in physiological reactions to trauma cues, emotional reactions to trauma cues, and intrusions. Our findings align with a burgeoning literature positioning SGB as a potential novel or adjunctive PTSD treatment. Results could guide future hypothesis-driven research on mediators of therapeutic change during SGB for PTSD symptoms in SMs.

Factors Associated with High-Risk Substance Use in Persons Receiving Psychiatric Treatment for a Primary Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorder Diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: Although mental health disorders and high-risk substance use frequently co-occur, they are typically investigated independently. Clinical trials focused on treatment for individuals with trauma- and stressor-related disorders often exclude individuals with high-risk substance use. Little is also known about the role of gender in the relationship between trauma- and stressor-related disorders and high-risk substance use. We examined the relationship between trauma- and stressor-related disorders, high-risk substance use, and gender. METHODS: Using the Mental Health Client-Level Data dataset, we examined 15,772 adults receiving treatment in psychiatric hospitals in the United States from 2013 to 2019. RESULTS: A logistic regression model showed that for men, relative to women, having multiple mental health diagnoses and having a serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance was associated with greater odds of high-risk substance use. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the value of comprehensive gender-centered treatment for people with trauma- and stressor-related disorders engaging in high-risk substance use.

Experiential Avoidance, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: A Moderation Analysis in a National Veteran Sample.

Experiential avoidance (EA) is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) across different populations, and extant literature has demonstrated a strong relationship between PTSD and SITBs. However, no study has explored the potential moderating role EA plays in the association of PTSD with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. The objective of the present study was to determine if EA would moderate the association with PTSD and SITBs such that the association between PTSD and individuals SITBs would be stronger among individuals with higher EA. In a large national sample of Gulf War Era veterans (N = 1,138), EA was associated with PTSD, lifetime and past-year NSSI, current suicidal ideation, and lifetime suicide attempts in bivariate analyses. Multivariate analyses detected a significant EA by PTSD interaction on lifetime NSSI (AOR = 0.96), past-year NSSI (AOR = 1.03), and suicide attempts (AOR =1.03). Probing of the interactions revealed that the respective associations between PTSD, lifetime and past-year NSSI, and suicide attempts were stronger at lower levels of EA (i.e., better), counter to our hypotheses. These preliminary findings contextualize the relationship between these variables in a Gulf War veterans sample and signal the need to further investigate these relationships. Further, these findings highlight the need for advancement in assessment and intervention of EA and SITBs.

Differential symptom weighting in estimating empirical thresholds for underlying PTSD severity: Toward a "platinum" standard for diagnosis?

OBJECTIVE: Symptom counts as the basis for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnoses in the DSM presume each symptom is equally reflective of underlying disorder severity. However, the "equal weight" assumption fails to fit PTSD symptom data when tested. The present study developed an enhanced PTSD diagnosis based on (a) a conventional PTSD diagnosis from a clinical interview and (b) an empirical classification of full PTSD that reflected the relative clinical weights of each symptom. METHOD: Baseline structured interview data from Project Harmony (N = 2658) was used. An enhanced diagnosis for full PTSD was estimated using an empirical threshold from moderated nonlinear factor analysis (MNLFA) latent PTSD scale scores, in combination with a full conventional PTSD diagnosis based on interview data. RESULTS: One in 4 patients in the sample had a PTSD diagnosis that was inconsistent with their empirical PTSD grouping, such that the enhanced diagnostic standard reduced the diagnostic discrepancy rate by 20%. Veterans, and in particular female Veterans, were at greatest odds for discrepancy between their underlying PTSD severity and DSM diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Psychometric methodologies that differentially weight symptoms can complement DSM criteria and may serve as a platform for symptom prioritization for diagnoses in future editions of DSM.

Cannabis use and suicide risk among Gulf War veterans.

Cannabis use has been indicated as a risk factor for suicide in veterans. This study of Gulf War veterans tested the relationship between self-report past year cannabis use and (a) past year suicidal ideation and (b) risk for suicidal behavior. Data were from a national sample (N = 1126) of Gulf War veterans. Logistic regression models indicated cannabis use was associated with past year suicidal ideation and elevated risk for suicidal behavior, independent of key covariates. In corroboration with research on other military populations, this study indicates a potentially concerning association between cannabis use and suicide risk in Gulf War veterans.

Experiential Avoidance, Pain, and Suicide Risk in a National Sample of Gulf War Veterans.

Objective: Pain confers risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Experiential avoidance (EA), which is relevant to both pain and suicide risk, has not been studied as a potential mechanism for this relationship. The present study tested the hypothesis that pain indirectly impacts suicide risk through EA in a national sample of Gulf War veterans.Methods: Participants included a stratified random sample of United States veterans (N = 1,012, 78% male) who had served in the Gulf War region between August 1990 and July 1991. Validated scales were used to quantify levels of pain, EA, and suicide risk.Results: Regression analyses indicated independent associations between pain, EA, and suicide risk; moreover, the association between pain and suicide risk was no longer significant once EA was included in model. Bootstrapping analyses confirmed that EA partially accounted for the cross-sectional association between pain and suicide risk, independent of common co-occurring problems, such as depression, PTSD, and alcohol use disorder symptoms.Conclusions: EA could be a key modifiable risk factor to target in people experiencing pain.

Disentangling the Longitudinal Relationship between Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms in U.S. Adults Over 50.

OBJECTIVES: A seminal study on loneliness and depression suggested that loneliness influences depression more than the reverse. However, the study's analytic method has since been criticized for failing to account for the trait-like nature of variables. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms while accounting for the trait-like nature of both variables. METHODS: Data (n = 16,478) came from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2016). Measures included the Hughes Loneliness Scale and a modified Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (loneliness item omitted). Analyses consisted of random intercepts cross-lagged panel models (three time-points evenly spaced across eight years). RESULTS: There was evidence that loneliness and depressive symptoms are trait-like and these trait-like components are strongly associated. There was not evidence of cross-lagged effects between loneliness and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: A tendency toward loneliness corresponded with a tendency toward depressive symptoms. However, deviations in one's typical level of loneliness did not predict deviations in one's typical level of depressive symptoms or vice-versa. These findings do not support past assertions that loneliness shapes subsequent depression more than the reverse. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: By middle to late adulthood, loneliness and depressive symptoms are trait-like phenomena that are strongly associated.

Criminal legal involvement among recently separated veterans: Findings from the LIMBIC study.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated individual-level and neighborhood-level predictors of criminal legal involvement of veterans during the critical transition period from military to civilian life. HYPOTHESES: We hypothesized that substance use, mental health, and personality disorders will increase the incidence of criminal legal involvement, which will be highest among veterans living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods after military discharge. METHOD: We analyzed data from a longitudinal cohort study of 418,624 veterans who entered Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care after leaving the military. Department of Defense (DoD) data on clinical diagnoses, demographics, and military history were linked to VA data on neighborhood of residence and criminal legal involvement. RESULTS: Criminal legal involvement in the 2 years following military discharge was most strongly predicted by younger age, substance use disorder, and being male. Other predictors included the military branch in which veterans served, deployment history, traumatic brain injury, serious mental illness, personality disorder, having fewer physical health conditions, and living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. These factors combined in multivariable analysis yielded a very large effect size for predicting criminal legal involvement after military separation (area under the curve = .82). The incidence of criminal legal involvement was 10 times higher among veterans with co-occurring substance use disorder, serious mental illness, and personality disorder than among veterans with none of these diagnoses, and these rates were highest among veterans residing in more socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the largest longitudinal study of risk factors for criminal legal involvement in veterans following military discharge. The findings supported the hypothesis that veterans with co-occurring mental disorders living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods were at higher risk of criminal legal involvement, underscoring the complex interplay of individual-level and neighborhood-level risk factors for criminal legal involvement after veterans leave the military. These results can inform policy and programs, such as the DoD Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and the VA Military to Civilian Readiness Pathway program (M2C Ready), to enhance community reintegration and prevent criminal legal involvement among veterans transitioning from military to civilian life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Complementary/integrative healthcare utilization in US Gulf-War era veterans: Descriptive analyses based on deployment history, combat exposure, and Gulf War Illness.

Complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches have gained empirical support and are increasingly being utilized among veterans to treat a myriad of conditions. A cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms including fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders, and memory problems, often referred to as Gulf War Illness (GWI) prominently affect US Gulf War era (GWE) veterans, yet little is known about CIH use within this population. Using data collected as part of a larger study (n = 1153), we examined the influence of demographic characteristics, military experiences, and symptom severity on CIH utilization, and utilization differences between GWE veterans with and without GWI. Over half of the sample (58.5%) used at least one CIH modality in the past six months. Women veterans, white veterans, and veterans with higher levels of education were more likely to use CIH. GWE veterans with a GWI diagnosis and higher GWI symptom severity were more likely to use at least one CIH treatment in the past six months. Over three quarters (82.7%) of veterans who endorsed using CIH to treat GWI symptoms reported that it was helpful for their symptoms. Almost three quarters (71.5%) of veterans indicated that they would use at least one CIH approach if it was available at VA. Results provide a deeper understanding of the likelihood and characteristics of veterans utilizing CIH to treat health and GWI symptoms and may inform expansion of CIH modalities for GWE veterans, particularly those with GWI.

The Veterans Health Administration's integrated model of care increases accessibility and delivery of mental health services.

Depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are two of the most common mental health conditions experienced by veterans. It is unclear what individual and system level factors are associated with receiving mental health treatment for these concerns. Using a national sample of Gulf War Era veterans who endorsed lifetime diagnoses of either depression or PTSD (N = 425), regression analyses were used to predict past-year treatment utilization. Predictor variables were those indicated in the behavioral model of health care utilization, including predisposing demographic variables (e.g., age, race), enabling variables (e.g., service connection, enrollment in Veterans Health Administration [VHA]), and need-based variables (e.g., current symptom severity). VHA enrollment was associated with a three- and five-times higher odds of being treated for depression or PTSD, respectively. Income and symptom severity were also positively associated with treatment utilization. Among individuals with diagnoses of depression and/or PTSD, VHA enrollment was the strongest predictor of receiving mental health treatment for these diagnoses, controlling for all other variables in the model including recent contact with the health care system, current symptom severity, and the presence of other enabling resources. Results suggest that the VHA's integrated model of care increases accessibility and delivery of effective mental health services. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

A National Study of Zoom Fatigue and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Future Remote Work.

Overuse of videoconferencing for work may contribute to what has been called "Zoom fatigue": feeling anxious, socially isolated, or emotionally exhausted due to lack of social connection. Given implications for employee well-being, this study investigated Zoom fatigue at work and its potential link to mental health symptoms. A national survey of mental health symptoms was conducted in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020. Adults (n = 902) endorsing a shift at work to videoconferencing completed an online survey; survey criteria included an age minimum of 22 years and reported annual gross income of <$75,000. Statistical raking was employed to weight the sample using U.S. census data on geographic region, age, gender, race, and ethnicity. A three-item Zoom Fatigue Scale measuring perceived stress, isolation, and depression associated with videoconferencing at work showed good internal consistency (α = 0.85). Higher scores on this scale were related to being married, nonwhite race, post-high school education, severe mental illness, greater loneliness, lower social support, lacking money for food, and more weekly videoconference calls. Depressive symptoms demonstrated a significant association with Zoom fatigue, even when adjusting for demographic, psychosocial, and clinical covariates. The study findings indicated that employers and employees should consider a complex array of individual-level and environment-level factors when assessing how videoconferencing at work may engender stress, social isolation, and emotional exhaustion. This impact could adversely impact mental health, work productivity, and quality of life, even after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comparing psychosocial functioning, suicide risk, and nonsuicidal self-injury between veterans with probable posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are each common among Unites States (U.S.) military veterans and frequently co-occur (i.e., PTSD+AUD). Although comorbid PTSD+AUD is generally associated with worse outcomes relative to either diagnosis alone, some studies suggest the added burden of comorbid PTSD+AUD is greater relative to AUD-alone than to PTSD-alone. Furthermore, nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is more common among veterans than previously thought but rarely measured as a veteran psychiatric health outcome. This study sought to replicate and extend previous work by comparing psychosocial functioning, suicide risk, and NSSI among veterans screening positive for PTSD, AUD, comorbid PTSD+AUD, and neither disorder. METHODS: This study analyzed data from a national sample of N = 1046 U.S. veterans who had served during the Gulf War. Participants self-reported sociodemographic, functioning, and clinical information through a mailed survey. RESULTS: Veterans with probable PTSD+AUD reported worse psychosocial functioning across multiple domains compared to veterans with probable AUD, but only worse functioning related to controlling violent behavior when compared to veterans with probable PTSD. Veterans with probable PTSD+AUD reported greater suicidal ideation and NSSI than veterans with probable AUD, but fewer prior suicide attempts than veterans with probable PTSD. LIMITATIONS: This study was cross-sectional, relied on self-report, did not verify clinical diagnoses, and may not generalize to veterans of other military conflicts. CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the adverse psychiatric and functional outcomes associated with PTSD and comorbid PTSD+AUD, such as NSSI, and highlight the importance of delivering evidence-based treatment to this veteran population.

Correlates and clinical associations of military sexual assault in Gulf War era U.S. veterans: Findings from a national sample.

Military sexual assault (MSA) is a prevalent issue among military personnel that can have direct implications on postmilitary mental health. Gulf War era U.S. veterans represent the first cohort in which women veterans were integrated into most aspects of military service except for combat. The present study sought to build on prior studies by identifying characteristics associated with the occurrence of MSA and clinical correlates of MSA and examining how these differ between men and women. This study analyzed cross-sectional survey data from a national sample of treatment-seeking Gulf War era veterans. Participants (N = 1,153) reported demographic information, clinical outcomes, military background, and history of MSA. MSA was more common among female veterans (n = 100, 41.3%) than male veterans (n = 32, 3.6%). The odds of experiencing MSA were approximately 19 times higher for female veterans relative to their male peers, OR = 18.92, p < .001. Moreover, as expected, MSA was robustly associated with probable current posttraumatic stress disorder, probable current depression, and past-year suicidal ideation in female veterans, whereas combat exposure was robustly associated with these sequelae in male veterans. The present findings confirm that a large proportion of female veterans from the Gulf War era experienced MSA and highlight the deleterious correlates of MSA on veterans' mental health. Sex differences of correlates of MSA and subsequent clinical associations are highlighted.

Effects of Alcohol Reduction Interventions on Blood Pressure.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Much of alcohol's purported negative impact on a population's health can be attributed to its association with increased blood pressure, rates of hypertension, and incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Less attention, however, has been placed on the association of the positive impact of alcohol reduction interventions on physical health. RECENT FINDINGS: This review delineates the evidence of blood pressure reductions as a function of alcohol reduction interventions based on current care models. The findings of this review suggest two things: (1) sufficient evidence exists for a relationship between alcohol reductions and blood pressure generally, and (2) little evidence exists for the relationship between alcohol reductions and blood pressure for any one care model currently employed in the health system. The evidence base would benefit from more studies using established alcohol reduction interventions examining the impact of these interventions on blood pressure.

Associations Between Lifetime Panic Attacks, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Substance Use Disorders in a Nationally Representative Sample.

Objective: Rates of lifetime substance use disorder (SUD) are high among people with lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Panic attacks are also prevalent among trauma survivors and people with SUD, yet studies on PTSD/SUD have rarely examined comorbid panic. This potentially creates additional barriers to effective treatment for people with PTSD/SUD, in that panic may be under-diagnosed among people with PTSD/SUD and consequently attenuate treatment outcome. Additionally, research on PTSD/SUD often combines people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and people with drug use disorders (DUDs) into a single group despite evidence that these two PTSD/SUD subgroups differ along important sociodemographic and clinical variables. This study tested the hypothesis that among adults with lifetime PTSD, panic attacks would be associated with greater lifetime risk for both AUD and DUD. We also explored whether panic attacks were associated with specific DUDs that frequently co-occur with PTSD (cannabis, sedatives/tranquilizers, heroin/opioids, and cocaine). Methods: Data were drawn from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III), a cross-sectional national study. Adults with lifetime PTSD (N = 2,230) were classified into one of three groups based on diagnostic interview data: adults with PTSD/AUD (i.e., met criteria for PTSD and AUD but not DUD; n = 656), adults with PTSD/DUD (i.e., met criteria for PTSD and DUD, regardless of AUD diagnostic status; n = 643), or adults with PTSD-only (i.e., met criteria for PTSD but not AUD or DUD; n = 1,031). Results: Weighted logistic regression analyses showed that lifetime risk of PTSD/AUD and PTSD/DUD, each relative to PTSD-only, was greater for adults who were younger at the time of data collection, were male, and had a history of panic attacks. Panic attacks did not predict specific DUD diagnoses comorbid with PTSD in exploratory analyses adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical covariates. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of assessing and targeting panic in PTSD/SUD clinics, but suggest panic may not discriminate between specific DUDs that commonly co-occur with PTSD. Study limitations and future directions are discussed.

Psychosocial well-being among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Concurrent posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder (PTSD/SUD) in U.S. military veterans represents an urgent public health issue associated with significant clinical challenges. Although previous research has shown that veterans with PTSD/SUD endorse more psychosocial risk factors and fewer protective factors than veterans with neither or only one of these disorders, no study has applied a comprehensive framework to characterize the vocational, financial, and social well-being of veterans with PTSD/SUD. Furthermore, it is not fully known how well-being among veterans with PTSD/SUD compares to that of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) only, substance use disorder (SUD) only, or neither disorder. METHOD: This cross-sectional observational study analyzed data from the National Post-Deployment Adjustment Survey, which recruited a random national sample of U.S. veterans who served on/after September 11, 2001. Participants (weighted N = 1,102) self-reported sociodemographic, clinical, and military background information in addition to aspects of their vocational, financial, and social well-being. RESULTS: Veterans with PTSD/SUD were particularly likely to report lifetime experiences of homelessness, violent behavior, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Veterans with PTSD/SUD reported worse social well-being than the PTSD-only, SUD-only, and neither-disorder groups. They also reported worse vocational and financial well-being than veterans with SUD only or with neither disorder but did not significantly differ from the PTSD-only group on vocational or financial well-being. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the importance of assessing multiple aspects of well-being in veterans with PTSD and/or SUD. The findings also point to promising treatment targets to improve psychosocial functioning and overall quality of life among veterans with PTSD and/or SUD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Efficacy and acceptability of interventions for co-occurring PTSD and SUD: A meta-analysis.

Over the past 20 years, numerous treatments addressing comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) have been developed and tested. The current meta-analysis examined the efficacy and acceptability of the two central treatment types- trauma-focused and non-trauma-focused - compared with all comparators and with cognitive-behavioral manualized SUD treatments immediately post-treatment and at longest follow-up. Twenty-eight randomized clinical trials (N = 3247) were included. There were small to large within-group effects for all forms of active treatment (gs = 0.30-1.11). Trauma-focused but not non-trauma-focused treatments outperformed all comparators on PTSD outcomes at post-treatment. Neither trauma-focused nor non-trauma-focused treatment outperformed all comparators on SUD outcomes at post-treatment. Neither trauma- nor non-trauma-focused treatment outperformed manualized SUD treatments on PTSD outcomes at either time point. Manualized SUD treatments outperformed trauma-focused treatments on SUD outcomes at post-treatment and non-trauma-focused treatments on PTSD outcomes at follow-up. Regarding treatment retention, neither trauma-focused nor non-trauma-focused treatments significantly differed from all comparators or from manualized SUD treatments. Between-group results were largely unchanged in trim-and-fill analyses, but were not robust to fail-safe N. Few moderators were detected. Taken together, results suggest that trauma-focused, non-trauma-focused, and manualized SUD interventions are sound options for individuals with comorbid PTSD/SUD.

Experiential avoidance is associated with medical and mental health diagnoses in a national sample of deployed Gulf War veterans.

A substantial minority of deployed Gulf War veterans developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and several chronic illnesses. Although military combat and exposure to certain nuclear, biological, and chemical agents (NBCs) increase risk for post-deployment health problems, they do not fully explain many Gulf War veteran health diagnoses and are not viable treatment targets. Experiential avoidance (EA; one's unwillingness to remain in contact with unpleasant internal experiences) is a modifiable psychosocial risk factor associated with PTSD and depression in veterans as well as pain and gastrointestinal diseases in the general population. In this study, we recruited a national sample of deployed Gulf War veterans (N = 454) to test the hypothesis that greater EA would be significantly associated with higher lifetime odds of PTSD, depression, "Gulf War Illness" (GWI/CMI), and other chronic illnesses common in this veteran cohort. Participants completed a self-report battery assessing demographic, military-related, and health-related information. Multivariate analyses showed that after adjusting for age, sex, race, combat exposure, and NBC exposure, worse EA was associated with higher lifetime odds of PTSD, depression GWI/CMI, gastrointestinal problems, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome (ORs ranged 1.25 to 2.89; effect sizes ranged small to large), but not asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Our findings suggest medical and mental health providers alike should assess for EA and potentially target EA as part of a comprehensive, biopsychosocial approach to improving Gulf War veterans' health and wellbeing. Study limitations and future research directions are also discussed.