The present study examined the incidence of war-related psychological distress among Persian Gulf War veterans. A total of 591 Army, Navy, and Marine reservists were administered the Mississippi PTSD Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the SCL-90R. Combat-deployed reservists showed significantly higher levels of psychological symptomatology that non-deployed reservists, generally corresponding to levels of stress exposure. No significant effects were found for race or prior combat exposure, but significant differences were found between combat-deployed male and female reservists. Despite the brevity and the outcome of the Persian Gulf War, significant symptomatology exists among this population.

A fundamental objective of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention is the prevention of suicide in older adults, especially elderly males, because these individuals are at higher risk for suicide than any other age group. Furthermore, they are the fastest growing segment of the population. The suicide rates for older Caucasian men are particularly high. Because nurses play an important role in the identification of persons at risk for suicide, it is important that they be cognizant of the complex risk factors involved in late life suicide. Toward that end, we review the prevalence of suicidal behaviors in older adults and discuss risk factors that contribute to completed suicide in these individuals. Lastly, we discuss the role of nurses in the identification of older adults at risk for suicidal behavior so that life-saving treatment measures can be implemented.Older American's currently comprise about 13% of the population in the U.S., yet they account for 18% of all suicide deaths (Arias, Anderson, Kung, Murphy, & Kochanek, 2003). Suicide is the thirteenth leading cause of death in persons age 65 years or older (National Institute of Mental Health, 2004) and these individuals are at the highest risk for completed suicide. Furthermore, Caucasian men over the age of 85 have an especially high rate (59 per 100,000 persons) of completed suicide. Recognized as a major public health concern, the Office of the Surgeon General of the U.S. released the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and Objectives for Action (Office of the Surgeon General, 1999). A central mandate of that strategy is the prevention of suicide in older adults because these individuals are at higher risk for suicide than any other age group and they are the fastest growing segment of the population (Arias et al., 2003 Older adults, however, present special challenges to suicide prevention efforts. For example, suicide and attempted suicide are often associated with depression, psychosis, and substance abuse among younger individuals, yet among older adults, depression and comorbid medical conditions play important contributory roles. (Alexopoulos, Bruce, Hull, Sirey, & Kakuma, 1999;Caine & Conwell, 2001;Conwell, Duberstein, & Caine, 2002;Miles, 1977;Pearson & Brown, 2000; Tuvey et al., 2002). Because nurses play a vital role in the identification of persons at risk for suicide, and the current "baby boom" cohort have substantially higher suicide rates than preceding generations (McIntosh, 1992), it is important to be cognizant of the complexity of risk factors associated with late life suicide. The purpose of this paper is to focus attention on the prevalence of suicidal behaviors in older adults and lay a foundation for understanding the role of risk factors in the prevention of suicide. We identify risk factors that contribute to completed suicide in these individuals and review the role of nurses in identifying older persons at risk for suicidal behavior so that life-saving treatment measures can be implemented.

An intensive, on‐site treatment intervention was designed and implemented for the nonhospitalized survivors of a SCUD missile attack during the Persian Gulf War, following their return to the states. Twenty‐eight members of the 14th Quartermasters Unit, 24 males and 4 females, were evaluated and administered the Mississippi Scale for Combat‐Related PTSD (revised), the Beck Depression Inventory, and the SCL‐90R to assess levels of war stress symptomatology. A total of 20 soldiers participated in the treatment program, which consisted of a highly structured intervention utilizing a multimodal treatment approach. The pre‐ and post‐treatment testing suggested relatively high levels of symptomatology related to war stress in the soldiers who were in the vicinity of the missile blast, which decreased significantly following treatment. While the overall treatment effort was well‐received, several obstacles were encountered and discussed.

An intensive, on-site treatment intervention was designed and implemented for the nonhospitalized survivors of a SCUD missile attack during the Persian Gulf