The overall patterns of research findings demonstrate that stress--such as that which characterized the Gulf deployment, combat, and return home--is a contributing factor to many illnesses. The effects of these stresses may have made some soldiers more vulnerable to environmental pathogens, both in the theater and at home, than they would otherwise have been. This book argues that, to be most helpful to veterans, we must deal with the complexity of the symptoms and potential causes and not simply focus on a hypothecated or "hoped for" singular cause of Gulf War illness.

Historical overview: psychological consequences of battle stress --Modern war: the American Civil War -- Conceptual and theoretical medical developments in the 19th and early 20th centures -- World War I -- 1919-1941: the interwar years -- World War II -- Post-World War II conceptual developments -- Vetnam -- The Gulf War: operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm -- Return from the Persian Gulf and its consequences. Historical overview: psychological consequences of battle stress -- Modern war: the American Civil War -- Conceptual and theoretical medical developments in the 19th and early 20th centures -- World War I -- 1919-1941: the interwar years -- World War II -- Post-World War II conceptual developments -- Vetnam -- The Gulf War: operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm -- Return from the Persian Gulf and its consequences.