A Narrowing Gulf of Difference?
A Narrowing Gulf of Difference?
Disputes and Discoveries in the Study of Gulf War–Related Illnesses
This chapter examines the dramatic shifts in scientific and public controversies over myriad symptoms reported by veterans of the 1991 Gulf War. Early theories of Gulf War illnesses centered on stress as the dominant cause. The dominant epidemiological paradigm now attributes the illness to contextual stress. The acceptance of this new paradigm may be cemented by emerging scientific findings pointing to specific chemical causes. This paradigm shift culminated in a recent federal report concluding that “scientific evidence leaves no question that Gulf War Illness is a real condition with real causes and serious consequences for affected veterans.” Because paradigms change slowly, the chapter suggests that future research might explore how the dominant epidemiological paradigm changes over much longer periods.
Keywords: Gulf War Illness, stress, epidemiological paradigm, contextual stress, chemical exposure
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