| Description |
This research explores the present physiological and psychological health state of the Vietnam veteran as it relates to health care utilization. Additionally, health is examined for symptoms/illnesses that have been associated with dioxin exposure. Dioxin was a toxic trace contaminant of Agent Orange, the most widely used herbicide employed by the United States for defensive purposes in Vietnam between 1965 and 1970. Since 1978, Vietnam veterans have been reporting nonspecific patterns of symptoms that some researchers have linked to Agent Orange exposure. The research explores the present patterns of reported physiological and psychological symptoms/illnesses as they occur over three times periods: before, during, and after Vietnam service. Fifty-three subjects, drawn as a convenience sample for Vet Outreach Center clientele in three Northern Utah cities, were asked to complete a questionnaire. Data collection occurred over a 11 week period. The majority of respondents were combat veterans who had served in Vietnam between 1968 and 1971. Nearly half had been stationed in one or more areas that had received potentially heavy spraying with Agent Orange. A variety of symptoms were reported in the various physiological system of the body and were found to increase steadily from the "before Vietnam" to the "during Vietnam" period as well as from the "during Vietnam" to "after Vietnam" time period. This pattern was also found in the physiological potential Agent Orange exposure symptoms. The larger mean number of psychological symptoms reported for the "after Vietnam" period suggested that many respondents are experiencing symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, and/or psychological symptoms of potential Agent Orange exposure. Three-quarters of the sample reported health care visit in the past year. The most widely used health service reported was mental health care. The majority of respondents were occasional users of Veterans Administration (VA) facilities. Use appeared to be related to VA disability classification. The small percentage of respondents who reported no use of VA facilities over the past three years cited distrust of the VA, ineligibility, and lack of medical indigency as reasons. Using Kendal's Rank Order Correlation Coefficient, the total number of reported post-Vietnam symptoms/illnesses showed no significant association with combat, interval since last health care visit, or self-rating of health. The total number of post-Vietnam potential Agent Orange exposure symptoms reported demonstrated no association with Agent Orange knowledge and beliefs or level of potential Agent Orange exposure of military station. The prevalence of certain physiological and psychological symptoms in patters of increasing occurrence in the Vietnam veteran indicate the need to further investigate the roles of Agent Orange and posttraumatic stress disorder in determining the Vietnam veteran's present health state. Further research is also needed to explore the effects of psychosocial adjustment on present symptoms/illnesses. Health care providers in the private sector and the VA need to familiarize themselves with the types of potential physiological and psychological symptoms/illnesses reported by the Vietnam veteran in order to plan health care facilities appropriate to his need. |
