1. Abstract The War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) at the Washington DC VA Medical Center currently offers Complementary and Integrative Services (CIM) to veterans from all war eras. The current study was conducted to explore the physical and mental health of Gulf War veterans participating in the Integrative Health and Wellness (IHW) Program, as well as to show how often Gulf War veterans were attending CIM classes. Results showed Gulf War veterans reported significantly more depressive and pain symptoms. Gulf War veterans attended significantly fewer group acupuncture classes than other war era veterans. Lastly, Gulf War veterans that reported high levels of pain were less likely to attend iRest Yoga Nidra classes. Background The Department of Veteran Affairs has increasingly been focused on how CIM services and how they can improve the overall wellbeing of veterans from all war eras. Previous studies have shown that CIM services within the IHW Program have been mostly used by white veterans with more than 12 years of education, those that do not abuse tobacco and alcohol and experience a high level of stress. However, studies have not yet shown the differences between veterans on the basis of factors related to their military service within the IHW Program. Studies have also shown that Gulf War Veterans typically suffer from pain syndromes, chronic fatigue, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. CIM services have been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of the above mentioned syndromes and disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to: Determine the characteristics of Gulf War era veterans participating in the IHW Program versus veterans from other conflict eras, Investigate their physical and mental health at the time they entered the program Determine which CIM services Gulf War veterans attended compared to those from other war eras. Consult IHW Orientation CIM Services Program Participants 226 veterans referred to the IHW Program 42 participants were Gulf War veterans Average age= 49.52 Most veterans were male (70.35%) Most veterans were African American (56.65%) Most participants were Army veterans (55.75%) All participants identified pain or mental health related issues as their primary health concerns Procedure Veterans were referred to the IHW Program by their provider and attended an orientation session. If the veteran showed interest in research they were asked to sign an informed consent form and to fill out the following assessments: Beck Depression Inventory, Second Edition (BDI-II)) Defense and Veteran Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS) Pain Disability Questionnaire (PDQ) Insomnia Severity Scale (ISS) Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) Results Gulf War veterans reported more depressive symptoms compared to non-Gulf War veterans (p=.04) Gulf War veterans reported more pain symptoms compared to non-Gulf War veterans (p=.04, p=.02) Gulf War veterans attended significantly fewer group acupuncture classes compared to non-Gulf War veterans (p<.01) Gulf War veterans that reported high levels of pain were less likely to attend iRest Yoga Nidra classes (p<.05) For veterans that attended at least one service after orientation, there was no significant differences between Gulf-War era veterans and non-Gulf War veterans. Discussion On average, Gulf War veterans reported more severe physical and mental health symptoms than non-Gulf War era veterans. Gulf War era veterans were also less likely than those that did not serve during the Gulf War era to go to group acupuncture classes. This may be due to veterans preferring individual services to group services, though this remains unclear. The results also suggested that Gulf War veterans were less likely to go to iRest Yoga Nidra classes if they had reported higher levels of pain. It is possible that this was due to their hesitance to go to a class where they would be required to sit in a chair for an hour. Future research should focus on how CIM services impacted the symptoms of Gulf War veterans versus non-Gulf War veterans over time. Contact Information Rena “Liz Courtneyrena.courtney@va.gov Research Assistant WRIISC Washington DC VA Medical Center Gulf War Veterans and the Integrative Health and Wellness (IHW) Program Rena “Liz” Courtney, B. A., Stephanie Brooks-Holliday, Ph.D, Amanda Hull, PhD, Christine Eickhoff, M.A., Patrick Sullivan, M.S., Matthew Reinhard, PsyD, Kayla Sossin, B.A. War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC