# Veteran, VA, Gulf War Illness, and Suicide-Prevention Source Note

Research refresh: 2026-08-27
Scope: public orientation and handoff, not medical diagnosis, benefits adjudication, or personal risk scoring

## Terminology

The System retains “Gulf War Syndrome” only as a public search alias. Current VA public-health material explains that Veterans and researchers also use “Gulf War illness,” “chronic multisymptom illness,” “medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness,” and “undiagnosed illness.” VA states that it prefers not to use “Gulf War Syndrome” because symptoms vary. Card and manual display language therefore uses **Gulf War illness** while preserving searchability.

Primary source: [VA — Gulf War Veterans’ Medically Unexplained Illnesses](https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/medically-unexplained-illness.asp), page updated 2026-07-15 and accessed 2026-08-27.

## Distinct VA pathways

The card “Different Doors” deliberately separates workflows that are often collapsed:

| Pathway | What this System may say | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf War Registry Health Exam | A free exposure-focused health exam for eligible Veterans; no copay; enrollment in VA health care is not required. | It is not a disability-compensation exam and is not required to file a disability claim. |
| VA health care | Ongoing clinical access may include primary, specialty, and exposure-related care. | The System does not determine enrollment, individual care, or clinical diagnosis. |
| WRIISC | The War Related Illness and Injury Study Center offers specialized clinical evaluation and research-related expertise through VA referral pathways. | Eligibility and referral are current, case-specific program matters. |
| Disability benefits | VA currently identifies some Gulf War-related conditions as presumptive for qualifying service. | Eligibility depends on current law, dates, locations, records, and individual facts; the card never promises an outcome. |
| Accredited representation | An accredited representative can assist with benefits navigation. | The System is not a representative and gives no legal advice. |
| Vet Center and family support | Community-based counseling and specified family or bereavement services may be available. | Participation and eligibility are program-specific. |

Primary sources:

- [VA — Gulf War Registry Health Exam](https://publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/gulfwar/benefits/registry-exam.asp), accessed 2026-08-27.
- [VA — Health Care for Gulf War Veterans](https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/benefits/health-care.asp), accessed 2026-08-27.
- [WRIISC — Eligibility Criteria](https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/referral/WRIISC-Eligibility-Criteria.asp), accessed 2026-08-27.
- [VA — Gulf War Illnesses and Afghanistan: Disability Eligibility](https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/gulf-war-illness-afghanistan/), page updated 2026-07-24 and accessed 2026-08-27.
- [Vet Center — Eligibility](https://www.vetcenter.va.gov/VETCENTER/eligibility.asp), page updated 2026-06-23 and accessed 2026-08-27.

## Suicide prevention and crisis handoff

This release includes suicide prevention because Veteran systems extend into acute safety, family and peer networks, housing, care access, purpose, lethal-means safety, and institutional handoff. It does not estimate an individual’s suicide risk or treat suicide as an inevitable outcome of service, trauma, or Gulf War illness.

The release’s current U.S. public handoff is:

- Call **988**, then press **1** for the Veterans Crisis Line.
- Text **838255**.
- Use the official Veterans Crisis Line chat.
- If there is immediate danger, call **911** or go to the nearest emergency room or VA medical center.

Primary sources:

- [VA — Veteran Suicide Prevention](https://www.va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/mental-health/suicide-prevention/), accessed 2026-08-27.
- [VA — Suicide Prevention Data](https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/data.asp), accessed 2026-08-27.
- [2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, Part 2](https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/data-sheets/2025/2025_Annual_Report_Part_2_508.pdf), released 2026 and accessed 2026-08-27.

The 2025 annual report’s Part 2 uses mortality data through 2023. Its counts are population-level, time-bounded public-health observations, not personal predictions. Any numerical use must preserve year, population definition, and report edition.

## Sentinel behavior

When a Scene turns from reflective mapping to a personal health, benefits, legal, or crisis need, the System stops at an orientation boundary and hands off to the relevant qualified interface. A successful handoff should return a next step or receipt to the participant without copying private clinical, claims, or crisis content into the reusable System graph.

## Freshness rule

Benefits, eligibility, crisis contacts, care access, and program names are current-state claims. Refresh them before publication, reprint, or live use. Do not infer current eligibility from an old release snapshot.
