Lieutenant-commander Neil Greenberg, a Royal Navy psychiatrist researching Gulf war illnesses at Kings' College Hospital, says mass counselling is particularly unhelpful in the military.

ECONOMIST: Psychology: Mind how you go | The

Her review in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looks at the findings of over 100 studies on Gulf-war illnesses.

ECONOMIST: Was Gulf-war syndrome caused by chemical poisoning?

More than 5, 000 British veterans who served in the Gulf War have reported illnesses, which they believe may have been caused by vaccines or exposure to chemicals.

BBC: NEWS | Health | 'Fears over Gulf War chemicals'