The impact of sulfur mustard on quality of life and mental health in Kurdish survivors in Sweden, thirty years after exposure

BACKGROUND: The Iraqi state used chemical warfare agents (CWAs) like sulfur mustard (SM) in al-Anfal genocide in the present-day Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In addition to somatic injuries, exposure to CWAs causes biopsychosocial complications. We investigated the long-term impact of SM exposure on quality of life (QoL) and depression severity in Kurdish survivors resettled in Sweden. METHODS: This is a case-control study, where subjects exposed to SM (n = 18, mean age 51.3 years, 50% women) and sex- and age-matched nonexposed subjects (n = 30, mean age 48.7 years, 47% women) of Kurdish residents in Sweden. Data were collected through in-person interviews based on the RAND 36-item Short Form Health Survey to assess QoL and the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-self assessment (MADRS-S) to investigate the presence and the gravity of depressive symptoms. RESULTS: The SM-exposed group had a significantly lower QoL than the nonexposed group (p < 0.001). Also, the overall mean MADRS-S scores among the SM-exposed group, corresponding to moderate depression, were higher than the scores of the nonexposed (22 points (p) vs. 9 p, p < .001). Overall, the participants within the exposed group reported worse mental than physical well-being 36p and 32p, respectively. Within the SM-exposed group, there was no gendered-related difference neither in terms of depression severity nor for QoL, but the groups were small. CONCLUSION: Individuals exposed to SM had worse QoL and a higher level of depressive severity compared with nonexposed individuals three decades after exposure, indicating the importance of increased clinician knowledge, guidelines, and an approach to assess and respond to the exposed groups’ biopsychosocial needs. These findings indicate that those exposed to SM might need early identification of mental illnesses and more support to promote QoL.