This issue features groups of papers on Gulf War syndrome, health service outcome assessment, somatization, personality disorders and depression.

Gulf War syndrome has been the subject of much scientific research and public controversy. Two research papers, both from the group at the Institute of Psychiatry in London report studies. David et al. (pp. 1357–1370) find cognitive abnormalities in Gulf War veterans compared with military controls, most attributable to mood disturbances, except for impairment of constructional ability. Everitt et al. (pp. 1371–1378) employ the statistical technique of cluster analysis to search for a unique syndrome in Gulf War veterans but fail to find it. In an accompanying editorial two authorities, from the USA and Canada, examine the issues.