Alcohol Use and Alcohol-Related Problems Before and After Military Combat Deployment
By I. Jacobson, M. Ryan, T. Hooper, T. Smith, P. Amoroso, E. Boyko, G. Gackstetter, T. Wells, N. Bell. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 2008
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Context High rates of alcohol misuse after deployment have been reported among personnel returning from past conflicts, yet investigations of alcohol misuse after return from the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are lacking. Objectives To determine whether deployment with combat exposures was associated with new-onset or continued alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and alcohol-related problems. Design, Setting, and Participants Data were from Millennium Cohort Study participants who completed both a baseline (July 2001 to June 2003; n=77 047) and follow-up (June 2004 to February 2006; n=55 021) questionnaire (follow-up response rate=71.4%). After we applied exclusion criteria, our analyses included 48 481 participants (active duty, n=26 613; Reserve or National Guard, n=21 868). Of these, 5510 deployed with combat exposures, 5661 deployed without combat exposures, and 37 310 did not deploy. Main Outcome Measures New-onset and continued heavy weekly drinking, binge drinking, and alcohol-related problems at follow-up. Results Baseline prevalence of heavy weekly drinking, binge drinking, and alcohol-related problems among Reserve or National Guard personnel who deployed with combat exposures was 9.0%, 53.6%, and 15.2%, respectively; follow-up prevalence was 12.5%, 53.0%, and 11.9%, respectively; and new-onset rates were 8.8%, 25.6%, and 7.1%, respectively. Among active-duty personnel, new-onset rates were 6.0%, 26.6%, and 4.8%, respectively. Reserve and National Guard personnel who deployed and reported combat exposures were significantly more likely to experience new-onset heavy weekly drinking (odds ratio [OR], 1.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36–1.96), binge drinking (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.24–1.71), and alcohol-related problems (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.33–2.01) compared with nondeployed personnel. The youngest members of the cohort were at highest risk for all alcohol-related outcomes. Conclusion Reserve and National Guard personnel and younger service members who deploy with reported combat exposures are at increased risk of new-onset heavy weekly drinking, binge drinking, and alcohol-related problems.
Subfields: Clinical Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Psychiatry and Mental health
View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/69c73b7cc7a7c238b84f128833be80b4e71c56b3
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Citations in the corpus
- Student Service Members/Veterans in Higher Education: A Systematic Review (2014, background): “…risk factor for veterans, specifically linked to decreased health status and lifespan (MacLean & Elder, 2007), new-onset hazardous drinking ( Jacobson et al., 2008), new-onset depression (Wells et al., 2010), and maladaptive coping strategies ranging from cigarette use (Smith et al., 2008)…”
- U.S. Military Veterans Transition to College: Combat, PTSD, and Alienation on Campus (2011, background): “, 2009), and the effects of PTSD on alcohol abuse (Jacobsen et al., 2008; McDevitt-Murphy et al., 2010) and relationship problems (Dekel et al.”
- A Model of Meaning-Making Coping and Growth in Combat Veterans (2011, background): “Alcohol abuse in military populations is associated with psychological disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression (Chilcoat & Breslau, 1998; Jacobson et al., 2008; McFarlane, 1998; Schuckit, Smith, & Chacko, 2006; Shipherd, Stafford, & Tanner, 2005; Swendsen et al., 1998).”
- Trends and risk factors for mental health diagnoses among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans using Department of Veterans Affairs health care, 2002-2008. (2009, background): “One explanation for greater distress among older national guard and reserve members is that, when called to arms, they are more likely established in civilian occupations; have family, social, and community ties; and may have had less preparation for combat, making their transition to the war zone a”
- A Brief Exposure-Based Intervention for Service Members with PTSD. (2011, background): “, Milliken, Auchterlonie, & Hoge, 2007), and concomitant problems such as substance abuse (Jacobson et al., 2008), physical health”