Looking at reasons behind alcohol abuse in recently deployed veterans

There is a growing correlation between alcohol abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder in veterans who fought in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.  Males who enlist into the army at a young age tend to be more likely to abuse alcohol and suffer from symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (Jaupcak).  Alcohol use by veterans is often looked at as a form of self-medicating to deal with the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.  Studies have shown that individuals who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder are more likely to chronically abuse alcohol and are more likely to have negative consequences from there alcohol use (Ouimette, Finney, & Moos).

A recent study done by Christy Capone, Ashlee C. McGrath, Madhavi K. Reddy, and M. Tracie Shea sought to examine the trauma related predictors for alcohol abuse of veterans who suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder who had fought in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.  The population for this study was 238 veterans from the Rhode Island National Guard and Army Reserve.  The average time for the participants to complete their evaluation was 6 months after deployment.  The majority of the sample was white (92.43%) and male (88%), and the average age 33.  Alcohol use was assessed total number of drinks, drinks per drinking day and number of heavy drinking days, a day where five or more standard drinks were consumed.  Posttuarmatic stress was assessed by the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. 

There results found that posttraumatic stress symptoms rather than combat exposure were a key predictor in alcohol abuse.  It was found that re-experiencing symptoms were the strongest predictor in total alcohol use and heavy drinking days.  They believe that increased alcohol use could be used to cope with painful memories or to reduce the frequency of nightmares.

Work Cited

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/doi/10.1002/jts.21817/pdf

Jakupcak, M., Tull, M. T., McDermott, M. J., Kaysen, D., Hunt, S., & Simpson,

T. (2010). PTSD symptom clusters in relationship to alcohol misuse among

Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans seeking post-deployment VA health care.

Addictive Behaviors, 35, 840–843. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.03.023

Ouimette, P. C., Finney, J. W., & Moos, R. H. (1999). Two-year posttreatment functioning and coping of substance abuse patients with posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 13, 105–114.  doi:10.1037/0893-164x.13.2.105