TY - JOUR
T1 - Civilian stressors associated with alcohol use disorders in the National Guard
AU - Cerdá, Magdalena
AU - Richards, Catherine
AU - Cohen, Greg H.
AU - Calabrese, Joseph R.
AU - Liberzon, Israel
AU - Tamburrino, Marijo
AU - Galea, Sandro
AU - Koenen, Karestan C.
N1 - Funding Information:
Design and conduct of the original study, data collection, management, and analysis were supported by grants from the Department of Defense (Nos. W81XWH-07-1-0409 , W81XWH-08-2-0650 , and W81XWH-08-2-0204 ) as well as a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (No. MH082729 ). Analysis and interpretation of the data as well as preparation, review, and approval of the manuscript were supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (No. DA030449) and a grant from the National Institute on Mental Health (No. MH093612 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Background: Alcohol use disorders are a serious public health concern among soldiers. Although deployment-related exposures have been linked with alcohol use disorders in soldiers, less is understood about the link between modifiable, civilian stressors and post-deployment alcohol use disorders. Purpose: To (1) compare the influence of civilian stressors and deployment-related traumatic events and stressors on post-deployment alcohol use disorders among Army National Guardsmen primarily deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq; and (2) evaluate whether civilian stressors influence a different set of alcohol use disorder phenotypes than deployment-related traumatic events and stressors. Methods: A cohort of Ohio National Guard soldiers was recruited in 2008-2009 and interviewed three times over 3 years. The analytic sample included Ohio National Guard soldiers who had been deployed by 2008-2009, had participated in at least one follow-up wave, had reported consuming at least one alcoholic drink in their lifetime, and had non-missing data on alcohol use disorders (n=1,095). Analyses were conducted in 2013. Results: In a model including measures of civilian stressors and deployment-related traumatic events, only civilian stressors (OR=2.07, 95% CI=1.46, 2.94) were associated with subsequent alcohol use disorder. The effects of civilian stressors were only present among people with no history of alcohol use disorder. Conclusions: Independent of deployment-related exposures, post-deployment civilian stressors are associated with the onset of alcohol use disorder among reserve-component soldiers. Concerted investment to address daily civilian difficulties associated with reintegration into civilian life may be needed to prevent new cases of alcohol use disorders among returning military personnel.
AB - Background: Alcohol use disorders are a serious public health concern among soldiers. Although deployment-related exposures have been linked with alcohol use disorders in soldiers, less is understood about the link between modifiable, civilian stressors and post-deployment alcohol use disorders. Purpose: To (1) compare the influence of civilian stressors and deployment-related traumatic events and stressors on post-deployment alcohol use disorders among Army National Guardsmen primarily deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq; and (2) evaluate whether civilian stressors influence a different set of alcohol use disorder phenotypes than deployment-related traumatic events and stressors. Methods: A cohort of Ohio National Guard soldiers was recruited in 2008-2009 and interviewed three times over 3 years. The analytic sample included Ohio National Guard soldiers who had been deployed by 2008-2009, had participated in at least one follow-up wave, had reported consuming at least one alcoholic drink in their lifetime, and had non-missing data on alcohol use disorders (n=1,095). Analyses were conducted in 2013. Results: In a model including measures of civilian stressors and deployment-related traumatic events, only civilian stressors (OR=2.07, 95% CI=1.46, 2.94) were associated with subsequent alcohol use disorder. The effects of civilian stressors were only present among people with no history of alcohol use disorder. Conclusions: Independent of deployment-related exposures, post-deployment civilian stressors are associated with the onset of alcohol use disorder among reserve-component soldiers. Concerted investment to address daily civilian difficulties associated with reintegration into civilian life may be needed to prevent new cases of alcohol use disorders among returning military personnel.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.06.015
DO - 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.06.015
M3 - Article
C2 - 25089013
AN - SCOPUS:84920920694
SN - 0749-3797
VL - 47
SP - 461
EP - 466
JO - American Journal of Preventive Medicine
JF - American Journal of Preventive Medicine
IS - 4
ER -