Abstract

Background

Maladaptive drinking is an increasing concern among military policy makers and healthcare providers. The goal of this study was to assess how social and psychological factors relate to alcohol problems among post-deployed US veterans and how problematic drinking is associated with well-being.

Methods

Data were collected via a telephone survey from a random sample of veterans receiving their healthcare from a large non-VA hospital system in central Pennsylvania (N = 1730). Interviewers inquired about participants’ current alcohol consumption, using the CAGE and AUDIT-C scales, and health-related outcomes (general psychological distress, major depression, and self-reported health status). Analyses included demographic, military and nonmilitary stressful events, use of alcohol or drugs to cope post-deployment, use of psychiatric services, and personality characteristics as independent variables. Our sample was 95% male, 96% White, and had a mean age of 59 years old (SD = 12 years).

Results

Analyses included demographic, military and nonmilitary stressful events, use of alcohol or drugs to cope post-deployment, use of psychiatric services, and personality characteristics as independent variables. Our sample was 95% male, 96% White, and had a mean age of 59 years old (SD = 12 years). Analyses for our drinking measures show that those who used drugs or alcohol to cope post-deployment were more likely to be problematic drinkers, while positive personality characteristics such as agreeableness and conscientiousness were related to fewer drinking problems. Multivariate logistic regressions for our well-being measures found that alcohol misuse was not related to distress or depression, but that a positive score on the AUDIT-C was associated with a lower likelihood of poor self-rated health. Using alcohol or drugs to cope was related to higher distress.

Discussion

We conclude that service providers might consider using post-deployment AUDIT-C and the drugs and alcohol coping questions when screening for possible alcohol and mental health problems among veterans.

中文翻译：

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社区退伍军人的心理健康和酒精滥用：退伍军人健康研究的结果

摘要

背景

不适应饮酒是军事政策制定者和医疗保健提供者日益关注的问题。本研究的目的是评估社会和心理因素如何与美国退伍军人的酒精问题相关，以及酗酒问题与幸福感之间的关系。

方法

数据是通过电话调查从宾夕法尼亚州中部的一家大型非退伍军人医院系统接受医疗保健的退伍军人的随机样本中收集的（N = 1730）。采访者使用 CAGE 和 AUDIT-C 量表询问参与者当前的饮酒量，以及与健康相关的结果（一般心理困扰、重度抑郁症和自我报告的健康状况）。分析包括人口、军事和非军事压力事件、使用酒精或药物来应对部署后的情况、使用精神科服务以及作为独立变量的人格特征。我们的样本是 95% 的男性，96% 的白人，平均年龄为 59 岁（SD = 12 岁）。

结果

分析包括人口、军事和非军事压力事件、使用酒精或药物来应对部署后的情况、使用精神科服务以及作为独立变量的人格特征。我们的样本是 95% 的男性，96% 的白人，平均年龄为 59 岁（SD = 12 岁）。对我们饮酒措施的分析表明，那些使用药物或酒精来应对部署后的饮酒者更有可能成为有问题的饮酒者，而积极的人格特征（如随和和尽责性）与较少的饮酒问题有关。我们的幸福感测量的多变量逻辑回归发现，酒精滥用与痛苦或抑郁无关，但 AUDIT-C 的正分数与自评健康状况不佳的可能性较低有关。

讨论

我们得出结论，服务提供者在筛查退伍军人可能存在的酒精和心理健康问题时，可能会考虑使用部署后 AUDIT-C 以及药物和酒精应对问题。