Personalized Drinking Feedback Intervention for Veterans of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Research has shown that U.S. military veterans are at risk relative to the general adult population for excessive alcohol consumption, and veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (Operation Enduring Freedom [OEF], Operation Iraqi Freedom [OIF], and Operation New Dawn [OND]) particularly so. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a brief personalized drinking feedback intervention tailored for veterans. Method: All veterans who presented to the OEF/OIF/OND Seamless Transition Clinic at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital (Columbia, MO) were eligible to participate. Participants were 325 veterans (93% male; 82% White, 75% Army, Mage = 32.20 years) who were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: personalized drinking feedback (PDF) or educational information (EDU). Those in the PDF condition received personalized information about their alcohol use, including social norms comparisons, risks associated with reported drinking levels, and a summary of their alcohol-related problems. Follow-up assessments were completed at 1 and 6 months after intervention (response rates = 93% and 86%, respectively). Results: Results indicated a significant (p < .05) Omnibus Group _ Time effect for estimated peak blood alcohol concentration, although tests of simple main effects did not indicate between-group differences at the individual follow-up points. Among baseline abstainers, those in the PDF condition were more likely than those in the EDU condition to remain an abstainer at 6-month follow-up (p < .05). Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary support for the efficacy of a brief, inexpensive alcohol prevention/intervention for young adult military veterans.