Alcohol Problems, Aggression, and Other Externalizing Behaviors After Return From Deployment: Understanding the Role of Combat Exposure, Internalizing Symptoms, and Social Environment

Researchers examined whether rates of externalizing behavior (e.g., alcohol consumption, aggressive behavior) four and nine months after deployment were related to various internalizing symptoms such as depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or elements of the social environment. Both internalizing symptoms and social environment were significantly associated with levels of externalizing behaviors at both four and nine months post-deployment, but only combat exposure significantly predicted increases in externalizing behaviors between four and nine months post-deployment.