Publication year
2017
Citation Title
Deployment-related military sexual trauma predicts heavy drinking and alcohol problems among male Reserve and National Guard Soldiers.
Journal Name
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Journal Volume
42
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
111-119
DOI
10.1111/acer.13528
Summary
Military sexual trauma is associated with negative physical, mental, and behavioral consequences. This study had 248 male Reserve and National Guard Soldiers complete questionnaires regarding their experiences of military sexual trauma and alcohol problems. Results revealed that the rate of military sexual trauma was high among the sample, and it was associated with frequent heavy drinking and alcohol problems.
Key Findings
About 17% of male Soldiers reported experiencing sexual trauma during their most recent deployment.
Soldiers who experienced sexual trauma were more likely to have frequent heavy drinking (i.e., the reported frequency of getting drunk and the frequency of having five or more drinks in a single setting) than Soldiers who did not experience sexual trauma, even after controlling their posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and age.
Compared to Soldiers without sexual trauma, Soldiers who experienced sexual trauma were more likely to have alcohol problems.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer support groups for Service members who experienced sexual trauma during deployment
Provide outreach services that increase awareness of available support for Service members with sexual trauma
Offer workshops to Service members on the policy of sexual misconduct
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage awareness campaigns on military bases regarding the importance of addressing sexual assault and harassment
Encourage the development and continuation of programs that support Service members who experienced military sexual trauma
Recommend education of professionals who work with Service members on the associations between sexual trauma and alcohol problems
Methods
Data were drawn from the study Operation: SAFETY (Soldiers And Families Excelling Through the Years); participants of the study were recruited from units across New York State from 2014 to 2015.
Measures assessed military sexual trauma during the last deployment, frequent heavy drinking (e.g., frequency of getting drunk), and alcohol problems (e.g., be injured because of drinking).
Data were analyzed to examine the rate of sexual trauma among male Reserve and National Guard Soldiers as well as the associations between sexual trauma and alcohol issues.
Participants
Participants were 248 male Reserve or National Guard Soldiers who had been deployed before.
The average age of the Soldiers was 33.39 years (SD = 6.18); all of them were married (75%) or cohabitating (25%).
The Soldiers were mostly White (81%), followed by Black (4%), Latino (10%), and other (5%).
Limitations
Only male Soldiers were included in the sample, so the findings cannot be applied to female Soldiers and Service members in other military branches.
The sample was limited to Reserve and National Guard Soldiers, so caution must be taken to generalize the results to Active Duty Service members.
The study only examined military sexual trauma in the most recent deployment; therefore, Soldiers who experienced sexual trauma in other military contexts were missing from the analysis. Therefore, the prevalence of military sexual trauma might be underestimated.
Avenues for Future Research
Compare the prevalence of military sexual trauma between male and female Service members and examine the potential gender differences in the associations between sexual trauma and alcohol problems
Recruit participants from all military branches so that the results can be better generalized
Examine the influence of sexual trauma on other mental and behavioral health outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, violence)
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Military sexual trauma (MST) is associated with a range of deleterious mental and physical health consequences; however, far less attention has been paid to the associations between MST and negative health behaviors, such as substance abuse. This study examined 2 focal research questions: (i) What is the prevalence of experiencing MST during deployment among male Reserve and National Guard soldiers? and (ii) to what extent is the degree of MST exposure during deployment associated with frequent heavy drinking and alcohol problems post deployment? Data from male soldiers who had been deployed (N = 248) were drawn from the baseline wave of Operation: SAFETY (Soldiers And Families Excelling Through the Years) an ongoing study examining health among U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard and their partners. Participants were recruited over a 15-month period (Summer 2014 to Fall 2015) from units in New York State. Deployments occurred prior to the baseline wave of the study. Analyses examined the relation between degree of MST exposure during soldiers’ most recent deployment and (i) frequent heavy drinking and (ii) alcohol problems, measured at baseline, controlling for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and age. 17.3% of the male service members reported experiencing MST during their most recent deployment. Further, greater MST exposure was associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in frequent heavy drinking (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] = 1.03, 95% CI [1.01, 1.05]) and experiencing alcohol problems (aRR = 1.03, 95%CI [1.01, 1.06]) at baseline. Findings demonstrate that MST rates are high among male Reserve and National Guard soldiers, and greater MST exposure is associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in frequent heavy drinking and experiencing alcohol problems among a population already at risk for problematic alcohol use.
Abstract Document
Attach