Publication year
2017
Citation Title
Alcohol misuse in reserve soldiers and their partners: Cross-spouse effects of deployment and combat exposure.
Journal Name
Substance Use & Misuse
Page Numbers
1-8
DOI
10.1080/10826084.2017.1385632
Summary
Individuals' alcohol use can be impacted by their spouses' alcohol use and certain characteristics their spouses may have. This study considered the impact of deployment and combat exposure on Soldiers' and their spouses' alcohol use. Combat exposure did have an impact on alcohol use for both Soldiers and their spouses.
Key Findings
Among the Soldiers, 19% misused alcohol and on average drank heavily (five or more drinks on an occasion) once per month; 10% of their female spouses misused alcohol and on average drank heavily (four or more drinks on an occasion) a few times per year.
Combat exposure was associated with frequent heavy drinking for both Soldiers and their spouses even after accounting for Soldiers' age, number of deployments, and PTSD symptoms. The relationship between Soldiers' combat exposure and female spouses' frequent heavy drinking was independent of Soldiers' level of drinking.
Soldiers had relatively low rates of combat exposure (score of 32 on a scale of 17-102) and PTSD symptoms (10 on a scale of 0-80).
Number of deployments was not associated with alcohol misuse or frequent heavy drinking for either male Soldiers or their female spouses.
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide education to military couples on the impact of one spouse's experiences and alcohol use on the other spouse
Offer workshops for Service members who have had combat exposure and their spouses to reduce alcohol use and increase other types of coping skills
Provide alcohol misuse screening for military spouses, particularly for those in a relationship with a Service member who has experienced combat
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote the development of an alcohol screening program for Service members who have been exposed to combat and their spouses
Encourage collaboration between DoD and civilian service providers who may work with Reserve and National Guard Service members and their spouses to assist in healthy coping
Recommend professional development for professionals who work with Service members and their spouses regarding the increased alcohol risk in both spouses when the Service member has had combat exposure
Methods
Participants were part of a larger longitudinal study on the health and well-being of Reserve and National Guard soldiers and were recruited in upstate New York.
Researchers attended drills to recruit participants and this resulted in a 78% participation rate with a 56% completion rate. No significant differences were found between participants and non-participants at the screening step.
Data were collected via computer-based, self-report questionnaires either by having participants complete them in person at the university or by sending a secure email to each spouse to complete at home.
Participants
Participants included 248 male Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers and their female spouses; 75% of the couples were married and 25% were cohabiting.
The participants' races/ethnicities were reported for males: 89% White, 4% Black, 10% Latino, and 3% another race/ethnicity; and for females: 89% White, 1% Black, 5% Latina, 4% other race/ethnicity. Most reported having at least some college education (86% of males, 90% of females), and the median income was $60,000-$79,000.
Soldiers reported having an average of 12 years of service and 1.6 deployments. The data included both currently serving Soldiers and Veterans, though no military status data were provided on the participants in this study. No other military information was provided.
Limitations
Data were self-reported which could have limited validity because alcohol use is a sensitive subject and participants may under-report, particularly those with higher levels of use.
The study exclusively focused on male Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers and their female spouses, and therefore cannot be generalized to all Army Reserve or National Guard Soldiers.
The data were cross-sectional and therefore causality could not be determined.
Avenues for Future Research
Consider total amount of time in deployment and/or type of deployment (combat vs. non-combat) rather than number of deployments
Replicate the study with female Soldiers and also with Soldiers who identify as being in a same-sex partnership
Explore the reasons for spouses' heavy drinking to help establish the ways Soldiers' combat exposure might impact spouses' alcohol use
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Background: Military deployment and combat are associated with worse outcomes, including alcohol misuse. Less is known about how these experiences affect soldiers’ spouses. Objective: The study objective was to explore relationships between deployment, combat exposure, and alcohol misuse; especially cross-spouse effects (effect of one partner’s experiences/behavior on the other partner), which has been under-examined in military samples. Methods: U.S. Army Reserve/National Guard soldiers and their partners completed a questionnaire covering physical and mental health, military service and substance use. Negative binomial regression models examined number of deployments and combat exposure individually for alcohol misuse and frequent heavy drinking (FHD). In additional models, we examined combat exposure’s role on alcohol outcomes, controlling for the soldiers’ number of deployments, PTSD symptoms, age, and in cross-spouse models, alcohol use and FHD. We considered individuals’ deployment experiences related to their alcohol outcomes and to their spouses’alcohol outcomes. Results: The study sample included male soldiers with current/lifetime military service (n=248) and their female partners. Combat exposure was related to FHD (RR: 1.01, p<.05, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.01) among male soldiers while controlling for PTSD symptoms, number of deployments, and age. Female partners of male soldiers were more likely to engage in FHD (RR: 1.01, p < .05, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.01) if their spouse experienced combat. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that male soldiers and their spouses are at increased risk of FHD if the soldier experienced combat. This points to the need for better screening, particularly of spouses of soldiers, whose alcohol misuse may be overlooked.
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