Substance use & misuse
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Substance use & misuse · Jul 2013
Observational StudyRationale and methods of the Substance Use and Psychological Injury Combat Study (SUPIC): a longitudinal study of Army service members returning from deployment in FY2008-2011.
The Substance Use and Psychological Injury Combat Study (SUPIC) will examine whether early detection and intervention for post-deployment problems among Army Active Duty and National Guard/Reservists returning from Iraq or Afghanistan are associated with improved long-term substance use and psychological outcomes. This paper describes the rationale and significance of SUPIC, and presents demographic and deployment characteristics of the study sample (N = 643,205), and self-reported alcohol use and health problems from the subsample with matched post-deployment health assessments (N = 487,600). This longitudinal study aims to provide new insight into the long-term post-deployment outcomes of Army members by combining service member data from the Military Health System and Veterans Health Administration.
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Substance use & misuse · Jul 2013
Prescription opioid initiation, correlates, and consequences among a sample of OEF/OIF military personnel.
Prescription opioid (PO) misuse represents a major health risk for many service members and veterans. This paper examines the pathways to misuse among a sample of U. S. veterans who recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan to low-income, predominately minority sections of New York City. ⋯ Most PO misusers initiated use subsequent to PO use for pain management, an iatrogenic pathway. However, most PO users did not misuse them. Veterans that misused POs were more likely to have other reintegration problems including drug and alcohol use disorders, traumatic brain injury (TBI), unemployment, and homelessness.
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Substance use & misuse · Jul 2013
Traumatic brain injury among U.S. active duty military personnel and negative drinking-related consequences.
This study used the 2008 Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors among Active Duty Military Personnel to determine whether traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with past year drinking-related consequences. The study sample included currently drinking personnel who had a combat deployment in the past year and were home for ≥6 months (N = 3,350). ⋯ Experiencing a TBI with a loss of consciousness for more than 20 minutes was significantly associated with consequences independent of demographics, combat exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder, and binge drinking. The study's limitations are noted.
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Substance use & misuse · Jul 2013
Clinical TrialCatch, treat, and release: Veteran Treatment Courts address the challenges of returning home.
After a decade of war, there is a great need for treatment and alternatives to incarceration for justice-involved veterans. U. ⋯ These problem solving courts provide access to treatment and motivation for engagement. Preliminary evidence from a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration-funded evaluation suggests that significant improvements in posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use are just a few of the positive outcomes that these courts may help veterans achieve.
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Substance use & misuse · Jul 2013
Introduction to the special issue: drugs, wars, military personnel, and veterans.
This special issue examines major structural, sociocultural, and behavioral issues surrounding substance use and misuse among U. S. military personnel and veterans who served in recent military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This introduction provides a brief historical review of the US's experiences of the linkages between war and substance use, misuse, and abuse. It then describes how the various topics covered in this issue span the military-veteran life course and explains the significance of each contribution.