Alcohol Misuse in the Military: Unique Risks and Treatments
This paper examines alcohol misuse as a distinctive problem within the U.S. military population. It traces rising rates of heavy and binge drinking among military personnel from 1998 to 2008, identifying the cultural, psychological, and situational factors — including PTSD, military sexual trauma, combat exposure, and the isolating nature of military life — that contribute to elevated misuse compared to the general U.S. population. The paper contrasts military and civilian cultures to explain divergent health patterns, then evaluates several evidence-based treatment approaches suited to military personnel, including web-based interventions, workplace culture reform, cognitive behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing.
- Introduction: Military as special population requiring unique alcohol analysis
- The Effect of Alcohol on the Military: Rising heavy and binge drinking rates among military personnel
- Unique Problems and Considerations: PTSD, MST, and culture as drivers of military alcohol misuse
- The Military Compared to the Overall U.S. Population: Military versus civilian health patterns and cultural differences
- Best Treatment Practices for Alcohol Misuse in the Military: CBT, web interventions, and motivational interviewing evaluated
- Conclusion: Summary of military alcohol problem and treatment recommendations
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What makes this paper effective
- Grounds claims consistently in peer-reviewed sources, citing specific statistics (e.g., binge drinking rising from 35% to 47% over ten years) to give quantitative weight to qualitative arguments.
- Maintains a clear comparative framework throughout, contrasting military and civilian populations to reveal why military-specific interventions are necessary.
- Balances breadth and depth by moving logically from problem identification through causal analysis to actionable treatment recommendations.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective synthesis of multiple empirical sources around a single organizing argument. Rather than summarizing each study in isolation, the author weaves together findings on PTSD, intimate partner violence, demographic differences in therapy effectiveness, and cultural factors into a coherent explanatory narrative about military alcohol misuse. This integrative approach is a hallmark of graduate-level literature-based argumentation.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a scoped introduction establishing the military as a special population. It then develops the problem empirically, isolates unique contributing factors, draws a sustained civilian-versus-military comparison, and closes with a practical treatment section that critically evaluates specific modalities — including the limits of motivational interviewing for certain demographics. The conclusion synthesizes the core findings without introducing new material.
Introduction
The military is a special population with its own culture and code of ethics. Its veterans have access to dedicated VA hospitals, and society broadly recognizes a distinct difference between civilian and military life. The effect of alcohol on the military, therefore, requires unique consideration outside the realm of investigations into alcohol's effects on mainstream America. This paper describes the effect of alcohol on the military, identifies unique problems and considerations that apply to this population, and compares and contrasts the military to the overall U.S. population with respect to alcohol misuse. It concludes with a description of best treatment practices for issues specifically relevant to military personnel.
The Effect of Alcohol on the Military
The military population is not without its vulnerability to alcohol consumption. As Pemberton et al. (2011) note, "the U.S. military has traditionally had high rates of alcohol misuse and alcohol-related problems" (p. 480). Why this should be so, however, is less clear. A number of related factors add to the stresses of military life — in combat zones as well as on bases both abroad and domestic. Together, these factors combine with a culture substantially different from civilian life (with its own military tribunals, laws, barracks, and customs) to create a challenging environment for soldiers and military personnel attempting to maintain sobriety. The expansion of theaters of war since 9/11 and the constant state of alert of the U.S. military also play a role in the effect that alcohol has on military personnel.
Bray, Brown, and Williams (2013) show that over a ten-year span from 1998 to 2008, military personnel "showed significant increases in heavy drinking (15% to 20%) and binge drinking (35% to 47%)" (p. 799). The impact on individuals participating in such heavy or binge drinking has been significant as well, with 9% of binge drinkers experiencing "serious consequences" and 19% of heavy drinkers suffering some form of negative ramification as a result of over-consumption (p. 799). Moreover, personnel with high combat exposure are reported as having even higher rates of binge and heavy drinking, indicating that alcohol consumption patterns are aggravated by a history of combat. The "serious consequences" range from social to physical to psychological issues, including localized incidents such as fighting, self-injury, or physical illness. Furthermore, such consumption can establish a dependency that stays with a service member even after leaving the military and transitioning back into civilian life, complicating that transition and adding to feelings of isolation.
Yet these habits are not always acquired in the military; sometimes they are brought in and simply worsened there as a result of excessive down time and insufficient cultural outlets unrelated to alcohol consumption. Hanwella, Silva, and Jayasekera (2012) note that "alcohol misuse is more prevalent among military populations" because military personnel are "significantly influenced by alcohol consumption patterns among the general population" and also have "access to alcohol and attitudes about alcohol use" that are shaped by "poorer psychological health and functional impairment" (p. 1). In other words, the military can act as an environment that intensifies destructive behaviors and habits already established in individuals prior to enlistment.
References
Bray, R., Brown, J., & Williams, J. (2013). Trends in binge and heavy drinking, alcohol-related problems, and combat exposure in the U.S. military. Substance Use and Misuse, 48(10), 799–810.
Burns, B., Grindlay, K., & Holt, K. (2014). Military sexual trauma among U.S. servicewomen during deployment: A qualitative study. American Journal of Public Health, 104(2), 345–349.
Foran, H., et al. (2012). Hazardous alcohol use and intimate partner violence in the military: Understanding protective factors. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 26(3), 471–483.
Hanwella, R., Silva, V., & Jayasekera, N. (2012). Alcohol use in a military population deployed in combat areas: A cross-sectional study. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy, 7(24), 1–7.
Hoerster, K., et al. (2012). Health and health behavior differences: U.S. military, veteran, and civilian men. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 43(5), 483–489.
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Miller, W. R., & Rose, G. S. (2009). Toward a theory of motivational interviewing. American Psychologist, 64(6), 527–537.
Morean, M., & Cooney, J. (2015). Positive drinking consequences are associated with alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among veterans seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder. Substance Use and Misuse, 50(11), 1383–1389.
Pemberton, M., et al. (2011). Evaluation of two web-based alcohol interventions in the U.S. military. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 72(3), 480–489.
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