1. Missed Opportunity for Alcohol Problem Prevention Among Army Active Duty Service Members Postdeployment
- Author
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Nikki R. Wooten, Mary Jo Larson, Thomas V. Williams, Beth A. Mohr, and Rachel Sayko Adams
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Active duty ,Adolescent ,Research and Practice ,Health Status ,Poison control ,Suicide prevention ,Occupational safety and health ,Young Adult ,Risk Factors ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Environmental health ,mental disorders ,Injury prevention ,Humans ,Medicine ,Iraq War, 2003-2011 ,Referral and Consultation ,Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test ,Afghan Campaign 2001 ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Human factors and ergonomics ,Alcoholism ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Mental Health ,Military Personnel ,Health assessment ,Family medicine ,Female ,business - Abstract
Objectives. We identified to what extent the Department of Defense postdeployment health surveillance program identifies at-risk drinking, alone or in conjunction with psychological comorbidities, and refers service members who screen positive for additional assessment or care. Methods. We completed a cross-sectional analysis of 333 803 US Army active duty members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan deployments in fiscal years 2008 to 2011 with a postdeployment health assessment. Alcohol measures included 2 based on self-report quantity-frequency items—at-risk drinking (positive Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test alcohol consumption questions [AUDIT-C] screen) and severe alcohol problems (AUDIT-C score of 8 or higher)—and another based on the interviewing provider’s assessment. Results. Nearly 29% of US Army active duty members screened positive for at-risk drinking, and 5.6% had an AUDIT-C score of 8 or higher. Interviewing providers identified potential alcohol problems among only 61.8% of those screening positive for at-risk drinking and only 74.9% of those with AUDIT-C scores of 8 or higher. They referred for a follow-up visit to primary care or another setting only 29.2% of at-risk drinkers and only 35.9% of those with AUDIT-C scores of 8 or higher. Conclusions. This study identified missed opportunities for early intervention for at-risk drinking. Future research should evaluate the effect of early intervention on long-term outcomes.
- Published
- 2014
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