Characterizing binge drinking among U.S. military Veterans receiving a brief alcohol intervention

BackgroundBrief web-based alcohol interventions (BAIs) are effective for reducing binge drinking in college students and civilian adults, and are increasingly being applied to U.S. military populations. However, little is known about factors associated with binge drinking in Veteran populations and therefore some concern remains on the generalizability of studies supporting BAIs for addressing binge drinking in this population. This study sought to better understand the characteristics (e.g., demographic, coping related mental health factors, prior exposure to traumatic events, and factors assessing motivation to change alcohol use) of a predominantly male sample of binge drinking Veterans receiving a BAI from a VA provider.MethodsA primarily male (93.5%) sample (N = 554) of Veterans completed a BAI consisting of brief assessment and personalized feedback.ResultsWe found that Veterans who were younger, used drugs/alcohol to cope with symptoms of PTSD and depression (e.g., nightmares and flashbacks and sleep difficulties), and had experienced sexual assault, had higher self-reported peak blood alcohol concentration and a higher likelihood for a binge drinking episode in the last 90 days.ConclusionsBAIs may be a promising approach for addressing binge drinking in Veterans. However, binge drinking among a sample of mostly male Veterans receiving a BAI may be associated with a complex set of factors that are less prevalent in the college student population and thus studies demonstrating the efficacy of BAIs with Veterans are needed.

Research Highlights
► Binge drinking is common among alcohol misusing Veterans in outpatient mental health settings.
► This population of Veterans may binge drink to cope with the uncomfortable emotional experiences.
► Binge drinking Veterans report wanting to change alcohol use but low confidence to do so.
► BAIs may be a promising approach for addressing binge drinking in some Veterans.