Alcohol Use After Combat-Acquired Traumatic Brain Injury: What We Know and Don't Know

Abstract

Military personnel engage in unhealthy alcohol use at rates higher than their same-age civilian peers, resulting in negative consequences for the individual and jeopardized force readiness for the armed services. Among those returning from combat deployment, unhealthy drinking might be exacerbated by acute stress reactions and injury, including traumatic brain injury (TBI). Combat-acquired TBI is common among personnel in current conflicts. Although research suggests that impairment due to TBI leads to an increased risk for unhealthy drinking and consequences among civilians, there has been little research to examine whether TBI influences drinking behaviors among military personnel. This article examines TBI and drinking in both civilian and military populations and discusses implications for clinical care and policy.

Keywords:

• alcohol use
• combat-acquired injury
• military deployment
• traumatic brain injury

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the following: Ms. Adams conducted this research with predoctoral fellowship dissertation support from a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA; F31 AA021030) and an institutional training grant from NIAAA (T32 AA007567). Dr. Larson's work was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 DA030150). Ms. Adams acknowledges the support of her dissertation committee, Drs. Mary Jo Larson (chair), Constance M. Horgan, Grant Ritter, John D. Corrigan, and Robert M. Bray, as well as guidance provided by Dr. Laura S. Lorenz.