Irizar, P, Leightley, D, Stevelink, S, Rona, R, Jones, N, Gouni, K, Puddephatt, JA, Fear, N, Wessely, S and Goodwin, L (2020) Drinking motivations in UK serving and ex-serving military personnel. Occupational Medicine, 70 (4). pp. 259-267. ISSN 0962-7480

Preview

Text kqaa003.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (150kB) | Preview

Abstract

Background: Drinking motivations within the UK military have not been studied despite the highprevalence of alcohol misuse in this group. Aims: We aimed to characterize drinking motivations andtheir demographic, military and mental health associations in UK serving and ex-serving personnel. Methods: Serving and ex-serving personnel reporting mental health, stress or emotional problems occurring in the last 3 years were selected from an existing cohort study. A semi-structured telephoneinterview survey examined participants' mental health, help-seeking, alcohol use and drinking motivations. Results Exploratory factor analysis of drinking motivations in military personnel (n = 1279; response rate = 84.6) yielded 2 factors, labelled 'drinking to cope' and 'social pressure'. Higher drinking to cope motivations were associated with probable anxiety (rate ratio [RR] = 1.4; 95 confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-1.5), depression (RR = 1.3; 95 CI = 1.2-1.4) and post-traumatic stress disorder (RR = 1.4; 95 CI = 1.3-1.6). Higher social pressure motivations were associated with probable anxiety (odds ratio = 1.1; 95 CI = 1.0-1.1). Alcohol misuse and binge drinking were associated with reporting higher drinking to cope motivations, drinking at home and drinking alone. Conclusions: Amongst military personnel with a stress, emotional or mental health problem, those who drink tocope with mental disorder symptoms or because of social pressure, in addition to those who drink athome or drink alone, are more likely to also drink excessively.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Humans; Occupational Diseases; Alcoholism; Prevalence; Odds Ratio; Adaptation, Psychological; Alcohol Drinking; Anxiety; Motivation; Adult; Middle Aged; Military Personnel; Female; Male; Young Adult; Surveys and Questionnaires; United Kingdom; Alcohol misuse; alcohol motivations; mental health; military personnel; quantitative methods; Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholism; Anxiety; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Military Personnel; Motivation; Occupational Diseases; Odds Ratio; Prevalence; Surveys and Questionnaires; United Kingdom; Young Adult; 4206 Public Health; 42 Health Sciences; Substance Misuse; Alcoholism, Alcohol Use and Health; Behavioral and Social Science; Depression; Mental Illness; Brain Disorders; Mental Health; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Anxiety Disorders; 2.3 Psychological, social and economic factors; 3.1 Primary prevention interventions to modify behaviours or promote wellbeing; Mental health; Cardiovascular; 3 Good Health and Well Being; Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholism; Anxiety; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Military Personnel; Motivation; Occupational Diseases; Odds Ratio; Prevalence; Surveys and Questionnaires; United Kingdom; Young Adult; 1117 Public Health and Health Services; Environmental & Occupational Health; 3505 Human resources and industrial relations; 4206 Public health
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Psychology (from Sep 2019)
Publisher:	Oxford University Press (OUP)
SWORD Depositor:	A Symplectic
Date Deposited:	19 Feb 2025 10:31
Last Modified:	19 Feb 2025 10:31
DOI or ID number:	10.1093/occmed/kqaa003
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/25674

View Item