@article{ref1,
title="Combat experience and problem drinking in veterans: exploring the roles of PTSD, coping motives, and perceived stigma",
journal="Addictive behaviors",
year="2016",
author="Miller, Stephen M. and Pedersen, Eric R. and Marshall, Grant N.",
volume="66",
number="",
pages="90-95",
abstract="PURPOSE: The current investigation sought to illustrate the etiology of adverse alcohol consequences in young adult veterans using a path analytic framework. <br><br>METHODS: A total of 312 veterans aged 19-34 were enrolled in a larger intervention study on alcohol use. At baseline, participants completed measures of combat severity, PTSD symptom severity, and drinking motives to cope. At one month follow-up, participants completed measures of perceived stigma of behavioral health treatment seeking and past 30-day alcohol consequences. <br><br>RESULTS: After entering the covariates of age, gender, race/ethnicity, and past year behavioral health treatment utilization, a path analytic model demonstrated a good fit to the data predicting alcohol consequences in this population. Further, a separate exploratory analysis confirmed that both drinking motives to cope and perceived stigma of behavioral health treatment seeking mediated the link between PTSD symptom severity and alcohol consequences. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The current model expands upon prior research showing the relationship between combat severity and alcohol use behavior in young adult veterans. <br><br>RESULTS support the notion that veterans with PTSD symptoms may drink to cope and that perceived stigma surrounding help seeking may further contribute to alcohol related problems.<br><br>Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0306-4603",
doi="10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.11.011",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.11.011"
}