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Depression and binge-drinking more common among military partners
New research from King’s College London suggests that depression and binge-drinking are more common among the female partners of UK military personnel than among comparable women outside the military community.
Researchers collected data from 405 women in military families with at least one child. A screening tool was used to identify depression. Drinking behaviours were also recorded through a self-reported screening tool. The research found that 7% of the military partners met criteria for probable depression, compared to 3% of women from the general population and 9.7% of military partners reported episodes of weekly, daily or almost daily binge-drinking, compared to 8.9% from the general population.
After controlling for other factors linked to poor alcohol behaviours, the research found military partners were twice as likely to binge-drink as women in the general population. Overall, military partners reported consuming alcohol less frequently than women in the general population but reported binge-drinking more often. Binge- drinking was significantly higher when families
were separated for more than 2 months due to deployment.
The study authors comment that military families experience various unique challenges, such as frequently moving location and the stress and separation caused by deployment. They hypothesize that binge-drinking may reflect poor coping strategies used by military partners during the long absences of serving personnel from the family home.
The researchers say that binge-drinking represents an important public health issue for the military community. They urge development of campaigns to reduce alcohol use in military families, suggesting that programmes which successfully tackle dangerous drinking among Service personnel could be extended to their partners.
Source: Mental health outcomes and alcohol consumption among UK military spouses/partners: a comparison with women in the general population. Rachael Gribble, Laura Goodwin & Nicola T. Fear. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10:1
Researchers collected data from 405 women in military families with at least one child. A screening tool was used to identify depression. Drinking behaviours were also recorded through a self-reported screening tool. The research found that 7% of the military partners met criteria for probable depression, compared to 3% of women from the general population and 9.7% of military partners reported episodes of weekly, daily or almost daily binge-drinking, compared to 8.9% from the general population.
After controlling for other factors linked to poor alcohol behaviours, the research found military partners were twice as likely to binge-drink as women in the general population. Overall, military partners reported consuming alcohol less frequently than women in the general population but reported binge-drinking more often. Binge- drinking was significantly higher when families
were separated for more than 2 months due to deployment.
The study authors comment that military families experience various unique challenges, such as frequently moving location and the stress and separation caused by deployment. They hypothesize that binge-drinking may reflect poor coping strategies used by military partners during the long absences of serving personnel from the family home.
The researchers say that binge-drinking represents an important public health issue for the military community. They urge development of campaigns to reduce alcohol use in military families, suggesting that programmes which successfully tackle dangerous drinking among Service personnel could be extended to their partners.
Source: Mental health outcomes and alcohol consumption among UK military spouses/partners: a comparison with women in the general population. Rachael Gribble, Laura Goodwin & Nicola T. Fear. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10:1
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