Alcohol abuse among U.S. Navy recruits who were maltreated in childhood.
OBJECTIVE
To examine relationships between childhood maltreatment and alcohol-related problems among U.S. Navy recruits.


METHODS
An anonymous sample of 5697 Navy recruits completed a survey regarding their alcohol consumption, alcohol problems (binge drinking, drinking until drunk, alcohol dependence, alcohol-related arrests), and experiences of childhood physical and sexual abuse.


RESULTS
Most of the recruits used alcohol, and a substantial proportion reported histories of childhood maltreatment. Recruits who had been victimized as children were more likely to use alcohol. Furthermore, among drinkers, those who had been abused were more likely to exhibit alcohol problems than were non-abused drinkers.


CONCLUSIONS
Substantial numbers of personnel with alcohol-related problems may be using alcohol to self-medicate due to a history of childhood abuse. Attention to the association between alcohol abuse and childhood maltreatment might help improve the efficacy of military alcohol reduction programs.
Trent
Linda
L
Naval Health Research Center, P.O. Box 85122, San Diego, CA 92186-5122, USA. trent@nhrc.navy.mil
Stander
Valerie
V
Thomsen
Cynthia
C
Merrill
Lex
L
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology