title: Patterns and predictors of alcohol use in male and female urban police officers.
abstract: In a large sample of urban police officers, 18.1% of males and 15.9% of females reported experiencing adverse consequences from alcohol use and 7.8% of the sample met criteria for lifetime alcohol abuse or dependence. Female officers had patterns of alcohol use similar to male officers and substantially more than females in the general population. Critical incident exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were not associated with level of alcohol use. Greater psychiatric symptoms were related to adverse consequences from alcohol use. There was a noteworthy gender by work stress interaction: greater routine work stress related to lower current alcohol use in female officers.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ballenger
authors.forename: Suzanne R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Best
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Metzler
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Wasserman
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mohr
authors.forename: Akiva
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liberman
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Delucchi
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fagan
authors.forename: Angela E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Waldrop
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Marmar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016495:Police / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D014505:Urban Population