title: Military Combat Deployments and Substance Use: Review and Future Directions.
abstract: Iraq and Afghanistan veterans experience extreme stressors and injuries during deployments, witnessing and participating in traumatic events. The military has organized prevention and treatment programs as a result of increasing suicides and posttraumatic stress disorder among troops; however, there is limited research on how to intervene with alcohol misuse and drug use that accompany these problems. This review presents statistics about post-deployment substance use problems and comorbidities, and discusses the military's dual role in 1) enforcing troop readiness with its alcohol and drug policies and resiliency-building programs, and 2) seeking to provide treatment to troops with combat-acquired problems including substance abuse.
authors.affiliation: Senior Scientist, Heller School, Institute for Behavioral Health, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Mary Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Nikki R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Wooten
authors.forename: Rachel Sayko
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Elizabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Merrick