https://aub.ie/MilitaryREACH-Hoopsick2022

Hoopsick, R. A., Homish, D. L., Lawson, S. C., & Homish, G. G. (2022). Drug use over time among never-deployed US Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers: The longitudinal effects of non-deployment emotions and sex. Stress & Health, 38(5), 1045-1057. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3156

Because Army Reserve and National Guard Service members are less likely to deploy and more likely to report drug use compared to active-duty Service members, this study examined negative nondeployment emotions (e.g., guilt over not being deployed, feelings of less connection to their unit) as a correlate of drug use (i.e., tobacco use, nonmedical use of prescription drugs, cannabis use, and use of other illicit drugs). Among a sample of 182 Army Reserve and National Guard Service members who had never deployed, the association between negative nondeployment emotions and subsequent drug use 1, 2, and 3 years later was examined after accounting for demographics (e.g., age). Overall, negative nondeployment emotions were generally not related to drug use over time, with one notable exception. Nondeployment negative emotions were associated with the nonmedical use of prescription drugs among men.

https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3156

Substance use
Deployment
Couples

Army

Reserve
Guard

Spouse of service member or veteran
Guard/Reserve member

Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)

Quantitative Study
Longitudinal Study

Hoopsick, Rachel A., Homish, D. Lynn, Lawson, Schuyler C., Homish, Gregory G.

Some US military service members who have never been deployed experience negative emotions related to never having been deployed, and some work shows these non-deployment emotions (NDE) are cross-sectionally associated with hazardous drinking for male, but not female, US Army Reserve/National Guard (USAR/NG) soldiers. However, it is not known if these effects extend to drug use or persist longitudinally, which is the focus of the current study. We conducted a longitudinal residual change analysis of a subset of data (N = 182 never-deployed soldiers) from Operation: SAFETY, an ongoing survey-based study of USAR/NG soldiers recruited from units across New York State. Outcome measures included current tobacco use, non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD), current cannabis use, and other current illicit drug use (excluding cannabis) at four time points over a 3-year period. Results from bootstrapped residual change generalized estimating equation (GEE) models show that more negative NDE were longitudinally associated with a greater likelihood of current NMUPD among male, but not female, soldiers (p < 0.05). NDE were not longitudinally associated with current tobacco use, cannabis use, or other illicit drug use among male or female soldiers (ps > 0.05). NDE may contribute to ongoing NMUPD among male USAR/NG soldiers who have never been deployed. Never-deployed soldiers, especially those with negative emotions related to never having been deployed, should not be overlooked in military screening and intervention efforts.

Wiley Online

Article
REACH Publication

Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, RAH
Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, DLH
Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, SCL
Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, GGH