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The Single Service Member: Substance Use, Stress, and Mental Health Issues

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Risk and Resilience in U.S. Military Families

Abstract

This chapter examines health behaviors of single service members in relation to married service members residing with their spouses and married service members who have deployed without their spouses. Findings drawn from the 2005 Department of Defense (DoD) Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Active Duty Military Personnel (HRB Survey) show that single service members are at highest risk for substance use and mental health issues. In addition, married service members stationed in locations where they are not able to be accompanied by their spouses (e.g., deployments to combat locations, unaccompanied tours) begin to behave like single service members with regards to higher levels of alcohol, drug, and tobacco use and show similar mental health issues including rates of depression, posttraumatic stress, and suicidal behaviors. Policy implications for addressing these issues are also discussed.

The views, opinions, and findings contained in this report are those of the authors and should not be construed as an official Department of Defense position, policy, or decision, unless so designated by other official documentation. Preparation of this chapter was supported by internal funds at RTI International. The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of Michael Witt in conducting the statistical analyses and Justin Faerber for editorial assistance for this chapter.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Division, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA

    Robert M. Bray

Authors
  1. Robert M. Bray
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  2. James L. Spira
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  3. Marian E. Lane
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert M. Bray .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Child Development & Family Studies, Purdue University, Gates Rd. 101, West Lafayette, 47907, Indiana, USA

    Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth

  2. Health Sciences, Dept. Medical & Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the, Jones Bridge Road 4301, Bethesda, 20814-4799, Maryland, USA

    David Riggs

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Bray, R.M., Spira, J.L., Lane, M.E. (2011). The Single Service Member: Substance Use, Stress, and Mental Health Issues. In: Wadsworth, S., Riggs, D. (eds) Risk and Resilience in U.S. Military Families. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7064-0_16

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