AI Article Synopsis

  • Alcohol-induced blackouts are common among veterans, with 53% experiencing them in the past year, especially among those who drink hazardously (68%).
  • Racial discrimination is a major predictor of these blackouts, while drinking quantity and drug use showed significance only in earlier stages of analysis.
  • Blackouts are linked to higher rates of depression symptoms, but not PTSD, suggesting that racial discrimination impacts mental health more significantly than immediate alcohol-related issues like blackouts.

Article Abstract

Background: Alcohol-induced blackouts have been associated concurrently and prospectively with alcohol-related harm. Although rates of heavy drinking among military samples tend to be comparable or higher than rates among civilian samples, the prevalence and correlates of blackout in the military population are understudied.

Methods: Veterans (N = 241, 29% female, 39% Black) reported on their alcohol consumption and mental health as part of a larger health-related study among veterans. In this secondary analysis, we tested theoretically and empirically informed predictors (gender, drinking quantity, and other drug use) and consequences [depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)] of alcohol-induced blackout. Given the diversity of the sample, potential roles of racial/ethnic discrimination and drinking to cope in alcohol-induced blackout were also tested.

Results: Past-year prevalence of alcohol-induced blackout was 53% among veterans who drank alcohol and 68% among those who screened positive for hazardous drinking. Everyday experience of racial discrimination was the strongest concurrent predictor of alcohol-induced blackout. Drinking quantity and use of other drugs were significant correlates only in bivariate models. Controlling for gender, race, drinking quantity, other drug use, and discrimination, blackout frequency was significantly associated with symptoms of depression, but not symptoms of PTSD. Both blackout and racial discrimination were associated with drinking to cope.

Conclusions: The prevalence and correlates of alcohol-induced blackout among veterans are largely consistent with those documented in civilian and young adult populations. Among racially diverse groups, racial discrimination may be more strongly associated with mental health symptoms than alcohol consumption or acute alcohol consequences such as blackout.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9992316PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/acer.15002DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

alcohol-induced blackout
24
prevalence correlates
12
drinking quantity
12
racial discrimination
12
blackout
10
correlates alcohol-induced
8
alcohol consumption
8
mental health
8
quantity drug
8
discrimination associated
8

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!