The Association Between Alcohol Consumption, Lifetime Alcohol Use Disorder, and Psychiatric Distress Among Male and Female Veterans

Objective:This study aimed to examine among veterans (a) whether alcohol consumption patterns are associated with probability of psychiatric symptoms and (b) whether an alcohol use disorder (AUD) history explains psychiatric symptoms among nondrinkers.Method:Data were collected from 3,003 veterans (20.5% women). Genderstratified logistic models examined the association between alcohol consumption pattern and the odds of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and suicidality. Two types of models were tested: four-group models comparing moderate drinkers to nondrinkers, light, and heavy drinkers; and five-group models separating nondrinkers by AUD history.Results:In four-group models for both genders, compared with moderate drinkers, hazardous drinkers were more likely to have psychiatric symptoms. Among men, nondrinkers were more likely to have symptoms of depression and suicidality but not PTSD. Among women, nondrinkers and light drinkers were more likely to have PTSDsymptoms. In th...