Military Children at Higher Risk for Substance Use Disorders

A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association Pediatrics states that children of active-duty military members have an increased risk of developing a substance use disorder. This study adds to a vast amount of research available on this specific topic.

The study analyzed data from a state-administered survey to over 630,000 California children between the ages of 12 and 18. Over 50,000 of these children identified as being children of military members. The survey included questions on weapon use, violence, bullying and drug use.

About 45 percent of the military children admitted to consuming alcohol, while the non-military children came in around 39 percent. They also found the military children experienced more bullying and were more prone to bringing a weapon on school grounds. The researchers believe these higher rates of substance use may be due to bullying, being worried about the danger of their parent(s) or the stress from multiple moves throughout their lifetimes.

Research like this is important to recognize because having knowledge of the risk of substance use disorders in certain groups may make it easier to recognize and prevent.