By the Numbers - Nov. 7, 2016

By the Numbers - Nov. 7, 2016

31.5%

The percentage of military wives who reported instances of binge drinking within the previous 30 days, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration -- Spouses and Children of U.S. Military Personnel: Substance Use and Mental Health Profile from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. (Binge drinking is defined as having four or more drinks on a single occasion.)  

The percentage among all married women is 22.7%, the SAMHSA report noted.

The difference in drinking and binge drinking rates between military wives and all married women may attributable to the fact that military wives tend to be younger (more military wives were in the 18 to 25 age group than most married women aged 18 to 49 ). People in 18 to 25 age group generally more likely to drink and binge drink than people in other age groups.

Other than the binge drinking statistic, the report indicated that military wives (women ages 18 to 49) and children (ages 12 to 17) tended to "have substance use and mental illness rates similar to corresponding age groups in the general population."

Lipari, R. N., Forsyth, B., Bose, J., Kroutil, L. A., & Lane, M. E. (2016, November). Spouses and children of U.S. military personnel: Substance use and mental health profile from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. NSDUH Data Review. Retrieved from: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-MilitaryFamily-2015/NSDUH-MilitaryFamily-2015.htm

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