Prescription Drug Misuse Among US Active Duty Military Personnel: A Secondary Analysis of the 2008 DoD Survey of Health Related Behaviors

Objectives: This study identifies predictors of prescription drug misuse among U.S. active duty service members (ADSM). The 2008 Department of Defense Survey of Health-Related Behaviors (BRB) Among Active Duty Military Personnel indicated that ADSM misuse pain relievers, tranquilizers, sedatives, and stimulants at levels ranging from 2% to 17%. Methods: Secondary, multivariate analyses of HRB survey data examined predictors of self-reported prescription drug misuse for 4 distinct drug categories. Results: Receipt of a pain reliever prescription in the past month, year, or previous year were strong predictors (adjusted odds ratio above 2.0) of misuse for all drug categories; receipt of a prescription for anxiety or depression medication in the past year was the strongest predictor of sedative misuse (adjusted odds ratio = 4.46, 95% confidence intervals 3.18-6.24). Absence of a drug testing program was significantly related to the likelihood of drug misuse for all drug categories. Conclusions: ADSM with a history of treatment for pain and mood disorders, and who self-report headaches, sleep disorders, and fatigue are at higher risk for misusing prescription drugs, perhaps in an effort to self-manage symptoms. The results should be interpreted as a starting place for future exploration, not as the sole basis for policy or program development.