# Substance Use in Reservists:  Social and Environmental Influences

> **NIH NIH R01** · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO · 2022 · $578,090

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
This renewal application will build off of the success of the currently funded R01 by focusing on two highly
prevalent, yet understudied, experiences: soldiers who have never deployed and those who are separating
from the military. Substance abuse is one of the most common health problems among military personnel
overall1 and tends to be even higher among reservists compared to active duty.2, 3 Research on the military
has focused on the effects of deployment and combat, yet a significant proportion of reserve soldiers are never
deployed.4, 5 Deployment is an important part of soldier identity; therefore, non-deployment may contribute to
feelings of guilt and decreased connectedness with one's unit, which, in turn, can increase risk for negative
outcomes.6 For example, in a study of 1.3 million veterans, suicide risk was higher among veterans who had
never deployed.7 Separation from the military can also be stressful for service members and their spouses,
and may contribute to increased substance use.8, 9 We have found cross-sectional evidence that former
service members, compared to current reservists, have higher rates of substance use and dependence,10 and
that both reservists who have left the military with negative health issues and their spouses are more approving
of substance use than current reservists.11 Given our current project, we are uniquely positioned to examine
changes in substance use and mental health among both soldiers and their spouses in our sample during the
separation transition period. We propose three additional yearly assessments using an encrypted web-based
survey. The scientific premise for this work is strong, building off of the on-going successful project and
utilizing an adapted social ecological framework, specifically designed to address the military context.12 The
use of validated and reliable measures, a proven survey methodology, and sophisticated longitudinal data
analysis demonstrate a high level of rigor. We propose to accomplish the following specific aims: 1. To
examine longitudinal changes in substance use (alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, nonmedical use of prescription
drugs (NMUPD)) related to under-examined military experiences: a) never being deployed and b) the transition
to civilian life following separation from the military. 2. To examine how individual-, relationship-, and
community-level factors interact with these under-examined military experiences to influence changes in
substance use over time. 3. To examine possible mechanisms (e.g., substance use norms and conflicts with
soldier identity) linking these under-examined experiences with substance use over time. 4. To examine how
changes in substance use interact with these under-examined experiences to influence intimate partner
relationship functioning (verbal, physical and sexual intimate partner violence, and marital satisfaction). Given
a strong foundation to build from, these new aims will, in a cost- and time-efficient manner...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10456307
- **Project number:** 5R01DA034072-10
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO
- **Principal Investigator:** Gregory G. Homish
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $578,090
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2013-06-01 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10456307

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10456307, Substance Use in Reservists:  Social and Environmental Influences (5R01DA034072-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10456307. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*