Treating Alcohol Misuse among US Veterans

What is it about?

Alcohol use disorders, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently coexist among US Veterans. In the current study we examined whether valproate was more effective than naltrexone (an active comparator) to prevent relapse into heavy drinking among a group of Veterans admitted to outpatient rehabilitation treatment. We did not find significant differences between the valproate and naltrexone group in the time to relapse to alcohol misuse. A history of moderate to severe TBI, however, was associated with poor treatment outcomes.

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Why is it important?

Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) are particularly frequent among US Veterans. They seldom occur in isolation and coexist with other conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mood and anxiety disorders and other forms of substance misuse (e.g. tobacco, cannabis and stimulant use disorders). In addition, a significant proportion of Veterans has a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI).There is a need to develop pharmacological options to treat AUD in this population. Furthermore, coexistent TBI and PTSD may influence treatment response and require a personalized treatment approach.

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