Veterans transitioning to civilian life face elevated risks of excessive alcohol use and mental health issues compared to non-Veterans, often continuing drinking behaviors from military service or using alcohol to cope with combat trauma. While Veteran college students encounter both military-related risk factors and typical college drinking pressures, research on their alcohol use patterns remains limited. To fill this gap, the current study aims to examine the relationship between Veteran status and recent alcohol use/binge drinking, and explores how demographics and mental health correlate with drinking behaviors among Veteran students.
This study analyzed data from 78,446 participants in the 2021-2022 Healthy Minds Study (HMS), a web-based survey of post-secondary students, after excluding those with missing data. The dependent variables were past two-week alcohol use (yes/no) and binge drinking (yes/no, defined as 4+/5+ drinks in a row). The independent variable was Veteran status. Additional variables included age, gender, race/ethnicity, and mental health conditions (depression and anxiety assessed via PHQ-9 and GAD-7). Weighted logistic regressions examined: (1) associations between Veteran status and alcohol use, (2) associations between Veteran status and binge drinking among current drinkers, and (3) associations between demographic variables and drinking behaviors among Veteran students.
Veteran status was not significantly associated with either current alcohol use or binge drinking. Among all students, females had higher odds of alcohol use than males, while TGNC students had lower odds. Students aged 21-22 showed the highest odds of alcohol use, and all racial/ethnic minorities had lower odds compared to White students. Students screening positive for depression or anxiety had higher odds of both alcohol use and binge drinking. Within the Veteran sample, age was the primary factor associated with drinking behaviors: Veterans aged 21-22 had the highest odds of alcohol use, while older Veterans (21-22, 26-30, 31+) had lower odds of binge drinking compared to 18-20-year-olds. TGNC Veterans had lower odds of binge drinking than male Veterans, and Asian American/Asian Veterans had higher odds compared to White Veterans.
Takeaway: Veteran status was not significantly associated with alcohol use or binge drinking among college students, while demographic and mental health factors showed stronger associations with drinking behaviors, suggesting that prevention efforts should target high-risk groups.
Lippi, S. L., Buchholz, C., Gray, J. C., Lipson, S. K., & Adams, R. S. (2025). Alcohol use and binge drinking among US college students by military veteran status: Findings from the Healthy Minds study, 2021–2022. Journal of American College Health, 1-9.