Predicting Drug Use in the U.S. Army
Abstract
The present investigation was designed to assess the types of variables associated with different classes of drugs within a sample of enlisted men in the U.S. Army. Consideration was given to a range of explanatory variables (social background, personality, and the military environment), and to the possiblity that the effect of each of these variables might be different for different classes of drugs. In order to hold constant the effects of reported pre-service drug experience, those individuals who reported use of these substances before entering the Army were considered separately from those who reported no civilian use of these substances. This investigation reveals that the correlates of reported illicit drug use among Army personnel are strongly related to characteristics that the individual brings with him to the Army, and do not appear to be strongly related to events the individual encounters after he enters the organization. While these findings appear to suggest that screening mechanisms designed to eliminate the civilian delinquent as a recruit may enhance the Army's efforts to reduce drug use, the low predictability of such screening does not appear to be cost effective.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1976
- Accession Number
- ADA076817
Entities
People
- E. M. Schreiber
- Robert F. Holz
- Ronald G. Bauer
Organizations
- U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences