Military installations worldwide encourage service members and their
Families to learn their drinking IQ: Anonymous, free alcohol assessment
and education available year-round by phone or online.
In recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month, the Department of Defense
will offer free, anonymous assessment tools online throughout the month
of April in an effort to educate service members and their Families on
the symptoms and signs of alcohol abuse. These tools are designed to
educate military personnel about the potential risks associated with
alcohol use and help them make informed decisions about their drinking
behaviors. In an effort to raise awareness of these and other resources
available to service personnel and their Families, the military is
promoting a new website, www.DrinkingIQ.org, at installations worldwide.
Every year, millions of Americans - one in every 13 adults - suffer from
alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. Millions more drink at times or in
ways that can place themselves or others at risk.
Military personnel and their Families may also be susceptible to alcohol
misuse because of the stresses associated with deployment. A new study
released by the University of Minnesota and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) last month revealed that alcohol abuse is a
problem among active-duty military personnel and is strongly associated
with many health and social problems, just as it is in the general
public.
The assessment and education tools are offered through the Mental Health
Self-Assessment Program(r) (MHSAP), a voluntary, anonymous mental health
and alcohol self-assessment and referral program offered to military
Families and service members. In an effort to raise awareness of
responsible drinking, MHSAP has distributed promotional materials
including posters and sports water bottles to military installation
fitness centers and alcohol programs. The materials direct service
personnel and their Families to a new website, www.DrinkingIQ.org, which
connects users to the online tools available at no cost 24 hours a day,
seven days a week.
"Providing service members and their Families with information and
resources empowers them to learn the potential risks associated with
drinking and determine if they or a loved one may need to seek
appropriate support," said Col. Joyce Adkins, Ph.D, MPH, Department of
Defense, Office of Health Affairs. "Research indicates that brief
interventions for drinking problems can be an effective treatment for
some alcohol use disorders without the need for further clinical
intervention."
In addition to offering alcohol assessment and education tools
year-round, the MHSAP program offers self-assessments for Posttraumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and
bipolar disorder. To learn more or to complete an assessment tool, go
to http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/military/
About the Mental Health Self-Assessment Program (MHSAP) MHSAP gives
service personnel and their Families the opportunity to learn more about
mental health and alcohol use through anonymous self-assessments offered
online, via the phone, and through special events held at installations.
The program is designed to help individuals identify their own symptoms
and access assistance before a problem becomes serious. The
self-assessments address posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
depression, generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol use, and bipolar
disorder. After completing a self-assessment, individuals receive
referral information including services provided through the Department
of Defense and Veterans Affairs. MHSAP is a program of the non-profit
Screening for Mental Health(r) and is fully funded by Force Health
Protection and Readiness, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense,
Health Affairs. To take a free, anonymous self-assessment, visit
www.MilitaryMentalHealth.org or call 1-877-877-3647.
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