4th Edition of Psychiatry and Addiction World Conference 2026

Abstract

Background: Military personnel, given the sensitive and high-risk nature of their work, are expected to refrain from the regular consumption of mood-altering substances such as alcohol. However, empirical data on prevalence and specific occupational risk factors, such as peacekeeping deployment, are scarce in resource-constrained settings such as Ghana, making it difficult to quantify the extent of the problem.
Aim: We aimed to ascertain the prevalence and predictors of alcohol use among military personnel in three selected military bases in the Secondi-Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a multistage sampling technique. The Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) and the Drinking Motives Questionnaire (DMQ) were used for data collection. Data was collected via Kobo Collect and analyzed in R. Descriptive statistics summarized the data, while chi-square tests and binary logistic regression examined associations. The primary outcome was daily alcohol use (versus non-daily use) among current drinkers.
Results: The prevalence of current alcohol use was 73.8%. Among users, 69.6% (133/191) reported daily use. Bivariate analyses indicated significant associations between regular alcohol use and number of peacekeeping missions, education level, psychological relief, and socio-emotional motivations (P < 0.05). In adjusted models, tertiary education was associated with lower odds of daily alcohol use compared to secondary education (OR = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.07–0.44). More peacekeeping missions (OR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.03–2.48) and socio-emotional motivations (OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.25–4.03) were associated with higher odds of daily alcohol consumption. Conclusion: Daily alcohol consumption among military personnel who use alcohol in the Secondi-Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana is high. Although our study did not establish causality, the military hierarchy in the Secondi-Takoradi Metropolis could consider tailored-interventions for military personnel with lower education and repeated peacekeeping exposure as they were associated with daily alcohol usage. These interventions could include deployment-sensitive mental health support and coping skills training that target socio-emotional motivations, to help them overcome the tendency for daily alcohol consumption.