The relationship of social background variables and combat stress to drug usage in Vietnam

Abstract

The relationship of pre-service and in-service social background variables, and combat stress to the usage of drugs in Vietnam was investigated. The life stress hypothesis that the high prevalence of drug usage by those in the lower social class is due to the greater incidence of life stress to which they are exposed was tested by examining its generalizability to combat stress. In general, lower social class was found to be related to any drug use pre-service, in-service, and in Vietnam. The extension of the relationship of the non-life threatening stress of lower social class with any drug use to an association of life threatening stress with any drug use was not supported. However, further analyses supported a stress specificity hypothesis of drug use. The traumatic life threatening stress of combat was found to be related to the usage of uppers and the non-life threatening stress of lower social class was related to the usage of downers and narcotics.