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HIGHLIGHTS
- Risky drinking can affect Service Member health, daily performance and readiness, while barriers can limit use of formal care.
- Abt is testing a 12-week, virtual SMART Recovery program through a randomized controlled trial.
- The study will show whether peer-led SMART Recovery can reduce risky drinking and strengthen readiness and resilience.
PROJECT
SMART Recovery for Military Service Members: A Peer-Supported, Evidence-Informed Approach to Reducing Substance Use and Improving Readiness
The Challenge
Risky alcohol use remains a concern across the U.S. Armed Forces as it can affect health, relationships, duty performance, retention and military readiness.
Yet many Service Members do not start or stay in formal treatment. Practical barriers—like scheduling, relocations, limited appointments and concerns about confidentiality—can make care harder to access.
Peer support could offer another path. Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART Recovery) combines peer connection with practical skills for managing urges, stress and behavior. In this study, the program will be facilitated by Veterans who are trained and experienced in leading SMART Recovery groups. The program has not been formally tested among active-duty Service Members.
The Approach
With funding from the Department of War (DoW), awarded through the Defense Health Agency, Abt is conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with active-duty Service Members who report risky drinking. Participants will come from the Millennium Cohort Study, a long-running study of military health and well-being, and builds on Abt’s longstanding work.
The study will measure alcohol use, motivation, self-efficacy, readiness and resilience. The research team will also study meeting attendance, participant satisfaction and program delivery. The team will connect new findings with earlier Millennium Cohort Study data to identify factors linked to engagement and outcomes.
The Results
The study will show whether SMART Recovery can reduce risky drinking and strengthen readiness among active-duty Service Members, as well as whether virtual, peer-led delivery works across duty locations. If SMART Recovery is effective, it could give military and veteran health systems a low-cost, easy-to-access option that does not require clinical staff.
This work was supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and the Defense Health Agency J9, Research and Development Directorate, or the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, in the amount of $1,836,640, through the Broad Agency Announcement for Extramural Medical Research (HT942523SBAA1) under Award No. HT9425261E492. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of War.
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