Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Volume 108, Issue 1 , Pages 37-42 , 1 April 2010

Alcohol misuse and functional impairment in the UK Armed Forces: A population-based study

  • Roberto J. Rona

      Affiliations

    • King's College London, King's Centre for Military Health Research, Weston Education Centre, London SE5 9RJ, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +44 207 848 5049; fax: +44 207 848 5408.
  • ,
  • Margaret Jones

      Affiliations

    • King's College London, King's Centre for Military Health Research, Weston Education Centre, London SE5 9RJ, UK
  • ,
  • Nicola T. Fear

      Affiliations

    • King's College London, Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, Weston Education Centre, London SE5 9RJ, UK
  • ,
  • Lisa Hull

      Affiliations

    • King's College London, King's Centre for Military Health Research, Weston Education Centre, London SE5 9RJ, UK
  • ,
  • Matthew Hotopf

      Affiliations

    • King's College London, King's Centre for Military Health Research, Weston Education Centre, London SE5 9RJ, UK
  • ,
  • Simon Wessely

      Affiliations

    • King's College London, King's Centre for Military Health Research, Weston Education Centre, London SE5 9RJ, UK

Received 7 August 2009 ,Revised 10 November 2009 ,Accepted 11 November 2009.

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PII: S0376-8716(09)00423-2

doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2009.11.014

Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Volume 108, Issue 1 , Pages 37-42 , 1 April 2010