A brief report on the temporal relations between social functioning and behavioral health among veterans.

Using a four-wave longitudinal design, three competing hypotheses (i.e., social selection, social causation, and reciprocal causation) were tested pertaining to the relation between social functioning and several indices of behavioral health [i.e., post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), distress, and alcohol-related problems] among military veterans exposed to trauma. Across two latent growth curve analyses, data largely supported longitudinal links between improved social functioning and positive behavioral health, often indicating that the improvements in social functioning frequently precede improvements in behavioral health. Overall, findings underscore the merit of directly targeting social functioning as part of mental health treatment among trauma-exposed individuals.

Domains matter: A prospective investigation of traditional feminine gender roles and alcohol use among Latinas.

Scholars suggest traditional feminine gender roles (TFGRs) influence alcohol use among U.S. Latinas, but relevant literature is limited. This two-wave study examined how multi-dimensional internal (i.e., beliefs) and external (i.e., practices) TFGR processes related to drinking among college-bound Latina emerging adults across time. TFGRs characterized by virtue predicted less alcohol engagement, while some TFGR dimensions (e.g., subordinate) predicted more. TFGR practices more strongly predicted cross-sectional alcohol outcomes than TFGR beliefs, although some TFGR beliefs predicted later drinking. These findings highlight the utility of assessing multiple TFGR dimensions and domains to better understand the link between TFGRs and drinking among Latinas.

Alcohol use disorder in active duty service members: Incidence rates over a 19-year period.

Background: Alcohol use is a concerning issue for the military given its potential negative impact on human performance. Limited data are available regarding the incidence of alcohol use disorder in the military, which is critical to understand to evaluate force readiness, as well as for preventative initiatives and treatment planning. The aim was to examine the alcohol use disorder incidence rates (overall and across demographics) among active duty service members from 2001 to 2018. Methods: Data on 208,870 active duty service members between 2001 and 2018 from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database was examined. Incidence rates were analyzed to determine the diagnostic rates of AUD (including both alcohol abuse and dependence), which were then examined by sex, age, service branch, military pay grade, marital status, and race. Results: Incidence rates of AUD in active duty service members (per 1,000 service members) ranged from 6.45 to 10.50 for alcohol abuse and 5.21 to 7.11 for alcohol dependence. Initial diagnoses of new-onset AUD occurred most frequently within 20-24 year-old, white, male, and non-married U.S. Army service members in the enlisted pay grades of E-1 to E-4. Statistically significant differences (p <.001) were found between observed and expected counts across all examined demographic variables. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide a comprehensive examination of AUD incidence rates in an active-duty military population over an extended 18-year period and during the last decade. Incidence rates were higher than expected for alcohol dependence and lower than expected for alcohol abuse. Given the untoward effects of AUD on overall health and force readiness, active-duty service members may benefit from more advanced preventative interventions to decrease incidence rates of AUD over time. Future research should use these data to develop targeted interventions for the demographics at greatest risk.

Development and validation of the Durham Risk Score for estimating suicide attempt risk: A prospective cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, nearly 800,000 individuals die by suicide each year; however, longitudinal prediction of suicide attempts remains a major challenge within the field of psychiatry. The objective of the present research was to develop and evaluate an evidence-based suicide attempt risk checklist [i.e., the Durham Risk Score (DRS)] to aid clinicians in the identification of individuals at risk for attempting suicide in the future. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Three prospective cohort studies, including a population-based study from the United States [i.e., the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) study] as well as 2 smaller US veteran cohorts [i.e., the Assessing and Reducing Post-Deployment Violence Risk (REHAB) and the Veterans After-Discharge Longitudinal Registry (VALOR) studies], were used to develop and validate the DRS. From a total sample size of 35,654 participants, 17,630 participants were selected to develop the checklist, whereas the remaining participants (N = 18,024) were used to validate it. The main outcome measure was future suicide attempts (i.e., actual suicide attempts that occurred after the baseline assessment during the 1- to 3-year follow-up period). Measure development began with a review of the extant literature to identify potential variables that had substantial empirical support as longitudinal predictors of suicide attempts and deaths. Next, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was utilized to identify variables from the literature review that uniquely contributed to the longitudinal prediction of suicide attempts in the development cohorts. We observed that the DRS was a robust prospective predictor of future suicide attempts in both the combined development (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.91) and validation (AUC = 0.92) cohorts. A concentration of risk analysis found that across all 35,654 participants, 82% of prospective suicide attempts occurred among individuals in the top 15% of DRS scores, whereas 27% occurred in the top 1%. The DRS also performed well among important subgroups, including women (AUC = 0.91), men (AUC = 0.93), Black (AUC = 0.92), White (AUC = 0.93), Hispanic (AUC = 0.89), veterans (AUC = 0.91), lower-income individuals (AUC = 0.90), younger adults (AUC = 0.88), and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) individuals (AUC = 0.88). The primary limitation of the present study was its its reliance on secondary data analyses to develop and validate the risk score. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we observed that the DRS was a strong predictor of future suicide attempts in both the combined development (AUC = 0.91) and validation (AUC = 0.92) cohorts. It also demonstrated good utility in many important subgroups, including women, men, Black, White, Hispanic, veterans, lower-income individuals, younger adults, and LGBTQ individuals. We further observed that 82% of prospective suicide attempts occurred among individuals in the top 15% of DRS scores, whereas 27% occurred in the top 1%. Taken together, these findings suggest that the DRS represents a significant advancement in suicide risk prediction over traditional clinical assessment approaches. While more work is needed to independently validate the DRS in prospective studies and to identify the optimal methods to assess the constructs used to calculate the score, our findings suggest that the DRS is a promising new tool that has the potential to significantly enhance clinicians' ability to identify individuals at risk for attempting suicide in the future.

Negative Emotionality Interacts with Trauma Exposure to Prospectively Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms During Firefighters' First 3 Years of Service.

Firefighters (FFs) protect the public despite significant risks to their health and well-being stemming from frequent trauma exposure and other occupational stressors. A minority of FFs develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or related mental health problems, whereas most remain remarkably resilient despite enormous stress. This points toward substantial variability in responses to traumatic stress among FFs. Personality, particularly negative emotionality (NEM), has been shown to predict the development of PTSD in other trauma-exposed populations, yet has not been prospectively studied in relation to PTSD in FFs. The aim of this secondary analysis from a broader study of mental health in FFs was to test whether preemployment NEM predicted PTSD symptom severity over time by influencing how FFs respond to traumatic experiences. In this first prospective study of the development of PTSD symptoms in professional FFs, 322 FFs were recruited from seven urban fire academies across the United States and followed over their first 3 years of fire service. We assessed NEM during the fire academy as well as trauma exposure and both self-reported and clinician-rated PTSD symptoms at 1-, 2-, and 3-year follow-ups. Level of trauma exposure and NEM predicted PTSD symptoms over time, and NEM moderated the effect of trauma exposure on clinician-rated PTSD symptoms across both trauma exposure measures at 1- and 3-year follow-ups, f2 = .03-.10, but not at 2-year follow-up nor for self-reported PTSD symptoms. These findings indicate that NEM, assessed upon entry into a high-risk occupation, is useful in predicting PTSD symptom development.

Dynamics of risk: Recent changes in psychological inflexibility precede subsequent changes in returning US veterans' posttraumatic stress.

OBJECTIVES: As a malleable risk-factor, psychological inflexibility is implicated in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS). Unfortunately, limited research has addressed whether changes in psychological inflexibility are antecedent to changes in PTS severity over time, or whether such changes are mutually dependent. METHODS: Utilizing bivariate latent difference score modeling, this longitudinal study sequenced intraindividual changes in psychological inflexibility and PTS severity within a sample of 305 returning US veterans. Veterans' self-reported psychological inflexibility and PTS severity were assessed quarterly over 1 year. RESULTS: Results indicated that early reductions in psychological inflexibility potentiated later declines in veterans' PTS severity, accounting for veterans' prior levels of psychological inflexibility and PTS severity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the unique role of changes in psychological inflexibility as an important mechanism of change in PTS severity and provide empirical support for an antecedent model of the role of psychological inflexibility in PTS recovery.

Incidence Rates of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Over a 17-Year Period in Active Duty Military Service Members.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects approximately 8% of the general population. The prevalence of PTSD is twice as high in active duty service members and military veterans. Few studies have investigated the incidence rates of PTSD in active duty military personnel. The present study evaluated the incidence of PTSD diagnoses and the differences between demographic factors for service members between 2001 and 2017. Data on 182,400 active duty service members between 2001 and 2017 were drawn from the Defense Medical Epidemiological Database and examined by sex, age, service branch, military pay grade, marital status, and race. From 2001 to 2017, the incidence rates of PTSD in the active force (per 1,000 service members) steadily climbed, with a low of 1.24 in 2002 to a high of 12.94 in 2016. Service members most often diagnosed with PTSD were in the U.S. Army, with the enlisted pay grades of E-5-E-9, White, married, male, and between 20 and 24 years old. Statistically significant differences, ps < .001, were found between observed and expected counts across all examined demographic variables. The present study is the first to our knowledge to provide a comprehensive examination of PTSD incidence rates in an active duty military population.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Co-Occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorders in Veterans: Pilot Treatment Outcomes.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) frequently co-occur and are associated with worse outcomes together than either disorder alone. A lack of consensus regarding recommendations for treating PTSD-AUD exists, and treatment dropout is a persistent problem. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a transdiagnostic, mindfulness- and acceptance-based form of behavior therapy, has potential as a treatment option for PTSD-AUD. In this uncontrolled pilot study, we examined ACT for PTSD-AUD in 43 veterans; 29 (67%) completed the outpatient individual therapy protocol (i.e., ≥ 10 of 12 sessions). Clinician-assessed and self-reported PTSD symptoms were reduced at posttreatment, ds = 0.79 and 0.96, respectively. Self-reported symptoms of PTSD remained lower at 3-month follow-up, d = 0.88. There were reductions on all alcohol-related outcomes (clinician-assessed and self-reported symptoms, total drinks, and heavy drinking days) at posttreatment and 3-month follow-up, dmean = 0.91 (d range: 0.65-1.30). Quality of life increased at posttreatment and follow-up, ds = 0.55-0.56. Functional disability improved marginally at posttreatment, d = 0.35; this effect became significant by follow-up, d = 0.52. Fewer depressive symptoms were reported at posttreatment, d = 0.50, and follow-up, d = 0.44. Individuals experiencing suicidal ideation reported significant reductions by follow-up. Consistent with the ACT theoretical model, these improvements were associated with more between-session mindfulness practice and reductions in experiential avoidance and psychological inflexibility. Recommendations for adapting ACT to address PTSD-AUD include assigning frequent between-session mindfulness practice and initiating values clarification work and values-based behavior assignments early in treatment.

Long-term physical and mental health outcomes associated with traumatic brain injury severity in post-9/11 veterans: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine long-term outcomes of self-reported physical and mental health among Post-9/11 Veterans stratified by traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity, we hypothesized that more severe TBI would be associated with significantly poorer outcomes. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal survey of physical and mental health status was conducted with a national cohort of Post-9/11 Veterans. We then used generalized linear models (GLM) to assess the unique contribution of TBI severity on long-term outcomes after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, comorbidity phenotypes, and deployment experiences. RESULTS: TBI of any severity was associated with significantly poorer outcomes relative to the No TBI group. However, the manifestation of these outcomes identified in our study differed meaningfully by TBI severity level. CONCLUSIONS: Veterans with any TBI exposure experience poorer long-term outcomes than those with no TBI even when covariates are considered. In particular, measures of somatization, PTSD symptom distress, and depression indicate pervasive and long-term health concerns among individuals with TBI. Additional research is required to fully explicate what appear to be complex relationships among TBI severity, physical and mental well-being, combat exposures, and socioeconomic resources in this population.

Deployment characteristics and long-term PTSD symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: The impact of number, length, and time between (i.e., "dwell time") deployments on long-term Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms was examined in post-9/11 U.S. veterans. METHOD: This cross-sectional design includes data from 278 veterans participating in a larger longitudinal research program of postdeployment recovery. Measures included self-report questionnaires and the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale. RESULTS: Hierarchical regression was used to evaluate the independent contributions of deployment characteristics on long-term PTSD symptoms after controlling for demographics and combat exposure. As expected, dwell time was a significant predictor of long-term PTSD symptoms (ß = - 0.17, p = .042; F5,108  = 8.21, ∆R2  = 0.03, p < .001). Follow-up analyses indicated that dwell time of less than 12 months was associated with significantly greater long-term PTSD symptoms than those deployed once or with dwell time greater than 12 months. CONCLUSION: In addition to combat exposure, time between deployments warrants clinical attention as an important deployment characteristic for predicting long-term PTSD symptoms.

Traumatic Brain Injury, Sleep Quality, and Suicidal Ideation in Iraq/Afghanistan Era Veterans.

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that sleep quality mediates the association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) history and current suicidal ideation. Measures of TBI history, sleep quality, and suicidal ideation were administered to 130 Iraq/Afghanistan veterans. As expected, sleep quality mediated the effect of TBI history on current suicidal ideation (indirect effect, 0.0082; 95% confidence interval, 0.0019-0.0196), such that history of TBI was associated with worse sleep quality, which was, in turn, associated with increased suicidal ideation. These findings highlight the importance of assessing TBI history and sleep quality during suicide risk assessments for veterans.

Resilience and Traumatic Brain Injury Among Iraq/Afghanistan War Veterans: Differential Patterns of Adjustment and Quality of Life.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the degree to which a resilient personality prototype predicted adjustment among war Veterans with and without a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while covarying the level of combat exposure. METHOD: A total of 127 war Veterans (107 men, 20 women; average age = 37 years) participated. Personality prototypes were derived from the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (Patrick, Curtain, & Tellegen, 2002). Measures were administered at baseline, and a subset was administered at 4- and 8-month follow-ups. RESULTS: Veterans with resilient personalities reported less sleep disturbance, more health-promoting behaviors, psychological flexibility, and emotional distress tolerance than Veterans with undercontrolled or overcontrolled prototypes. Path models revealed that resilience significantly predicted posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, quality of life, and social support over time. TBI had unique and consistent effects only on PTSD. CONCLUSION: Personality characteristics influence distress and quality of life among war Veterans with and without TBI. Implications for assessment, interventions, and research are discussed.

Reinforcement Sensitivity and Social Anxiety in Combat Veterans.

OBJECTIVE: The present study tested the hypothesis that low behavioral approach system (BAS) sensitivity is associated with social anxiety in combat veterans. METHOD: Self-report measures of reinforcement sensitivity, combat exposure, social interaction anxiety, and social observation anxiety were administered to 197 Iraq/Afghanistan combat veterans. RESULTS: As expected, combat exposure, behavioral inhibition system (BIS) sensitivity, and fight-flight-freeze system (FFFS) sensitivity were positively associated with both social interaction anxiety and social observation anxiety. In contrast, BAS sensitivity was negatively associated with social interaction anxiety only. An analysis of the BAS subscales revealed that the Reward Responsiveness subscale was the only BAS subscale associated with social interaction anxiety. BAS-Reward Responsiveness was also associated with social observation anxiety. CONCLUSION: The findings from the present research provide further evidence that low BAS sensitivity may be associated with social anxiety over and above the effects of BIS and FFFS sensitivity.

Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, and Functional Disability in U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans.

Mindfulness and self-compassion are overlapping, but distinct constructs that characterize how people relate to emotional distress. Both are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may be related to functional disability. Although self-compassion includes mindful awareness of emotional distress, it is a broader construct that also includes being kind and supportive to oneself and viewing suffering as part of the shared human experience--a potentially powerful way of dealing with distressing situations. We examined the association of mindfulness and self-compassion with PTSD symptom severity and functional disability in 115 trauma-exposed U.S. Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans. Mindfulness and self-compassion were each uniquely, negatively associated with PTSD symptom severity. After accounting for mindfulness, self-compassion accounted for unique variance in PTSD symptom severity (f(2) = .25; medium ES). After accounting for PTSD symptom severity, mindfulness and self-compassion were each uniquely negatively associated with functional disability. The combined association of mindfulness and self-compassion with disability over and above PTSD was large (f(2) = .41). After accounting for mindfulness, self-compassion accounted for unique variance in disability (f(2) = .13; small ES). These findings suggest that interventions aimed at increasing mindfulness and self-compassion could potentially decrease functional disability in returning veterans with PTSD symptoms.

Self-Compassion as a prospective predictor of PTSD symptom severity among trauma-exposed U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

U.S. combat veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general population. Self-compassion, characterized by self-kindness, a sense of common humanity when faced with suffering, and mindful awareness of suffering, is a potentially modifiable factor implicated in the development and maintenance of PTSD. We examined the concurrent and prospective relationship between self-compassion and PTSD symptom severity after accounting for level of combat exposure and baseline PTSD severity in 115 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans exposed to 1 or more traumatic events during deployment. PTSD symptoms were assessed using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-IV (CAPS-IV) at baseline and 12 months (n =101). Self-compassion and combat exposure were assessed at baseline via self-report. Self-compassion was associated with baseline PTSD symptoms after accounting for combat exposure (ß = -.59; p < .001; ΔR(2) = .34; f(2) = .67; large effect) and predicted 12-month PTSD symptom severity after accounting for combat exposure and baseline PTSD severity (ß = -.24; p = .008; ΔR(2) = .03; f(2) = .08; small effect). Findings suggest that interventions that increase self-compassion may be beneficial for treating chronic PTSD symptoms among some Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

Do child abuse and maternal care interact to predict military sexual trauma?

OBJECTIVE: The present research tested the hypothesis that maternal care moderates the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and subsequent military sexual trauma (MST). METHOD: Measures of childhood sexual abuse, maternal care, and MST were administered to 197 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. RESULTS: After accounting for gender, age, and the main effects of maternal care and childhood sexual abuse, the maternal care x childhood sexual abuse interaction was a significant predictor of MST (odds ratio = .28, ß = -1.26, 95% confidence intervals of .10, .80). As hypothesized, rates of MST were higher among veterans who reported childhood sexual abuse and low levels of maternal care (43%) compared with veterans who reported childhood sexual abuse and high levels of maternal care (11%). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that high levels of maternal care may act as a protective factor against future revictimization among military service members. These findings have the potential to inform both prevention and intervention efforts.

A test of whether coping styles moderate the effect of PTSD symptoms on alcohol outcomes.

Coping style may partially account for the frequent co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol-use disorder (AUD). We hypothesized that avoidant and action-oriented coping styles would moderate the association between PTSD symptom severity and alcohol outcomes among U.S. Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans, such that PTSD symptoms would be most strongly and positively associated with negative alcohol-related consequences and drinking quantity when action-oriented coping was low and avoidant coping was high. The sample (N = 128; 85.2% male, M = 37.8 years old, 63.3% Caucasian) completed a diagnostic assessment for PTSD and AUD and self-report surveys measuring coping styles, drinking quantity, and negative alcohol-related consequences. Consistent with the main hypothesis, a 3-way interaction among PTSD symptom severity, avoidant coping, and action-oriented coping was found in the predicted direction (d = 0.47-0.55). Post hoc descriptive analyses indicated that veterans with a current diagnosis of PTSD, low action-oriented coping, and high avoidant coping had worse alcohol outcomes and were twice as likely to meet criteria for current AUD compared with veterans with fewer risk factors. Findings suggest that the combination of PTSD and maladaptive coping styles may be more important for understanding alcohol-related outcomes than the presence of any of these variables in isolation.

Virtual reality exposure therapy for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: a methodological review using CONSORT guidelines.

CONTEXT: Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is an extension of traditional exposure therapy and has been used to treat a variety of anxiety disorders. VRET utilizes a computer-generated virtual environment to present fear-relevant stimuli. Recent studies have evaluated the use of VRET for treatment of PTSD; however, a systematic evaluation of the methodological quality of these studies has yet to be conducted. OBJECTIVES: This review aims to (a) identify treatment outcome studies examining the use of VRET for the treatment of PTSD and (b) appraise the methodological quality of each study using the 2010 Consolidating Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement and its 2008 extension for nonpharmacologic interventions. METHODS: Two independent assessors conducted a database search (PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, Google Scholar) of studies published between January 1990 and June 2013 that reported outcome data comparing VRET with another type of treatment or a control condition. Next, a CONSORT quality appraisal of each study was completed. RESULTS: The search yielded nine unique studies. The CONSORT appraisal revealed that the methodological quality of studies examining VRET as a treatment for PTSD was variable. CONCLUSION: Although preliminary findings suggest some positive results for VRET as a form of exposure treatment for PTSD, additional research using well-specified randomization procedures, assessor blinding, and monitoring of treatment adherence is warranted. Movement toward greater standardization of treatment manuals, virtual environments, and equipment would further facilitate interpretation and consolidation of this literature.

The Influence of Anxiety and Avoidant Coping on Probable Cannabis Use Disorder.

Objective: Individuals with anxiety frequently use cannabis to cope and are at greater risk for developing probable cannabis use disorder (CUD). Previous literature suggests avoidant coping styles are associated with higher anxiety levels and risk for problematic cannabis use, while action-oriented coping is associated with lower anxiety and problematic cannabis use. No studies have examined whether anxiety and action-oriented coping or avoidant coping interact to influence risk for CUD, which was the aim of the present study. Method: College students were recruited as part of a cross-sectional study on cannabis use. Participants (N = 371; 72.2% female) completed the Depression Anxiety and Stress Subscale (DASS-21), Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test-Revised (CUDIT-R), and the Brief-COPE (B-COPE). Results: The data were analyzed using logistic moderation analysis. After controlling for gender, anxiety was a positive significant predictor of probable CUD, but action-oriented coping and avoidant coping were not. The interaction between anxiety and avoidant coping on probable CUD was significant, indicating that participants with high avoidant coping (regardless of high or low anxiety) and those with high anxiety (even with low avoidant coping) were more likely to have probable CUD than those with both low anxiety and low avoidant coping. No significant interaction was observed with action-oriented coping. Conclusions: Results suggest that avoidant coping, but not action-oriented coping, influences the relationship between anxiety and risk for probable CUD. Findings emphasize the importance of targeting both anxiety and avoidant coping when considering risk for probable CUD.

Cannabis use disorder uniquely predicts educational impairment in college students over and above other mental health disorders.

Objective: The impact of cannabis use disorder (CUD) on education functioning and GPA was examined within the context of co-occurring alcohol use disorder (AUD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants: Undergraduates (N = 210) who reported using cannabis within the past six months were recruited. Methods: Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to determine whether CUD symptom severity and presence of probable CUD diagnosis predicted educational impairment and current GPA, over and above other mental health conditions. Results: CUD symptom severity, but not probable CUD, significantly predicted greater educational impairment, over and above probable PTSD and MDD, which were also significant predictors. CUD symptom severity, but not probable CUD, significantly predicted lower GPA. Conclusion: In addition to other common mental health conditions, CUD may be an important area of assessment and intervention for university counseling centers to foster student academic success.