Opioid use disorder in the active service: Implications for intervention

Abstract: Military service members experience occupational-specific injuries that may result in chronic pain and comorbid behavioral health concerns. Data from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database was used to examine opioid use disorder (OUD) diagnoses between 2016 and 2021. Statistical analysis calculated incidence rates and diagnostic variability by demographic density. The average incidence rate of OUD was 6.1 (per 10,000) and declined by 34% between 2016 and 2021. Diagnoses were most frequently made in service members classified as male, married, white, aged 30–39, junior enlisted, and serving in the Army. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the incidence rates of OUD among active duty personnel.