Substance Abuse Hits Military Families Hard

Military wives and children are beset by pervasive substance abuse and mental-health issues, according to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. In a recent survey, the agency determined that substance-abuse and mental-health issues among military wives ages 18-49 and children ages 12-17 are comparable to those in the civilian population. According to the report, 12.8 percent of military wives and 19.6 percent of all military children in the sample age groups used illicit drugs in 2015. Also during 20125, 22.6 percent of military wives and 17.8 percent of military children received some form of mental-health treatment during 2015.