Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Michael Brewer

Abstract

The United States military has seen a continued rise in the use of illicit performance enhancing substances, particularly androgenic-anabolic steroids (AAS), by service members in highly demanding occupational specialties. Despite these rising trends, there remains a lack of understanding of how U.S. Army substance abuse policy impacts service members’ motivations to use banned performance enhancing drugs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the motivations of service members who use performance enhancing AAS, as well as the impacts of substance abuse policies on those individuals. This study’s questions asked how social constructs and Army policy impacted service members who use performance enhancing drugs to examine how AAS use influences service members’ health and mission readiness. The framework for this study was based on the social construction of meaning, as seen by service members, through a narrative analysis of their individual experiences. The policy and social impacts on AAS user motivations found in this study highlight how social constructs experienced by service members can influence behavior related to AAS use. While some respondents indicated that Army policy had a deterring effect on AAS use, the inconsistent enforcement of policy significantly reduced policy impacts experienced by these service members. Service members also exhibited positive social views and perceived performance benefits regarding AAS use. These factors impacted user motivations to a greater degree because of the limited policy and health risks experienced by AAS users. Addressing these policy challenges has implications for developing harm-reduction interventions, which can improve the well-being of vulnerable service members.

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