Purpose This study aims to understand patterns of alcohol consumption among former New Zealand military personnel and identify the cultural, structural and personal factors associated with harmful drinking. The research seeks to determine how these factors differentiate segments within the veteran population to inform more effective intervention design. Design/methodology/approach An online survey of 328 former military personnel was analysed using hierarchical and k-means cluster analysis based on AUDIT C scores, followed by MANCOVA to examine differences across cultural norms, structural barriers, emotional regulation strategies and demographic covariates. Measures included drinking culture, stigma, access to services, transition readiness, childhood trauma and cognitive emotion regulation. Findings Three statistically distinct segments emerged: Problematic Drinkers, Harmful but Coping and Not Harmful. The Problematic group exhibited the highest AUDIT C scores, strong perceptions of a harmful military drinking culture, high stigma, poor access to support services and maladaptive emotional regulation (rumination and catastrophising). In contrast, the Harmful but Coping group demonstrated healthier cognitive regulation and more positive attitudes towards support services despite still engaging in risky alcohol use. The Not Harmful group reported the lowest drinking levels, least stigma, and most positive attitudes towards mental health support. Research limitations/implications Self reporting cannot rule out bias in responses, and the analysis cannot confirm causal inference; future research should test interventions derived from these segments. Practical implications Interventions may focus on stigma reduction, improved service accessibility, and strengthening positive emotional regulation strategies. Social implications Results highlight the need for coordinated support across health, policy and community organisations to reduce alcohol related harm among veterans. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to apply a segmentation approach to New Zealand veteran alcohol behaviours, identifying specific psychosocial and cultural correlates that distinguish levels of harm. The findings offer targeted pathways for intervention tailored to veterans’ differentiated needs.
Veer et al. (Thu,) studied this question.