Correlates of hazardous drinking among Veterans with and without hepatitis C

Hazardous drinking is a major barrier to antiviral treatment eligibility among hepatitis C (HCV) patients. We evaluated differences in substance-related coping, drinking-related consequences, and importance and confidence in ability to change alcohol use among hazardous drinkers with and without HCV (N = 554; 93.5% male). We examined group differences between HCV+ patients (n = 43) and their negative HCV counterparts (n = 511). Results indicate a higher percentage of HCV+ patients report using substances to cope with possible symptoms of PTSD (P<.05) and depression (P<.01), and endorse more lifetime drinking-related negative consequences than HCV patients (P<.01). Furthermore, HCV+ patients place greater importance on changing alcohol use (P<.01) but report less confidence in their ability to change (P<.01). Use of brief assessment and feedback with skills-based interventions to decrease alcohol use may be well-received by HCV+ patients.