Alcohol use is common in many conflict-displaced populations; population perspectives of alcohol use have not been well studied. Interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 97 people (September-December 2009) in Mae La, a long-standing refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border, and analyzed thematically. Intimate partner violence (IPV) emerged as a prominent theme, with four subthemes: alcohol use is subject to strongly gendered social controls; alcohol use is changing under the pressures of displacement; IPV is an emergent alcohol-related harm; the relationship between IPV and alcohol is complex. The study's limitations are noted, and future practice and research directions are discussed. © 2014 Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.

qualitative research Thailand-Burma border Gender Displaced Populations Alcohol Substance use Violence against women Conflict Refugee Intimate partner violence

refugee Alcohol Drinking drinking behavior Thailand sex difference human Refugees middle aged qualitative research Young Adult Humans psychology Adolescent Domestic Violence male female Myanmar adult Sex Factors