Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Alcohol Dependence in Young Women

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective:The aim of the current study is to characterize the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol dependence (AD) in women, distinguishing PTSD-specifi c infl uences on AD from the contribution of co-occurring psychiatric conditions and from the infl uences of trauma more generally. Method: Trauma histories and DSM-IV lifetime diagnoses, including PTSD and AD, were obtained via telephone interview from 3,768 female twins. Based on PTSD status and trauma history, participants were categorized as no trauma (43.7%), trauma without PTSD (52.6%), or trauma with PTSD (3.7%). Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were conducted using trauma/PTSD status to predict AD, fi rst adjusting only for ethnicity and parental problem drinking, then including conduct disorder, major depressive disorder, regular smoking, and cannabis abuse. Results: Before accounting for psychiatric covariates, elevated rates of AD were evident in both trauma-exposed groups, but those with PTSD were at signifi cantly greater risk for AD than those without PTSD. This distinction was no longer statistically signifi cant when psychiatric covariates were included in the model, but both trauma-exposed groups continued to show elevated odds of developing AD compared with the no trauma group. Conclusions: The elevated rates of AD in women who have experienced trauma are not accounted for in full by psychiatric conditions that commonly co-occur with AD and trauma exposure. The greater likelihood of developing AD in the subset of trauma-exposed individuals who develop PTSD may refl ect higher levels of distress and/ or higher rates of psychopathology associated with traumas that lead to PTSD rather than PTSD-specifi c infl uences. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 71, 810-818, 2010)

Intimate Partner Violence and Patterns of Alcohol Abuse and Dependence Criteria Among Women: A Latent Class Analysis

“…Taken together, these results support partial mediation of IPV-problem drinking relationship by MDD, suggesting that other indirect paths may exist independent of MDD. This fi nding is consistent with prior studies suggesting that psychiatric conditions at least partly account for the relationship between prior trauma and alcohol use (Edwards et al, 2006;Sartor et al, 2010). The current study's results should be considered with longitudinal research by Fergusson and colleagues, which suggests the causal direction fl ows from AUD to MDD (Fergusson et al, 2009).…”

Predator odor stress alters corticotropin-releasing factor-1 receptor (CRF1R)-dependent behaviors in rats

“…Humans with stress-related anxiety disorders (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), exhibit increases in arousal and alcohol drinking, as well as altered pain processing (Engdahl et al, 1998; Norrholm et al, 2011; Roy et al, 2012; Sartor et al, 2010). In animals, a single intense stress or chronic stress produces hyperalgesia (Boccalon et al, 2006; da Silva Torres et al, 2003; Geerse et al, 2006; Quintero et al, 2000; Zhang et al, 2012), increases anxiety-like behaviour, and produces hyperarousal in rats (Campos et al, 2013; Kinn Rød et al, 2012; Serova et al, 2013).…”

Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders: Why Do Some People Suffer From Both?

“…In a longitudinal study, Clark and colleagues (2003) found that a history of physical or sexual abuse in adolescents and young adults did predict primary major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder later in life. Similarly, Sartor et al (2010) found that women exposed to trauma had higher rates of alcohol dependence whether or not they met the criteria for PTSD. In their cross-sectional study, Sartor et al (2010) also found that women with PTSD had higher rates of major depressive disorder.…”

“…Similarly, Sartor et al (2010) found that women exposed to trauma had higher rates of alcohol dependence whether or not they met the criteria for PTSD. In their cross-sectional study, Sartor et al (2010) also found that women with PTSD had higher rates of major depressive disorder.…”