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. 2016 Feb:53:67-73.
doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.09.014. Epub 2015 Sep 25.

Longitudinal investigation of interpersonal trauma exposure and alcohol use trajectories

Erin C Berenz  1 , Seung Bin Cho  2 , Cassie Overstreet  3 , Kenneth Kendler  2 , Ananda B Amstadter  3 , Danielle M Dick  3
Affiliations

Longitudinal investigation of interpersonal trauma exposure and alcohol use trajectories

Erin C Berenz et al. Addict Behav. 2016 Feb.

Abstract

Background: The current longitudinal study examined associations between interpersonal potentially traumatic events (PTEs; i.e., sexual or physical assault) and changes in alcohol consumption among incoming college students.

Methods: 1197 students (68% female) participating in a university-wide research study were included in analyses. Assessments were administered at three time-points and included measures of alcohol use, PTEs (Life Events Checklist), and a screener for possible PTSD symptoms (abbreviated Primary Care PTSD Screen). Linear growth curve models were fit to the three repeated measures of alcohol quantity and frequency to determine the role of pre-college and college-onset interpersonal PTEs and possible PTSD symptoms on patterns of alcohol use.

Results: Pre-college interpersonal PTE was associated with greater baseline alcohol use for female but not male students. College-onset interpersonal PTE predicted greater alcohol use at concurrent and future assessments for women but not men, beyond the effects of pre-college PTE. Pre-college possible PTSD symptoms did not predict baseline or change in alcohol use.

Conclusions: There may be a stronger and longer-lasting impact of interpersonal PTE for college women compared to men on alcohol phenotypes, although replication in studies oversampling men endorsing interpersonal PTE is needed.

Keywords: Alcohol; Physical assault; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Sexual assault; Trauma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

The authors have nothing to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Effects of covariates on initial level and rate of change of alcohol use. Note: The I factor represents the intercept of alcohol variables (ALC1 through ALC3) regressed on age, by fixing the factor loadings from I to alcohol variables at zero. The S factor represents the linear slope of the regression by fixing the factor loadings from S to alcohol variables to values correspond to time (0, 1, and 2).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Effect of interpersonal potentially traumatic events (PTE) on subsequent alcohol use.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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