Correlates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Male and Female Community Clients

The current survey of 354 community clients examined the relationship among degree of subjective distress related to traumatic events, risky and criminal behaviors, drinking context (Drinking Context Scale), and gender as predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Logistic analyses demonstrated that current subjective distress associated with traumatic events predicted PTSD status as well as re-experiencing, avoidance, and arousal subscales. Distress associated with risky behaviors also predicted re-experiencing and hyperarousal. Although convivial drinking and drinking to cope with negative emotions both predicted PTSD, women who drank to cope with negative emotions predicted PTSD status in addition to re-experiencing and avoidance subscales. Implications for assessment and intervention are briefly addressed in the Discussion.