TY - JOUR
T1 - The 7-factor hybrid model of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms and alcohol consumption and consequences in a national sample of trauma-exposed veterans
AU - Claycomb Erwin, Meredith
AU - Charak, Ruby
AU - Durham, Tory A.
AU - Armour, Cherie
AU - Lv, Xin
AU - Southwick, Steven M.
AU - Elhai, Jon D.
AU - Pietrzak, Robert H.
PY - 2017/10/1
Y1 - 2017/10/1
N2 - The purpose of the present study was to investigate associations between the 7-factor hybrid model of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, which includes intrusions, avoidance, negative affect, anhedonia, externalizing behaviors, anxious arousal, and dysphoric arousal symptoms, and alcohol consumption and consequences. A nationally representative sample of 916 trauma-exposed U.S. military veterans were administered the Trauma History Screen, PTSD Checklist-5, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to determine associations between the 7-factor hybrid model of PTSD symptoms, and alcohol consumption and consequences. Results revealed that lifetime dysphoric arousal (r = 0.31), negative affect (r = 0.30), and anhedonia (r = 0.29) symptom clusters were most strongly associated with past-year alcohol consequences. No significant associations were observed for alcohol consumption. While the cross-sectional study design does not allow one to ascertain causative associations between PTSD factors and alcohol consumption and consequences, results generally align with the self-medication hypothesis, as PTSD factors reflecting internalizing were most strongly related to alcohol-related consequences. These results underscore the importance of assessing for alcohol use problems in veterans who score highly on PTSD symptoms reflecting internalizing symptomatology.
AB - The purpose of the present study was to investigate associations between the 7-factor hybrid model of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, which includes intrusions, avoidance, negative affect, anhedonia, externalizing behaviors, anxious arousal, and dysphoric arousal symptoms, and alcohol consumption and consequences. A nationally representative sample of 916 trauma-exposed U.S. military veterans were administered the Trauma History Screen, PTSD Checklist-5, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to determine associations between the 7-factor hybrid model of PTSD symptoms, and alcohol consumption and consequences. Results revealed that lifetime dysphoric arousal (r = 0.31), negative affect (r = 0.30), and anhedonia (r = 0.29) symptom clusters were most strongly associated with past-year alcohol consequences. No significant associations were observed for alcohol consumption. While the cross-sectional study design does not allow one to ascertain causative associations between PTSD factors and alcohol consumption and consequences, results generally align with the self-medication hypothesis, as PTSD factors reflecting internalizing were most strongly related to alcohol-related consequences. These results underscore the importance of assessing for alcohol use problems in veterans who score highly on PTSD symptoms reflecting internalizing symptomatology.
KW - Alcohol use
KW - Comorbidity
KW - Confirmatory factor analysis
KW - Posttraumatic stress disorder
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85028063561&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.08.001
DO - 10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.08.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 28843574
AN - SCOPUS:85028063561
SN - 0887-6185
VL - 51
SP - 14
EP - 21
JO - Journal of Anxiety Disorders
JF - Journal of Anxiety Disorders
ER -