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Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders and Disasters

(PS11-C63) PTSD Symptom Clusters Are Differentially Related to Drinking Motives in a Diverse Community Sample of Frequent Drinkers

Saturday, November 18, 2023
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM PST
Location: Regency Ballroom, Level 7


Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) co-occurs with problem alcohol use. Efforts to understand this association often focus on affectively linked motivations for drinking (drinking motives). For example, self-medication theory proposes the importance of coping-motivated drinking for those seeking to reduce trauma-related negative affect. However, literature overwhelmingly examines presence/absence of PTSD or total symptom severity. Specific PTSD symptom clusters (Intrusions, Avoidance, Negative Cognition/Mood, Arousal/Reactivity) may relate to unique drinking motives and, indeed, limited work suggests some specificity within veterans. Efforts to clarify links between symptom clusters and drinking motives among civilians can help inform clinical interventions among non-veterans. Further, prior work has not controlled for alcohol consumption, which may exacerbate some PTSD symptoms, thus conflating these associations. In a diverse community sample, the present study tested relations between PTSD symptom clusters and drinking motives, controlling for alcohol consumption.

Methods: Frequent drinking, non-treatment-seeking adults with provisional past-month PTSD (n = 35; 37% female; 54% White; 20% Black; 20% Asian; 3% American Indian; 20% Hispanic; Mage = 32.16) were recruited through print/online advertisements. Participants reported their PTSD symptoms and alcohol motives, use, and problems. Using regression models, we examined PTSD clusters (Intrusions [Criterion B], Avoidance [Criterion C], negative alterations in Cognitions/Mood [Criterion D], and altered Arousal/Reactivity [Criterion E]) as predictors of drinking motives, before and after controlling for typical weekly drinking quantity, sex, and age. Clusters were tested in separate regressions due to moderate intercorrelations.

Results: Participants reported an average of approximately three prior traumatic events, and consumed 21 drinks weekly. Cognitions/Mood (b = 0.07, b = .36, p = .03) and Arousal/Reactivity (b = 0.13, b = .47, p = .01) symptoms were positively related to coping motives, even after controlling for typical drinking. Arousal/Reactivity (b = 0.11, b = .40, p = .02) but not Cognitions/Mood (b = 0.06, b = .31, p = .06) symptoms remained significant with all covariates in the model. Avoidance symptoms were positively associated with social motives when controlling for typical drinking (b = 0.24, b = .35, p = .04) but became nonsignificant (b = 0.10, b = .96, p = .34) after controlling for sex and age. No associations were observed between clusters and enhancement or conformity motives.

Conclusions: Findings from this small pilot sample suggest potentially important differences in the association of drinking motives and specific PTSD symptoms. Those with more Arousal/Reactivity symptoms (e.g., irritability, hypervigilance) may be at unique risk for coping-motivated drinking. Replication with larger, longitudinal samples is needed. Ultimately, PTSD symptom clusters may help identify those at-risk for coping-motivated drinking. Efforts to personalize cognitive behavioral therapies to individuals’ unique drinking motives based on their symptom profiles may promote wellness of diverse, trauma-exposed drinkers.