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Addictive Behaviors

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Alcohol-Related Problems: The Roles of Romantic Relationship Functioning and Coping Motivated Alcohol Use

(PS1-41) Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Alcohol-related Problems: The Roles of Romantic Relationship Functioning and Coping Motivated Alcohol Use

Friday, November 15, 2024

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM EST

Location: Franklin Hall, Level 4, Marriott Downtown

Author(s)

KT

Katharine L. Thomas, B.A.

Graduate Student
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States

Co-Author(s)

AV

Anka A. Vujanovic, Ph.D.

Professor and Director of Clinical Training; Director, Trauma and Stress Studies Center
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas, United States
MZ

Michael J. Zvolensky, Ph.D.

Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Professor
University of Houston
Houston, Texas, United States
Julia Buckner, Ph.D.

Professor
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States

Abstract Text: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) commonly co-occur (Pietrzak et al., 2011). Importantly, this co-occurrence is associated with greater symptom severity, higher functional impairment, and poorer treatment outcomes for both PTSD and AUD than either disorder alone (Blanco et al., 2013; McCarthy & Petrakis, 2010; Pietrzak et al., 2011). One factor that may play a role in this relationship is romantic relationship functioning. Although there are many health benefits associated with high quality relationships (Cotter & Kerschner, 2018; Zee & Weiss, 2019), lower quality relationships are associated with a greater probability of next-day drinking as well as drinking in higher quantities (Levitt & Cooper, 2010). This could be especially relevant to people with PTSD given that PTSD is associated with greater relationship conflict (Taft et al., 2011). However, research is limited regarding the role of using alcohol to cope with negative emotions associated with relationship conflict among individuals with posttraumatic stress symptoms, particularly among non-veteran samples. The current study tested whether posttraumatic stress symptom severity would be related to alcohol problems via the serial indirect effects of relationship functioning and coping motivated alcohol use among 295 (56% female) trauma-exposed community-recruited adults who endorsed current hazardous alcohol use (AUDIT-C > 2 for women and > 3 for men; Bradley et al., 2007) and were living with a romantic partner and/or married. Posttraumatic stress symptom severity was positively correlated with alcohol problems (r(295) = .41, p < .001), relationship dysfunction (r(295) = .51, p < .001), and coping motivated drinking (r(295) = .41, p < .001). Posttraumatic stress symptom severity was indirectly related to alcohol problems via the serial indirect effects of relationship dysfunction and coping motivated drinking, b = .011, SE = .005, 95% CI: [.003, .022]. Results suggest that relationship functioning and drinking to cope with negative emotions play important roles in the relation between posttraumatic stress and alcohol-related problems.