Application of PTSD Alcohol Expectancy Symptom Clusters to the Four-Dimensional Model of PTSD: Support From Moderations of the Association Between Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress and Alcohol Use

摘要

Objective: Alcohol expectancy theory, which examines beliefs about the effects of alcohol on the consumer, is especially relevant for understanding the role of alcohol use in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous research on the relationship between alcohol expectancies and PTSD suggests that greater endorsement of positive alcohol expectancies is positively associated with alcohol use, problem drinking, and increased PTSD symptomatology. The purpose of the current study was to investigate relationships among positive and negative PTSD alcohol expectancies, PTSD symptom clusters, and alcohol use in a sample of undergraduates. Additionally, a 4-factor structure of PTSD alcohol expectancies, based on the supported 4-domain model of PTSD, was examined. Method: Participants included 336 undergraduates at a large Midwestern university who completed measures of trauma exposure, PTSD symptomatology, PTSD alcohol expectancies, and alcohol use. Results: Moderation analysis found positive alcohol expectancies influenced the relationship between posttraumatic stress (PTS) and alcohol use. Additionally, each of 4 proposed symptom clusters of PTSD alcohol expectancies moderated the association between corresponding PTSD symptom clusters and alcohol use. No support for the utility of negative alcohol expectancies was found. Conclusions: The current study provides support for a PTSD symptom domain-specific approach for measuring alcohol expectancies. Though limited in generalizability, this research also provides evidence for positive PTSD alcohol expectancies as an important moderator in the relationship between symptoms of PTS and alcohol, suggesting that perceptions of alcohol's effect on PTSD symptoms confer risk for problematic drinking.