| Abstract: | Alcohol and substance use in patients suffering from chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were investigated. Those with alcohol‐ or substance‐abuse disorders that pre‐dated their trauma were excluded from the study. Participants were assessed by interview and with questionnaires. Information on 120 participants was obtained. The mean number of units of alcohol consumed per week was 11.96 with a median of 6. Twenty‐eight per cent of the sample claimed to be abstinent, whereas 23 (19%) consumed units in excess of the recommended limit and eight (7%) suffered from alcohol‐abuse disorder. Twenty‐three (19%) participants also admitted to substance use, the majority cannabis. Of these, 10 were also hazardous drinkers. Two participants suffered from substance‐abuse disorder. Comorbidity of anxiety and mood disorders was high, with depression (48.7%), generalized anxiety disorder (36.5%), panic attack disorder (13.2%) and specific phobias (6.1%) being the most common. Other than a significant association between depression and substance use, comorbid disorders were not associated with alcohol consumption or substance use. Gender, the severity of threat to life during the trauma, age and arousal symptoms were significantly associated with the units of alcohol consumed. Age, life impairment and depression were significantly associated with substance use. The use of alcohol in this PTSD sample overall did not appear to differ from the general population. In a relatively small proportion of chronic civilian PTSD patients, alcohol and substance use may be problematic; however, the extent of this problem appears limited. |
