Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms measured with the PTSD Checklist Civilian (PCL-C) version on the severity of alcohol-related problems while controlling for the effects of anxiety and depression in a sample of inpatients with alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Method: Participants (n=190) were evaluated with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory State Subscale (STAI-S), the PTSD Checklist Civilian (PCL-C) Version and the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST).
Results: Although severity of the state of anxiety predicted the severity of alcohol-related problems in the first and depression in the second step of a linear regression model, when severity of PTSD symptoms was included in the analysis, it was the only independent variable that predicted the severity of alcohol-related problems while the state of anxiety and depression were no longer predictors.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that the severity of PTSD symptoms is related to the severity of alcohol-related problems, independent from severity of state anxiety and depression among inpatients with AUD.
Key words: Alcohol-related problems, alcohol use disorder, anxiety, depression, PTSD
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