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Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and their Relationship to Drug and Alcohol use in an International Sample of Latino Immigrants

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Abstract

We identify the prevalence and correlates of posttraumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms and their relationship to alcohol and substance use disorders (AUD/SUD) among Latino immigrants in two countries. A screening battery assessing PTSD symptoms (PCL-C), alcohol use (AUDIT), drug abuse (DAST), and psychological measures was administered to 562 Latino immigrants recruited in clinics. We used logistical regression analyses to evaluate the relationship between PTSD symptoms and AUD/SUD. Prevalence of elevated PTSD symptoms was high (53.7 % in Boston, 47.9 % in Madrid and, 43.8 % in Barcelona). Screening positive for psychological measures was significantly correlated to screening positive on the PCL-C (p < 0.001). Significant gender differences in risk of AUD/SUD were moderated by PTSD symptoms. Presence of any PTSD symptoms predicted problems with benzodiazepine misuse. Given the high rates of co-morbidity between PTSD symptoms and AUD/SUD, we recommend early interventions for dual pathology for Latino immigrants with trauma history.

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Acknowledgments

Work supported by NIDA Grant 5R01DA034952-02; NIMH supplement 3R01MH100155-01S1. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 50 Staniford St, 8th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114-2698, USA

    Zorangelí Ramos, Lisa R. Fortuna, Ye Wang, Stephen Loder, Samantha McPeck, Nestor Noyola, Manuela Toro & Margarita Alegría

  2. Boston University Medical School, Boston Medical Center, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Boston, MA, USA

    Lisa R. Fortuna

  3. Boston University School of Education, Boston, MA, USA

    Michelle V. Porche

  4. Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Patrick E. Shrout

  5. Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain

    Rodrigo Carmona

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  1. Zorangelí Ramos
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  2. Lisa R. Fortuna
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  4. Ye Wang
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  11. Margarita Alegría
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Margarita Alegría.

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No conflicts of interest are declared.

Ethics Approval

The study was approved by the institutional review boards of the Cambridge Health Alliance in Somerville, MA, the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, the Fundación Jimenez Diaz in Madrid and Vall D’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona.

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Ramos, Z., Fortuna, L.R., Porche, M.V. et al. Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and their Relationship to Drug and Alcohol use in an International Sample of Latino Immigrants. J Immigrant Minority Health 19, 552–561 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0426-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0426-y

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