title: Longitudinal trajectories of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and binge drinking among adolescent girls: the role of sexual victimization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many studies have documented associations among sexual victimization (SV), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and alcohol use; however, few have examined these associations longitudinally among adolescents. The present study evaluated the effect of SV on the longitudinal trajectory of PTSD symptoms and binge drinking (BD) among adolescent girls, a population known to have high rates of SV and alcohol use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 1,808 at wave 1) completed interviews regarding PTSD symptoms, BD, and SV experiences over approximately 3 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multilevel modeling revealed decreases in PTSD symptoms over the course of the study; however, compared with nonvictims, adolescents who were sexually victimized reported greater PTSD symptoms at wave 1 and maintained higher levels of PTSD symptoms over the course of the study after controlling for age. SV reported during the study also predicted an acute increase in PTSD symptoms at that occasion. BD increased significantly over the course of the study; however, SV did not predict initial BD or increases over time. SV reported during the study was associated with acute increases in BD at that occasion, although this effect diminished when participants reporting substance-involved rape were excluded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SV was associated with immediate and long-lasting elevations in PTSD symptoms, but not with initial or lasting elevations in BD over time, suggesting that adolescent victims have yet to develop problematic patterns of alcohol use to cope with SV. However, SV was associated with acute increases in PTSD symptoms and BD, suggesting a need for BD interventions to reduce alcohol-related SV.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Psychiatry, Charleston, South Carolina 29455, USA. walsk@musc.edu
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Carla Kmett
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Danielson
authors.forename: Jenna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCauley
authors.forename: Rochelle F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Heidi S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.forename: Benjamin E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: Dean G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kilpatrick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000506:poisoning*; D002648:Child; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000506:poisoning*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol