title: Longitudinal investigation of interpersonal trauma exposure and alcohol use trajectories.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current longitudinal study examined associations between interpersonal potentially traumatic events (PTEs; i.e., sexual or physical assault) and changes in alcohol consumption among incoming college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  1197 students (68% female) participating in a university-wide research study were included in analyses. Assessments were administered at three time-points and included measures of alcohol use, PTEs (Life Events Checklist), and a screener for possible PTSD symptoms (abbreviated Primary Care PTSD Screen). Linear growth curve models were fit to the three repeated measures of alcohol quantity and frequency to determine the role of pre-college and college-onset interpersonal PTEs and possible PTSD symptoms on patterns of alcohol use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre-college interpersonal PTE was associated with greater baseline alcohol use for female but not male students. College-onset interpersonal PTE predicted greater alcohol use at concurrent and future assessments for women but not men, beyond the effects of pre-college PTE. Pre-college possible PTSD symptoms did not predict baseline or change in alcohol use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There may be a stronger and longer-lasting impact of interpersonal PTE for college women compared to men on alcohol phenotypes, although replication in studies oversampling men endorsing interpersonal PTE is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. Electronic address: ecb2z@virginia.edu.
authors.forename: Erin C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Berenz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Seung Bin
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Cassie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Overstreet
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kendler
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Ananda B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Amstadter
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Danielle M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Dick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014768:Virginia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; Physical assault; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Sexual assault; Trauma