title: Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and their Relationship to Drug and Alcohol use in an International Sample of Latino Immigrants.
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.
authors.affiliation: Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 50 Staniford St, 8th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114-2698, USA.
authors.forename: Zorangelí
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 50 Staniford St, 8th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114-2698, USA.|Boston University Medical School, Boston Medical Center, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Fortuna
authors.affiliation: Boston University School of Education, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Porche
authors.affiliation: Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 50 Staniford St, 8th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114-2698, USA.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Shrout
authors.affiliation: Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 50 Staniford St, 8th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114-2698, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loder
authors.affiliation: Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 50 Staniford St, 8th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114-2698, USA.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McPeck
authors.affiliation: Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 50 Staniford St, 8th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114-2698, USA.
authors.forename: Nestor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Noyola
authors.affiliation: Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 50 Staniford St, 8th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114-2698, USA.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toro
authors.affiliation: Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.affiliation: Disparities Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 50 Staniford St, 8th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114-2698, USA. malegria@mgh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alegría
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D000067073:Psychological Trauma / Q000208:ethnology*; D063505:Racism; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000208:ethnology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol use; Immigrants; Latinos; PTSD; Substance use