The effects of trauma history, gender, and race on alcohol use and posttraumatic stress symptoms in a college student sample.

The present study examined the extent to which different types of traumatic experiences interact with sex and race to effect alcohol use, posttraumatic stress symptomatology, and general psychological distress among a college student sample. Approximately 600 participants completed measures that assessed for a childhood sexual abuse (CSA) history, alcohol consumption, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and overall psychological functioning. Findings indicated that participants with a history of CSA reported greater psychological distress and posttraumatic stress symptoms compared to participants with a trauma history other than CSA and participants with no trauma history. Despite group differences in psychological distress and posttraumatic stress symptoms, no differences in alcohol use were detected across groups. Gender appeared to affect posttraumatic stress symptoms as a function of group. The implications of the results are discussed.