Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder in alcohol dependent patients in Poland

The present study investigates the prevalence of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a sample of Polish alcohol dependent patients and examines the relationship between comorbid PTSD and alcohol use-related problems. Patients (n=458) were recruited from randomly chosen clinical settings and were administered self-report measures of trauma exposure, PTSD symptomatology, and alcohol use-related problems. From this sample, 67% of the patients reported having experienced at least one criterion A traumatic event, and 60% of them reported multiple traumas. Approximately 25% of them met the criteria for current PTSD. The only significant difference between the PTSD and non-PTSD groups was abuse/dependence of other psychoactive substances. However, patients reporting physical assaults committed by a non-stranger reported more frequent PTSD diagnosis, more extensive symptomatology, more conflicts with the law and more physical injuries due to drinking. The findings of the study confirm the importance of assessing trauma and PTSD in alcohol dependent patients.