Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
05:12
Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
Development of the PTSD-alcohol expectancy questionnaire
Sonya B Norman1, Robyn K Inaba, Tom L Smith
1UCSD Department of Psychiatry, VA San Diego Healthcare Systems, San Diego, CA 92108, USA. snorman@ucsd.edu
Addictive Behaviors
|February 12, 2008
Summary
A new questionnaire, the Post-traumatic stress disorder-Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (P-AEQ), measures beliefs about alcohol effects related to PTSD symptoms. It shows reliability and validity, distinguishing alcohol use disorder (AUD) from non-AUD in male veterans.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Alcohol effect expectancies influence drinking behavior and motivations.
- Co-occurrence of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorders (AUD) is common.
- Existing measures do not assess PTSD-related alcohol expectancies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Post-traumatic stress disorder-Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (P-AEQ).
- To measure individuals' beliefs about alcohol's effects concerning PTSD symptoms.
- To assess the psychometric properties and utility of the P-AEQ.
Main Methods:
- Development of a 27-item, self-report questionnaire (P-AEQ).
- Assessment of internal consistency, reliability, and concurrent validity.
- Evaluation of the P-AEQ's ability to differentiate between AUD and non-AUD populations in male veterans.
Main Results:
- The P-AEQ measures two dimensions: positive and negative alcohol effect expectancies.
- The instrument demonstrated good internal consistency, reliability, and concurrent validity.
- The P-AEQ successfully differentiated between AUD and non-AUD male veteran samples.
Conclusions:
- The P-AEQ is a reliable and valid measure of PTSD-related alcohol expectancies.
- This questionnaire can aid in understanding the relationship between PTSD and alcohol use.
- The P-AEQ has potential clinical utility in differentiating AUD in male veterans with PTSD.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
01:22Self-Report Tests of Personality
Self-report inventories are objective personality assessments that use multiple-choice items or numbered scales, typically ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). They are often called Likert scales after Rensis Likert. These inventories are widely used due to their ease of administration and cost-effectiveness. One of the most prominent examples is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), initially developed in the 1940s to assess abnormal personality traits.
01:30Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry that persists for at least six months, significantly interfering with daily functioning. Unlike situational anxiety, which arises in response to specific stressors, GAD often occurs without a clear cause. Individuals may experience disproportionate worry about work, health, or relationships. For instance, a person might continuously fear poor health despite normal medical evaluations or...