Predicting Reasons for Drinking in a Dually-Diagnosed Sample with PTSD and Substance Use Disorders

Using the negative reinforcement and common factors frameworks, this work assessed whether and how anxiety sensitivity, distress tolerance, and impulsivity relate to reasons for drinking (RFD) in a residential treatment sample with co-occurring alcohol use disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (AUD-PTSD). Demographic differences were also examined. Method: Participants were 75 (52.0% male, 78.7% white) adults at a residential substance use treatment facility who met criteria for AUD-PTSD with 98.67% meeting criteria for one or more substance use disorders in addition to AUD. Participants completed measures of anxiety sensitivity, distress tolerance, impulsivity, RFD, and AUD-PTSD symptoms. Univariate and multivariate linear regression was used with and without controlling for demographic variables (i.e., age, race, and sex). Results: The positive and negative urgency facets of impulsivity were positively related to both negative affect and cue/craving response RFD with relations maintained after controlling for demographic variables and including PTSD symptom severity (βs .30-.51). There were no significant relations between impulsivity and social RFD. No facets of anxiety sensitivity or distress tolerance were significantly related to RFD domains. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the urgency facets of impulsivity are crucial in understanding negative affect and cue/craving RFD. However, anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance are not related to RFD in this dually diagnosed AUD-PTSD sample. Treatment considerations and future directions are discussed.