Examining Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Substance Use in Latine College Students

Background: Latine young adults often experience turmoil leading to trauma exposure and symptoms in their native countries, frequently leading to migration, making it valuable for psychologists across the Americas to understand trauma-based mental health in Latines. Given the disproportionate experience of trauma and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among Latine young adults and the common age of onset for problematic substance use, there is a need to explore how PTSS relates to substance use in this population. Methods: Using data from a sample of college students (n = 687; ages 17-25) living in Latin America, this study examined the relation between PTSS and substance use and considered the role of demographic variables. We hypothesized that individuals who indicated higher PTSS would also report higher substance use. Results: Moderation analyses revealed a main effect of PTSS on substance use severity, t = 2.06, p = 0.04, as well as a main effect of age on substance use frequency, t = 2.56, p = 0.01. Exploratory findings showed some PTSS, age, and sex main and interaction effects in relation to the frequency and/or severity of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, stimulant, sedative, and opioid use. Notably, 26.1% of our sample demonstrated clinically significant symptoms of PTSS - substantially higher than published prevalence rates in the U.S. Conclusions: Considering increased risk for PTSS and substance use in this population, culturally appropriate clinical resources regarding comorbidity should be prioritized, especially among young adults.