TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - Longitudinal associations among experiences of sexual assault, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and heavy drinking in young adults
JO  - Journal of Traumatic Stress
A1  - Pedersen, Eric R.
A1  - Davis, Jordan P.
A1  - Canning, Liv
A1  - Tucker, Joan S.
A1  - Prindle, John
A1  - Seelam, Rachana
A1  - Dunbar, Michael S.
A1  - Siconolfi, Daniel
A1  - D'Amico, Elizabeth J.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - Prior research with young adults has demonstrated clear associations between experiences of sexual assault, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol use, but most studies have been cross-sectional or have not considered multiple theoretical pathways to understand these associations. Using six waves of data from a longitudinal cohort sample of 1,719 young adults, we examined associations among experiences of past-year sexual assault (i.e., rape, unwanted sexual touching, and physical intimidation in a sexual way), PTSD symptoms, and the frequency of binge drinking over time, allowing for the exploration of symptom-induced, interpersonal risk, and substance-induced pathways for male and female participants. For both male, βs = 2.84 to 6.55, and female participants, βs = 2.96 to 10.1, higher prior levels of PTSD symptoms were associated with larger increases in binge drinking over time. For female participants, higher prior levels of sexual assault were associated with larger increases in PTSD symptoms over time, βs = 3.48 to 4.25, whereas for male participants, higher prior levels of past-year binge drinking were associated with decreases in PTSD symptoms over time, βs = -2.75 to -0.53. Continued efforts are needed to prevent sexual assault among young adults and address PTSD symptoms among those who experience sexual assault. Interventions that target binge drinking are also needed for individuals who experience PTSD symptoms, especially young adults, to address potentially hazardous drinking before problems escalate and become chronic.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0894-9867
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jts.23000
ID  - ref1
ER  -