ALCOHOL-ABUSE IN INDIVIDUALS EXPOSED TO TRAUMA - A CRITICAL-REVIEW

In this article, the author critically reviews studies on the relation ship between exposure to trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder( PTSD), and alcohol abuse. After establishing that strong relationships exist between exposure to traumatic events and alcohol problems, and partic ularly between the diagnoses of PTSD and alcoholism, the author discus ses various factors, theories, and possible mechanisms to account for these associations. Moreover, she discusses applications of these find ings to the assessment and treatment of people exposed to trauma who a buse alcohol. Finally, the author outlines novel methods for testing t heoretical hypotheses and makes suggestions for methodological improve ments in future research.