Gender differences in the associations between posttraumatic stress symptoms and problematic substance use in psychiatric inpatient adolescents

This study examined gender differences in the associations between posttrau matic stress symptoms and problematic substance use in psychiatrically hosp italized adolescents. Ninety-five adolescent inpatients (38 boys, 57 girls) were systematically evaluated with a battery of psychometrically well-esta blished self-report measures to assess trauma exposure, posttraumatic stres s symptoms, problematic alcohol and drug use, and internalizing and externa lizing psychopathology. Twenty-three percent (N = 22) of patients met DSM-T V-based symptom criteria for PTSD, and 37% (N = 35) and 34% (N = 32) of pat ients endorsed problematic levels of drug and alcohol use, respectively. Po sttraumatic stress symptoms were significantly associated with problematic drug and alcohol use in girls but not in boys. There were no significant ge nder differences in posttraumatic stress symptoms and/or problematic substa nce use, to account for the gender differences in the association between P TSD and substance use. Our findings suggest that the link between substance abuse and PTSD may be especially salient for female adolescents.