Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Family Environment, and Substance Abuse Symptoms in Emerging Adults

Emerging adulthood is a developmental period spanning roughly from 18 to 25years old and is marked with high rates of co-occurring substance abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, especially for those who are disconnected, such as high school dropouts. This comorbidity can lead to more functional impairments than symptoms of either alone, but little is known about factors that moderate this association. Our goal was to investigate family environment as a moderator between these symptoms in a sample of 99 disconnected emerging adults. Participants were recruited from a GED program in Queens, New York. Students in this program had previously dropped out of high school, ranged in age from ages 16 to 21years old, and were ethnically diverse. Participants were recruited from their classrooms at the GED program by the principal investigator and/or doctoral students involved in the study. The data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. Participants were assessed for exposure to traumatic events, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use, and family environment. Correlation and hierarchical regression were used to analyze the data. Findings were that PTSD symptoms and substance abuse symptoms were positively correlated in this sample, and that aspects of family environment were found to moderate the association between substance abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Implications for future research, treatment, and prevention are discussed.