Binge drinking following residential treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder among veterans with and without alcohol use disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is complicated by high rates of problematic drinking and comorbid alcohol use disorder (AUD). This study examined veterans seeking residential PTSD treatment, comparing those with and without AUD, to determine whether trauma type and/or PTSD symptom changes during treatment were associated with binge drinking at 4-month follow-up. Analyses compared characteristics of veterans (N = 758) in residential treatment, as well as associations of demographic, trauma, and alcohol-related variables, with binge drinking episodes at follow-up. Results showed no differences in PTSD symptom improvements based on AUD diagnosis. Among AUD-diagnosed veterans, 21.3% endorsed binge drinking 4 or more (14.3% endorsed 9 or more) days, while 10.8% of veterans without AUD endorsed binge drinking 4 or more (5.2% endorsed 9 or more) days at follow-up. Among AUD-diagnosed veterans, while PTSD symptom improvements were not associated with binge drinking outcomes, drinking days at admission and military sexual trauma (MST) predicted a greater likelihood of binge drinking. Among veterans without AUD, drinking days at admission, PTSD symptom increases, being unmarried, 'other' race, and less education, were associated with a higher likelihood of binge drinking, while MST and combat exposure predicted a lower likelihood of binge drinking. In conclusion, drinking days at admission is a predictor of binge drinking following treatment; thus, alcohol use should be assessed at intake and addressed among those who endorse drinking to reduce the likelihood of alcohol resumption following residential treatment. Furthermore, among AUD-diagnosed veterans, despite PTSD symptom decreases during treatment, MST predicted a greater likelihood of 9 or more binge drinking days at follow-up.