Gender Differences in the Relationship Between PTSD and Youth Alcohol Use

It has been established that post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) contribute to an increased risk of alcohol use and alcohol use disorders. Research has shown that this is particularly true for adult females. However, limited research exists regarding whether PTSD predicts alcohol use among youth, nor has it adequately addressed whether gender plays a differential role in predicting the influence of PTSD on youth alcohol use. Using a nationally representative sample of 2,667 eighth-grade junior high school students (aged 14 to 15) in Taiwan, this study examined the relationship between PTSD and adolescent alcohol use and the moderating effect of gender on the relationship. The findings indicated that gender is a moderating factor when examining the influence of PTSD on alcohol use, with PTSD symptoms predicting alcohol use only for female but not male youth. These results suggest that secondary alcohol prevention programs should prioritize identifying females with PTSD and that further research on post-trauma health behaviors among female youth is needed.