Posttraumatic Stress and Hazardous Alcohol Use in College Students: The Moderating Role of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies

The present study evaluated the moderating role of alcohol protective behavioral strategy subtypes (Al-PBS; Serious Harm Reduction [SHR], Manner of Drinking [MOD], Stopping/Limiting Drinking [SLD]) and gender on the relationships between traumatic stress symptoms and both hazardous drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences. Participants were 915 traditional age (18 to 25 years old) college students from nine universities in the United States who reported drinking in the past. All participants reported their gender and completed measures of traumatic stress symptoms, Al-PBS use, hazardous drinking, and alcohol-related negative consequences through an online survey. Experiencing greater traumatic stress symptoms was associated with both increased hazardous drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences. While Al-PBS subtypes did not moderate the relationship between traumatic stress symptoms and hazardous drinking, gender was a significant three-way moderator such that males with greater levels of traumatic stress symptoms using higher amounts of Al-PBS-MOD and Al-PBS-SLD reported less hazardous drinking. Al-PBS-SHR moderated the relationship between traumatic stress symptoms and alcohol-related negative consequences such that there was a weaker association between traumatic stress symptoms and alcohol-related negative consequences for those using more Al-PBS-SHR. While Al-PBS appear beneficial for all college student drinkers, these findings highlight the additional protective value of certain Al-PBS for students experiencing traumatic stress symptoms