A comparison of persistence of African-american undergraduate students from a private urban historically black university and a public urban predominantly white institution in the south on selected variables related to retention, 2008

This descriptive study analyzes whether African-American males who are substance abusers fit full criteria for post traumatic stress disorder. A convenience sample of 50 African-American men from Fulton County Drug Court in Atlanta, Georgia completed a questionnaire to determine if they fit full criteria for post traumatic stress disorder. The questionnaire for the study was composed of criteria for post traumatic stress disorder obtained from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). The hypothesis of the study stated that at least 60% of the convenience sample would fit full criteria for post traumatic stress disorder. The findings of the study reveal that there is no statistical relationship between African-American men who are substance abusers and fitting full criteria for post traumatic stress disorder. Only 6% of the convenience sample fit full criteria for the post traumatic stress disorder. Though the hypothesis was not confirmed, the study did yield that a majority of the participants in the study had experienced a traumatic event. The study provides a basis for further research regarding the connection between substance abuse and post traumatic stress disorder regarding African-American males