Drinking to ease the burden: a cross-sectional study on trauma, alcohol abuse and psychopathology in a post-conflict context

BMC Psychiatry

Research Article

Frank Neuner¹  Claudia Catani¹  Regina Saile¹  Verena Ertl² 

[1] Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany;vivo international, Konstanz, Germany;Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany;vivo international, Konstanz, Germany;Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, P.O. Box 100131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany;

关键词: Trauma;    Addiction;    Alcohol;    Substance abuse;    Self-medication;    Depression;    PTSD;    Mental health;    Conflict;    War;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12888-016-0905-7

 received in 2015-12-23, accepted in 2016-06-06,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundIt is likely that alcohol use and abuse increase during and after violent conflicts. The most prominent explanation of this phenomenon has been referred to as self-medication hypothesis. It predicts that psychotropic substances are consumed to deal with conflict-related psychic strains and trauma. In northern Uganda, a region that has been affected by a devastating civil war and is characterized by high levels of alcohol abuse we examined the associations between war-trauma, childhood maltreatment and problems related to alcohol use. Deducing from the self-medication hypothesis we assumed alcohol consumption moderates the relationship between trauma-exposure and psychopathology.MethodsA cross-sectional epidemiological survey targeting war-affected families in post-conflict northern Uganda included data of male (n = 304) and female (n = 365) guardians. We used standardized questionnaires in an interview format to collect data on the guardians’ socio-demography, trauma-exposure, alcohol consumption and symptoms of alcohol abuse, PTSD and depression.ResultsSymptoms of current alcohol use disorders were present in 46 % of the male and 1 % of the female respondents. A multiple regression model revealed the unique contributions of emotional abuse in the families of origin and trauma experienced outside the family-context in the prediction of men’s alcohol-related symptoms. We found that alcohol consumption moderated the dose-effect relationship between trauma-exposure and symptoms of depression and PTSD. Significant interactions indicated that men who reported more alcohol-related problems experienced less increase in symptoms of PTSD and depression with increasing trauma-exposure.ConclusionsThe gradual attenuation of the dose-effect the more alcohol-related problems were reported is consistent with the self-medication hypothesis. Hence, the functionality of alcohol consumption has to be considered when designing and implementing addiction treatment in post-conflict contexts.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2016