Posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity and HIV-risk behaviors among substance-dependent inpatients

Abstract

Despite findings that the co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUD) is associated with heightened risk for a variety of risky behaviors, few studies have examined behaviors linked to heightened risk for HIV infection and transmission in particular, or explored the unique associations between specific PTSD symptom clusters and these HIV-risk behaviors. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the associations between PTSD symptom severity and HIV-risk behaviors (i.e., risky sexual behavior [RSB] and injection drug use [INJ]) within an ethnically diverse sample of 85 SUD patients in residential SUD treatment. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires assessing PTSD symptom severity and HIV-risk behaviors, including RSB and INJ. Results demonstrated significant positive associations between PTSD symptom severity and RSB; however, no significant relationship between PTSD symptom severity and INJ was found. Furthermore, the severity of hyperarousal symptoms in particular was found to significantly predict RSB above and beyond age and all other PTSD symptom clusters. Results of this study suggest that PTSD symptoms (and, more specifically, the hyperarousal symptoms of PTSD) may heighten the risk for some forms of HIV-risk behaviors (RSB) but not others (INJ). Results highlight the importance of identifying and targeting hyperarousal symptoms in the treatment of SUD patients experiencing symptoms of PTSD in order to reduce HIV infection or transmission risk.

Keywords:

• posttraumatic stress disorder
• HIV/AIDS
• HIV-risk behavior
• risky sexual behavior
• injection drug use
• substance dependence

Acknowledgements

Support for this study was provided by a contract from the Mississippi State Department of Health awarded to the second (MTT) and last (KLG) authors. The authors would like to thank Mr. Forea Ford and the former Country Oaks Recovery Center for their assistance with this project. The authors would also like to thank Sarah Anne Moore, Rachel Brooks, and Jessica Fulton for their assistance with data collection.