The purpose and significance of the study lies in the establishment of a community-matched baseline for comparisons. Neither cocaine dependence nor trauma are evenly distributed throughout the country, but rather both cocaine dependence and violence are concentrated in neighborhoods. The aforementioned general population studies provide general prevalence rates of trauma and cocaine dependence; however, they may fail to provide a fair comparison. For example, a cocaine dependent subject who lives in a chaotic and socially distressed neighborhood will be compared to a non-cocaine dependent subject who lives in an affluent community. Though many demographic factors can be controlled for in these analyses such as gender, age, educational attainment and poverty, many unmeasured community factors cannot be adequately taken into account. This study seeks to better study the relationship of trauma and PTSD between cocaine dependent individuals recruited from treatment compared to a community-matched baseline group. This study design provides a matching of unmeasured neighborhood factors.
