This study of individuals in treatment for cocaine dependence and individuals from their neighborhoods sought to examine factors related to traumatic events and PTSD. Specifically, this unique design allows us to better estimate how cocaine dependent cases differ from neighborhood comparison participants, as previous studies have not included a community-matched sample. Our hypotheses were that cocaine dependent cases would experience more traumatic events than community-based participants and that the risk of PTSD would be elevated by number of traumatic events experienced. To address these hypotheses, the present analyses assessed (1) the prevalence and predictors of traumatic events in cocaine dependent cases compared to community-based participants and (2) the prevalence of PTSD in cocaine dependent cases compared to community-based participants and (3) the predictors of PTSD including number and type of traumas.
