The Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism—Version II (SSAGA-II) 14 was administered as part of the screening process to assess lifetime Axis I disorders as well as antisocial personality disorder. Severity of alcohol dependence was measured using the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS).15 Current trauma symptoms were assessed using the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40 (TSC-40),16 a measure of the extent of current (i.e., past 2 months) disturbances in cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physical functioning that are common sequelae of trauma exposure. Trauma history was assessed using the 28-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF)17 and the 24-item Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ),18 which are valid and reliable self-report assessments of severity of maltreatment during childhood (CTQ-SF) and lifetime exposure to potentially traumatic events (TLEQ). The CTQ-SF contains 5 subscales (Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Physical Neglect, Emotional Neglect), each scored from 5 to 25, assessing severity of maltreatment in each domain. The TLEQ assesses exposure to 22 potentially traumatic events, including an assessment of whether each event evoked feelings of fear, helplessness, or horror. For this study, we used the TLEQ count of events (out of a possible 22) that the participant endorsed experiencing and responding with fear, helplessness, or horror.
