Lang et al. (2003) showed that sexual assault was associated with increased substance use (Breslau et al., 1998; Lang et al., 2003). Importantly, trauma type may also moderate the association between PTSD and alcohol dependence. For example, some studies found that individuals exposed to nonassaultive trauma were more likely to initiate substance use earlier compared to those with an assaultive trauma history (Bucholz et al., 2017), while other studies found that assaultive trauma, but not nonassaultive trauma, exposure was associated with increases in binge drinking (Cisler et al., 2011). Thus, consideration of trauma type is critical in better understanding potential adverse consequences following trauma exposure.
