Given the common comorbidity of PTSD and alcohol dependence (Allen, Crawford, & Kudler, 2016; Goldstein, Bradley, Ressler, & Powers, 2017; Kessler et al., 2005), researchers have proposed several hypotheses linking the two disorders. One common theory is the self‐medication hypothesis, which suggests that individuals suffering from PTSD symptoms self‐medicate with alcohol and subsequently develop an alcohol use problem (Allen et al., 2016; Goldstein et al., 2017). Another hypothesis is the shared‐liability model, which suggests that PTSD and alcohol dependence have shared risk factors (Allen et al., 2016; Goldstein et al., 2017), such as having a family history (FH) of alcohol dependence, neurocognitive and behavioral impairments, and genetic risk. This study used an integrated model to investigate the associations of different types of trauma exposure and FH of AUD on PTSD and/or alcohol dependence as well as planning and problem‐solving aspects of executive function, while also investigating sex differences.
