Posttraumatic stress and probable post traumatic stress disorder as it relates to smoking behavior and beliefs among trauma exposed hispanic persons who smoke

AbstractThere has been little scientific effort to evaluate the associations between cigarette smoking and cessation-related constructs and exposure to traumatic events, posttraumatic stress, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms among Hispanic persons who smoke in the United States (US). Such trauma-related factors may pose unique difficulties for Hispanic persons who smoke and possess a desire to quit. As such, the present investigation sought to fill this gap in the literature and examine posttraumatic stress and probable PTSD in terms of their relations with several clinically significant smoking constructs among trauma-exposed Hispanic persons who smoke from the United States. Participants included 228 Spanish-speaking Hispanic persons who endorsed prior traumatic event exposure and smoked combustible cigarettes daily (58.3% female,Mage= 32.1 years,SD = 9.65). Results indicated that posttraumatic stress symptoms were related to increased cigarette dependence, perceived barriers for smoking cessation, and more severe problems when trying to quit with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate in adjusted models. Additionally, Hispanic person s who smoke with probable PTSD compared to those without probable PTSD showcased a statistically effect for perceived barriers for cessation (p <  .008) and a severity of problems when trying to quit (p <  .001). No effect was evident for cigarette dependence after alpha correction. Overall, the present ...
Source: Journal of Behavioral Medicine - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research