PTSD Leading to Drug Abuse: A Quantitative Study of Psychological & Social Perspective

Abstract

This study examines the connection between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse from both psychological and sociological angles. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were used to collect data from a sample of 100 trauma-exposed participants, aged 18 to 50 years, residing in urban Pakistan. Pearson correlation confirmed a significant positive correlation between PTSD and drug abuse ( r = 0.5 , p < 0.01 ) while demonstrating negative correlations both between PTSD and social support ( r = - 0.226 , p < 0.05 ) and between social support and drug abuse (r = -.346, p < 0.01 ) Multiple linear regression analysis confirmed PTSD is a significant predictor of drug abuse ( beta = 0.5 R = .250, p < 0.001 ) showing that individuals with higher symptoms of PTSD are more likely to abuse substances. The results highlight the need for trauma-informed and socially contextualized mental health policies and interventions.