Relationship of alcohol craving to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in combat veterans.

To examine the relationship of alcohol craving to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 129 male veterans with chronic PTSD were asked to complete the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS), the Mississippi Scale for combat-related PTSD symptoms, and other instruments to assess general psychopathology and lifetime alcohol and substance use. No correlations were found between current PTSD symptoms and alcohol craving, although significant correlations were found between the OCDS and measures of lifetime alcohol and substance use.