TY - JOUR
T1 - Childhood trauma among individuals with co-morbid substance use and post-traumatic stress disorder
AU - Farrugia, Philippa L.
AU - Mills, Katherine L.
AU - Barrett, Emma
AU - Back, Sudie E.
AU - Teesson, Maree
AU - Baker, Amanda
AU - Sannibale, Claudia
AU - Hopwood, Sally
AU - Merz, Sabine
AU - Rosenfeld, Julia
AU - Brady, Kathleen T.
PY - 2011/11
Y1 - 2011/11
N2 - Little is known about the impact of childhood trauma (CT) on the clinical profile of individuals with co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics of individuals with SUD+PTSD who have a history of CT, with SUD+PTSD individuals who have experienced trauma during adulthood only. Data were collected on 103 individuals as part of a randomised controlled trial examining the efficacy of an integrated psychosocial treatment for SUD+PTSD. Participants were recruited from substance use treatment services, community referrals and advertising. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, substance use and treatment histories, lifetime trauma exposure and current physical and mental health functioning. It was found that the vast majority (77%) of the sample had experienced at least one trauma before the age of 16, with 55% of those endorsing childhood sexual abuse. As expected, individuals with a CT history, as compared to without, evidenced significantly longer duration of PTSD. Those with a CT history also had more extensive lifetime trauma exposure, an earlier age of first intoxication and reported more severe substance use (e.g. a greater number of drug classes used in their lifetime, higher severity of dependence scores and greater number of drug treatment episodes). In conclusion, we found that individuals with co-morbid SUD+PTSD who had experienced CT presented with a more severe and chronic clinical profile in relation to a number of trauma and substance use characteristics, when compared to individuals with adulthood only trauma histories. It is, therefore, important for SUD+PTSD treatment planning that CT be carefully assessed.
AB - Little is known about the impact of childhood trauma (CT) on the clinical profile of individuals with co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics of individuals with SUD+PTSD who have a history of CT, with SUD+PTSD individuals who have experienced trauma during adulthood only. Data were collected on 103 individuals as part of a randomised controlled trial examining the efficacy of an integrated psychosocial treatment for SUD+PTSD. Participants were recruited from substance use treatment services, community referrals and advertising. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, substance use and treatment histories, lifetime trauma exposure and current physical and mental health functioning. It was found that the vast majority (77%) of the sample had experienced at least one trauma before the age of 16, with 55% of those endorsing childhood sexual abuse. As expected, individuals with a CT history, as compared to without, evidenced significantly longer duration of PTSD. Those with a CT history also had more extensive lifetime trauma exposure, an earlier age of first intoxication and reported more severe substance use (e.g. a greater number of drug classes used in their lifetime, higher severity of dependence scores and greater number of drug treatment episodes). In conclusion, we found that individuals with co-morbid SUD+PTSD who had experienced CT presented with a more severe and chronic clinical profile in relation to a number of trauma and substance use characteristics, when compared to individuals with adulthood only trauma histories. It is, therefore, important for SUD+PTSD treatment planning that CT be carefully assessed.
KW - childhood trauma
KW - co-morbidity
KW - post-traumatic stress disorder
KW - substance use disorder
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80053531251&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17523281.2011.598462
DO - 10.1080/17523281.2011.598462
M3 - Article
C2 - 21984884
AN - SCOPUS:80053531251
SN - 1752-3281
VL - 4
SP - 314
EP - 326
JO - Mental Health and Substance Use: Dual Diagnosis
JF - Mental Health and Substance Use: Dual Diagnosis
IS - 4
ER -