Citation

Gilmore AK, Koo KH, Nguyen HV, Granato HF, Hughes TL, Kaysen D. Addict. Behav. 2014; 39(3): 630-636.

Affiliation

University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1100 NE 45th Street, Office 338, Box 354944, Seattle, WA 98105, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.11.015

PMID

24360780

Abstract

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adolescent/adult sexual assault (ASA) are strongly associated with women's alcohol use and the rates of both alcohol use and sexual assault history are higher among lesbian and bisexual women than heterosexual women. Although descriptive drinking norms are one of the highest predictors of alcohol use in emerging adults, this is the first study to examine the relationship between sexual assault history, drinking norms, and alcohol use in lesbian and bisexual women. We found that CSA severity was associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing more severe alcohol-involved ASA, more severe physically forced ASA, and was indirectly associated with more drinking behavior and higher drinking norms. Additionally, more severe alcohol-involved ASA was associated with higher drinking norms and more drinking behavior, but physically forced ASA was not. These findings help explain previous contradictory findings and provide information for interventions.

Language: en