Citation

Scheidell JD, Quinn K, McGorray SP, Frueh BC, Beharie NN, Cottler LB, Khan MR. Addiction 2018; 113(1): 44-56.

Affiliation

Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/add.13921

PMID

28645136

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Examination of longitudinal relationships between childhood traumatic experiences and drug use across the life-course at the national level, with control of confounding by other forms of trauma, is needed. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of nine typologies of childhood traumas and the cumulative number experienced, correlation between traumas, and associations between individual and cumulative number of traumas with drug use during adolescence, emerging adulthood, and adulthood.

DESIGN: Secondary data analysis using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health SETTING: United States of America. PARTICIPANTS: A nationally-representative sample of individuals in grades 7-12 (ages 11-21) during 1994-95, who were re-interviewed during emerging adulthood (2001-02; ages 18-26) and adulthood (2007-08; ages 24-32). The analytic sample is 12,288 participants with data at all three waves. MEASUREMENTS: Nine typologies of childhood traumas: neglect; emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; parental incarceration and binge drinking; and witnessing, being threatened with, and experiencing violence. Indicators of each were summed to measure cumulative dose. Outcomes were marijuana and cocaine use during adolescence, emerging adulthood, and adulthood.

FINDINGS: Approximately 53% experienced at least one childhood trauma; traumas were not highly correlated. We observed a dose-response relationship between the number of traumas and drug use in adolescence (marijuana adjusted odds ratio (AOR) one trauma vs. none=1.65, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.42, 1.92; two traumas=2.58, 95%CI: 2.17, 3.06; ≥four traumas=6.92, 95%CI: 5.17, 9.26; cocaine AOR one trauma=1.87, 95%CI: 1.23, 2.84; two traumas=2.80, 95%CI: 1.74, 4.51; ≥four trauma=9.54, 95%CI: 5.93, 15.38). Similar dose-response relationships with drug use were observed in emerging adulthood and adulthood. Each individual trauma was independently associated with either marijuana or cocaine use in adolescence, emerging adulthood, and/or adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS: Childhood trauma is prevalent in the US and individual types as well as the total number experienced are significantly associated with Marijuana and cocaine use throughout the life-course.

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Language: en

Keywords

adolescence; childhood trauma; cocaine; life-course; marijuana; young adulthood