Childhood victimization and alcohol symptoms in women: an examination of protective factors.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether academic and intellectual functioning, high self-efficacy and social support protect women who were abused and neglected in childhood from developing alcohol problems in later life.


METHODS
Substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect from 1967 to 1971 were matched on gender, age, race and approximate social class with nonabused/nonneglected children and were followed prospectively into young adulthood. Subjects were administered a 2-hour face-to-face interview, including the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS-III-R), to assess alcohol symptoms. Analyses were restricted to women in the sample (N = 522).


RESULTS
For women abused and neglected in childhood and for control women, graduating from high school significantly decreased the number of DSM-III-R alcohol symptoms. For abused and neglected women, high self-efficacy was also associated with significantly lower levels of alcohol symptoms. Interaction coefficients were not significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions to improve educational achievement and to increase feelings of self-efficacy (possibly through empowerment programs) may be effective in reducing alcohol problems in women abused and neglected as children.
Schuck
Amie M
AM
Department of Criminology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
Widom
Cathy Spatz
CS
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support