Trauma-related risk factors for substance abuse among male versus female young adults.
Clinical efforts to reduce risk for Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) among young adults rely on the empirical identification of risk factors for addictive behaviors in this population. Exposure to traumatic events and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been linked with SUDs in various populations. Emerging data, particularly from adolescent samples, suggest that traumatic event exposure increases risk for SUDs for young women, but not young men. The purpose of the current study was to examine trauma-related risk factors for alcohol and drug abuse among a national sample of young adults and compare such risk factors between men and women. Participants were 1753 young adults who participated in the 7-8 year follow-up telephone-based survey to the original National Survey of Adolescents. In the full sample, 29.1% met criteria for substance abuse. Trauma-related risk factors for alcohol and drug abuse differed for men and women. Clinical implications of these results are discussed.
Danielson
Carla Kmett
CK
National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425,United States. danielso@musc.edu
Amstadter
Ananda B
AB
Dangelmaier
Ruth E
RE
Resnick
Heidi S
HS
Saunders
Benjamin E
BE
Kilpatrick
Dean G
DG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult