Child abuse and other traumatic experiences, alcohol use disorders, and health problems in adolescence and young adulthood.
OBJECTIVE
We prospectively examined the health effects of child abuse and other traumatic events, with objective health indicators and consideration of alcohol use disorders (AUD).


METHODS
Adolescents (n = 668) were recruited from clinical and community sources. At baseline, we examined child abuse and other traumas, AUD, health-related symptoms, physical findings, and blood assays. Subjects were assigned to Trauma Classes (TC), including witnessing violence, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Health outcomes were again determined at 1-year and young adult follow-up.


RESULTS
In adolescence, higher TC severity was associated with more health-related symptoms, increased age-adjusted body mass index, and stress-response immune system indices. In adolescence and young adulthood, the relationships between TC and health-related symptoms were mediated by anxiety. AUD was associated with liver injury, and cigarette smoking with heart/lung symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Child abuse predicted persistently elevated health-related symptoms primarily attributable to anxiety, and early signs of liver disease were attributable to AUD.
Clark
Duncan B
DB
, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 1521, USA. clarkdb@upmc.edu
Thatcher
Dawn L
DL
Martin
Christopher S
CS
D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult