title: Polydrug use typologies and childhood maltreatment in a nationally representative survey of Danish young adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Substance use and childhood maltreatment experience are linked, but little is known about the association with polydrug use patterns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Latent class analyses (LCA) were performed on eight illicit drugs in a random population sample of young Danes separated by sex (males: n = 1,555; females: n = 1,425). Logistic regressions explored associations of polydrug use patterns and childhood maltreatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A three-class solution best described patterns of polydrug use in both the male and female samples. Across all LCA models, Class 1 was characterized by individuals who represented wide-range polydrug users, endorsing many of the drug types (males = 8%; females = 2%). Class 2 was characterized by amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine, and amyl nitrate users (males = 18%; females = 7%). Class 3 was characterized by individuals who endorsed either low-level use of cannabis only or no drug use (males = 74%; females = 91 %). For males, having been a child-protection case was associated with Classes 1 and 2 and for females with Class 2, compared with Class 3. Alcohol problems were associated with Classes 1 and 2 for both sexes. Sexual abuse was associated with Classes 1 and 2 for females but not males, whereas physical abuse was associated with Classes 1 and 2 for males but not females, as compared with Class 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Separate sex analyses are important; although patterns of polydrug use are broadly similar, females are less frequently polydrug users. In addition, different relationships exist for the sexes, such that polydrug use patterns are associated with sexual abuse in females, whereas such patterns are associated with physical abuse in young males.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, National Centre for Psychotraumatology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Cherie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Armour
authors.affiliation: Bamford Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, University of Ulster, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, All Ireland Hub for Trials Methodology Research, University of Ulster, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: Gillian W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Shorter
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio.
authors.forename: Jon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Elhai
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, National Centre for Psychotraumatology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ask
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elklit
authors.affiliation: The Danish National Centre for Social Research, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Mogens N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Christoffersen
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs