title: Impact of Exposure to Childhood Maltreatment on Transitions to Alcohol Dependence in Women and Men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood maltreatment decreases age of first use and speeds the transition from first use to dependence (i.e., telescoping) for alcohol use, however, it is currently unknown whether this influence is the same for men and women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses were conducted with the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (n = 34,653). Outcome variables included age of alcohol initiation and time to onset of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition alcohol dependence. Predictor variables included gender and childhood maltreatment. Linear and Poisson regression analyses were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results demonstrated that in regard to age of drinking initiation, individuals who experienced childhood maltreatment initiated 1 year earlier than those without maltreatment, however, there was no interaction of this relationship with gender. Regarding the time to dependence, it was found that women who experienced childhood maltreatment demonstrated telescoping (shorter time between onset and dependence) compared to women without maltreatment and men (both with and without maltreatment).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with a history of childhood maltreatment are particularly vulnerable to an accelerated time from initiation of alcohol use until dependence, a pattern indicative of increased negative alcohol-related outcomes. Findings highlight the need for development of gender-specific prevention efforts and behavioral treatments to aid in early intervention of problematic alcohol use in women.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA lindsay.oberleitner@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Lindsay M S
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Oberleitner
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology & Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Philip H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA Women's Health Research at Yale, New Haven, CT, USA Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT, USA Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA Women's Health Research at Yale, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Carolyn M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mazure
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA Women's Health Research at Yale, New Haven, CT, USA Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Sherry A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McKee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017668:Age of Onset; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: alcohol use; childhood maltreatment; gender; trauma