title: Childhood trauma and METH abuse among men who have sex with men: Implications for intervention.
abstract: Methamphetamine (METH) has become one of the most widely abused drugs in South Florida, particularly among MSM who may or may not be HIV seropositive. High rates of childhood trauma have been reported among HIV-infected MSM (Chartier et al., 2010), but, the association of childhood trauma, and mood disorders with methamphetamine use in HIV-infected men, has not been comprehensively explored. A better understanding of the association between these factors could improve existing substance abuse treatment intervention strategies and medical treatment programs (e.g., medication adherence; Carrico, 2010) to enhance positive health outcomes for male meth abusers living with the psychological consequences of childhood abuse. This study, as part of a larger study, examined the occurrence of childhood trauma and depression in a group of HIV seropositive METH abusing MSM. Significantly higher levels of depression symptom severity were found among METH users relative to non-METH users (p < .001). Irrespective of HIV status, METH users also reported higher frequencies of emotional, physical and sexual child abuse relative to non-METH users (p < .001). Among meth users, depression was predicted by childhood emotional neglect. These results suggest that childhood maltreatment may be implicated in the development of emotional distress (e.g., depression) and higher prevalence of methamphetamine/drug abuse in this population. These findings have important implications for substance abuse interventions, specifically targeting METH addiction among MSM. Addressing childhood trauma and depression may play a key role in enhancing the effectiveness of interventions for methamphetamine addiction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA. Electronic address: mrosana512@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lopez-Patton
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Mahendra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Marla
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Adarsh M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Charles B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Nemeroff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008694:Methamphetamine
keywords: Childhood abuse; HIV; MSM; Methamphetamine; Substance abuse