Parental warmth attenuates the impact of low and moderate levels of violence exposure on trauma symptoms among women with substance use disorders

Abstract

Women with substance use disorders (SUD) have high rates of violence exposure and are at greater risk for developing post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) than women without SUD. However, there is limited research on the factors that protect against the development of PTSS in response to violence exposure among women with SUD. Positive early attachment relationships may be one factor that protects against the development of PTSS in adulthood. We examined the bonding experience of parental warmth during childhood as a potential moderator in the relationship between violence exposure and PTSS in adulthood. Using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, and assessing moderation using the SPSS PROCESS macro, we examined whether parental warmth moderated the impact of violence exposure on PTSS among women with SUD. Greater violence exposure was associated with higher levels of PTSS, while higher levels of parental warmth were associated with lower levels of PTSS. Parental warmth attenuated the effects of violence exposure on PTSS at low and moderate levels of violence exposure, but not at high levels of violence exposure. High violence exposure may overwhelm the potential for positive relational experiences to buffer against the development of PTSS. Results from this study suggest the importance of early intervention and support for early caregiving relationships as part of the prevention of mental health disorders across the life course.