Abuse Group Research Articles

Accidental Detection of Cocaine in Urine in Pediatric Patients: Case Series and Literature Review

Infantile occult exposure to cocaine in domestic environments represents a complex clinical and medico-legal problem, which can be associated with abuse and neglect and with potential short- and long-term health risks for children. The authors present a retrospective study on 764 children under 14 years old who accessed the Emergency Department of IRCCS Meyer from 2016 to 2023 and were included in the GAIA (Child and Adolescent Abuse Group) protocol for suspected maltreatment and abuse, and for which a urine toxicology analysis was performed. The aim is to discuss the medico-legal implications and highlight the need for a thorough evaluation and management of such situations. Urine screening tests for substances of abuse (e.g., cocaine, opiates, etc.) were performed with an EMIT® Siemens VIVA-E drug testing system (Siemens, Newark DE) in 124 cases for which the child’s clinical condition raised suspicion of intoxication, or the family context indicated distress or substance abuse dependency. The screening results revealed the presence of cocaine and its main metabolite, benzoylecgonine, in the urine of 11 children. In one case, a single girl was brought to the Emergency Department by staff from the facility where she and her mother were staying. In most of the cases, children were brought to the Emergency Department by their parents who accessed the Emergency Department due to various clinical manifestations (drowsiness, agitation, seizures, hypotonia, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.), except for one case of eye trauma suspected to be caused by abuse or neglect by one of the parents. Three of the children did not have signs or symptoms attributable to substance exposure, whilst eight of the cases presented some of the symptoms associated with occult infant exposure to cocaine, such as neurological manifestations, seizures, gastrointestinal symptoms, and respiratory depression. The probable mode of intake was mostly through breastfeeding and continuous environmental exposure due to domestic contamination or inhalation of “crack”. In the case of a 12-hour-old infant, there was probable prenatal in utero exposure. All the children were hospitalized, some for medical reasons and others solely as a precautionary measure for proper care. In all cases, a report was made to the Prosecutors as required by the Italian Penal Code, as well as to the Court of Minor. The study highlighted the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving pediatricians, social workers, and forensics, as well as close collaboration with the relevant authorities, as the Gaia service at IRCCS Meyer offers. The occasional detection of cocaine in cases that showed no suspicion of intoxication led to a modification of the procedure and the development of a standardized protocol at IRCCS Meyer both in terms of prevention and in the detection and interception of hidden cases, in order to intervene early and initiate the necessary care pathways (secondary prevention). This protocol includes routine toxicological urine testing in all suspected or confirmed cases of child abuse, not just in those where symptoms might suggest a suspicion of intoxication.

Co-abuse of amphetamine and alcohol harms kidney and liver.

The prevalence of alcohol use disorder was found 75% higher among amphetamine dependent patients. Alcohol and amphetamine alone have nephrotoxicity and hepatoxicity. But, the degree of risk with coabuse of alcohol and amphetamine is unknown. The objective of this study was to assess toxic effects of amphetamine-alcohol co-abuse on the liver and kidney. he present study was a cross-sectional study conducted et al. Amal Hospital for Mental Health, Qassim region, KSA and include one hundred participants. Seventy-five participants were patients hospitalized for the treatment of abuse, and twenty-five participants, were healthy voluntaries, have no history of abuse. An experienced psychiatrist conducted patient interviews and assessed the patients using the DSM-5 criteria. The data from healthy participants were considered as a control. The abuse group was paired with the control group by age and lifestyle. Participants were split into: Group I: Control group (n = 25); Group II: Amphetamine (AMP) abuser group (n = 25); Group III: Alcohol abuser group (n = 25) and Group IV: Combined drug abuser group (AMP and alcohol) (n = 25). The socio-demographic data was collected. Complete medical examination, Body Mass Index and samples of blood and urine were collected from all participants for analytical tests; determination of alcohol and AMP levels, kidney functions and liver functions. The mean BMI values in groups II, III, and IV showed no significant change from the control group. The serum level of albumin and alkaline phosphatase showed significant decrease in all abuser groups. While, alanine transaminase (ALT), Aspartate transaminase (AST) and osteopontin levels showed significant increase in all abuser groups. Fasting blood sugar values showed significant increase in alcohol abusers. On the other hand, it revealed no significant change in AMP and combined groups. The mean values of urea showed no significant change in AMP and alcohol abusers and significant increase in combined drug abuser group. The serum creatinine and all abuser groups showed significant increase in Cystatin C. The alteration in the most of studied biochemical parameters were more than two folds in combined group compared with that of AMP or alcohol groups. Study reveals synergistic liver and kidney toxicity. Amphetamine-alcohol co-abuse significantly heightens kidney and liver toxicity.

Prevalence, subtypes, and risk factors of adverse childhood experiences among Chinese residents: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

Addressing the long-term physical and mental health impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) remains a significant public health challenge. Additionally, ACEs can contribute to intergenerational transmission, affecting future generations. While previous studies have primarily focused on children and adolescents, there is limited data on ACE subtypes and influencing factors among the general adult population, particularly in China. This study aims to explore the prevalence, subtypes, and factors influencing ACEs among Chinese adults. A total of 1,932 Chinese residents from southwest China (Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou provinces, and Chongqing Municipality) participated in the study, consisting of 867 men (44.9%) and 1,065 women (55.1%). Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify ACE clusters, and regression analysis examined associations between ACE clusters and demographic factors, physical illness, and mental health outcomes. The findings revealed that 28.7% of participants had experienced at least one ACE, while 13.2% had experienced three or more ACEs. Three distinct ACE clusters were identified: a low ACE group, a high emotional and physical abuse/family dysfunction group, and a high ACE/sexual abuse group. Regression analysis showed significant associations between childhood adversity and demographic factors (age, education, birthplace), as well as physical and mental health outcomes (anxiety, depression). ANOVA further confirmed significant differences in depression and anxiety scores across the clusters. These findings offer critical insights for developing targeted public health interventions. Policymakers should consider strategies to reduce childhood ACEs and mitigate their long-term consequences, with particular attention to high-risk groups.

Psychological Abuse in Jurisprudence Associated with Cults and Manipulative Groups: A Transcultural Study on Five Convictions

ABSTRACT Groups of Psychological Abuse (GPAs) are hierarchical groups made up of one or several leaders and members who persistently and systematically use manipulative and coercive strategies to subjugate other people. The general aims of this study were (1) to obtain evidence of psychological abuse through the analysis of five sectarian cases and (2) to provide support for the taxonomy proposed by Rodríguez-Carballeira et al. (2015). An abductive content analysis extracted indicators from five case studies using court transcripts as secondary data sources. Results revealed 26 psychological abuse strategies, with the most prevalent category being control of personal life (41.9%), followed by emotional abuse (14.9%), and control and manipulation of information (14.7%). The most frequently used strategies of abuse were control over sexual life and emotional relationships, control-weakening of the psychophysical state, and manipulation of information. These findings suggest implications for prevention and intervention in both the psychological and legal context.

Specificity of Episodic Future Thinking in Adolescents: Comparing Childhood Maltreatment, Autism Spectrum, and Typical Development.

Maltreatment and autism can be associated with overlapping difficulties across functional domains (e.g., social, emotional, and sensory) and high rates of mental health problems. A cognitive approach focussing on affect-laden cognition, here on episodic future thinking (FT), could help inform cognitive assessments and adapt psychological interventions. Three groups of adolescents (N = 85), (i) maltreatment (n = 28), (ii) autism (n = 29), and (iii) typical development without maltreatment/autism (TD; n = 28), matched in age (10-16 years old), sex (assigned at birth), and socioeconomic status, completed a newly adapted online Autobiographical Future Thinking Test. As predicted, the maltreatment group generated significantly fewer specific future events relative to the TD group, however, the number of specific future events did not significantly differ between the autism and the other groups. Exploratory analyses showed that lower FT specificity was significantly associated with more depressive (but not anxiety) symptoms across the three groups. These findings shed light on the cognitive profiles of both maltreatment and autism during adolescence and signal FT as a potential therapeutic target for adolescents with these developmental differences. Our study lays the foundation for additional comparisons of maltreatment-related presentations versus autism with improved designs and a broader set of cognitive and clinical domains.

The Effect of Emotional Abuse on Periodontal Status and Salivary Resisti

Background: Emotional abuse is a widespread form of child abuse. It is suggested that the adverse outcomes from all forms of abuse mostly result from the emotional impacts. Resistin, a polypeptide high in cysteine, can serve as a valuable biochemical indicator of periodontal tissue damage when detected in the saliva. Objective: To assess the relationship of emotional abuse with periodontal status and salivary resistin levels. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional comparative study included 522 intermediate school students aged 13-15 years in Kirkuk/Iraq. Information on emotional abuse was obtained using Glaser criteria which is a self-administered, structured, questionnaire form. The levels of emotional abuse were categorized into mild (score between 24-26), moderate (score between 27-42), and severe (score between 43-72). Periodontal health was assessed by using the community periodontal index (CPI). Non-stimulated saliva was collected and salivary resistin levels were evaluated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The most common level of abuse was moderate. The largest percentages of participants with dental calculus were observed in moderate (48.2%) and severe (57.5%) abuse groups and the highest mean number of sextants with gingival bleeding was observed in participants who experienced a moderate level of abuse (0.34). While the level of resistin was higher in the mild abuse group (237.06), all of its relationships with the periodontal condition were non-significant. Conclusion: Emotional abuse affects salivary resistin levels but has no obvious effect on periodontal status. Non-significant correlations were observed between salivary resistin levels and the levels of abuse with periodontal conditions.

Effects of changing criteria on improving interRAI assessment for elder abuse: analysis of a national dataset from Aotearoa New Zealand

ObjectivesGlobally, one in six older adults in the community will be a victim of abuse (elder abuse; EA). Despite these horrific statistics, EA remains largely undetected and under-reported. Available screening...

Can high performers take charge? The effects of role breadth self-efficacy and hostile interpersonal environment

This study develops a research model of how and when high performers bring about constructive changes at work. Drawing from the social cognitive theory of self-regulation, we examined the mediating effect of role breadth self-efficacy (RBSE) on the relationship between task performance and taking charge. Moreover, we investigated the moderating effects of two forms of interpersonal hostility in the workplace (abusive supervision and group coworker undermining) on this mediated relationship. We conducted a field study and an experiment to test our theoretical model. Across both studies, the results showed that RBSE mediated the positive effect of task performance on taking charge. Group coworker undermining moderated the positive relationship between task performance and RBSE. The results also supported the moderated mediation effect of task performance on taking charge via RBSE contingent on group coworker undermining. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of managing high performers to initiate constructive changes.

Childhood maltreatment patterns and suicidal ideation: mediating roles of depression, hope, and expressive suppression.

Childhood maltreatment has long-term negative effects on individuals' physical and mental well-being, and may increase the risk for suicidal ideation. However, how different patterns of childhood maltreatment affect subsequent suicidal ideation and the underlying mediating mechanisms remain unclear, particularly among Chinese adolescents. This study used latent profile analysis to identify patterns of childhood maltreatment among adolescents and explored how these patterns predicted subsequent suicidal ideation via depression, hope, and expressive suppression. This study used a two-wave, 1-year longitudinal design and included 2156 adolescents (Mage = 13.97years, SDage= 1.61 years; 49.6% females). We identified three patterns of childhood maltreatment: low maltreatment, high psychological neglect, and high maltreatment. Compared with the low maltreatment group, the high maltreatment group indirectly predicted subsequent suicidal ideation 1 year later via depression through hope and expressive suppression, whereas the direct effect on suicidal ideation was not significant. Compared with the low maltreatment group, the high psychological neglect group had a significant direct effect on subsequent suicidal ideation and indirectly predicted suicidal ideation through depression or hope. Identifying patterns of childhood maltreatment among adolescents will assist mental health workers in developing targeted interventions to effectively alleviate suicidal ideation.

Challenges of Social Workers in the Multidisciplinary Team in the Penitentiary System

Today, social workers are found in many communities and institutional environments, including social service agencies, child care agencies, schools, hospitals, mental health programs, substance abusers, courts, prisons worldwide. Regardless of where they practice, to be effective social work practitioners, they share some unique professional needs. Today, the ability to assist and empower clients struggling with various issues, involved in legal matters, injustices, and on the brink of legal protection, is required. Social workers are required to be able to collaborate with professionals and other parties interested in helping the client navigate through a variety of financial, psychological, emotional, and legal concerns. This study addresses the importance of the practical development field of a forensic social worker, a field that is usually neglected and misunderstood. The study focuses on preliminary work on this field by showing a broader view of forensic social work which includes the knowledge and skills necessary to practice effectively in the socio-legal environment. "Forensic social worker" encompasses not only a narrow group of victims or abusers involved in juvenile justice and criminal justice but also individuals with mental health issues and programs affected by the police and state laws. Interdisciplinary practice and legal knowledge are essential for social workers to ensure that clients are provided with effective service. The inclusion of legal rules is rarely addressed in social work in a meaningful and practical way. This study provides practical knowledge in the collaborative work of forensic social workers.
 
 Received: 13 February 2024 / Accepted: 19 March 2024 / Published: 23 March 2024

Development of a rating scale for maladaptive symptoms by maltreatment: Perspectives of attachment and dissociation.

Child abuse has been increasing in Japan. Abused children's behavior may often be confused with neurodevelopmental disorders; therefore, specialized tools to identify these cases and specific care for maltreatment are crucial. This study aimed to develop an objective early screening scale for abuse-related maladaptive symptoms. To do this, two surveys were conducted. Survey 1 included 60 children attending public elementary schools, who had been admitted to orphanages due to abuse (maltreated group), and 154 children attending public elementary schools with no reported maltreatment (control group). In this survey, 40 existing scale items related to attachment behavior and dissociative symptoms were evaluated. Childcare staff and homeroom teachers evaluated children's behaviors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to determine optimal cut-off values. In Survey 2, 39 children in the maltreatment group and 186 children in the control group were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis to examine the new scale's reliability and validity. Based on the results of an exploratory factor analysis, a two-factor, 20-item rating scale for maladaptive symptoms due to maltreatment (RS-MSM) was developed. The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that cutoff values set in Survey 1 were appropriate for screening the general population and children in the clinical range. The results confirmed a two-factor structure with high reliability and convergent validity in the Survey 2 sample. Therefore, the developed RS-MSM scale is valid and will allow for easy screening of maltreated children at school.

Amelioration of Cytogenotoxic Damage in Drug Abusers Supplemented with Folic Acid.

Cytogenotoxic damage caused by the consumption of legal and illegal drugs in drug abusers has been demonstrated, primarily due to alterations in their antioxidant capacity, cellular repair mechanisms, and increased production of free radicals. Folic acid shows antioxidant activity by acting as a reducing agent, neutralizing present free radicals, and reducing genomic damage. The intervention involved administering 15 mg of folic acid, divided into three doses per day, to a group of 44 drug abusers. The frequency of nuclear abnormalities (NAs) was determined; micronuclei (MNs), nuclear buds (NBUDs), binucleated cells (BNs), abnormally condensed chromatin (CC), karyorrhexis (KX), pyknotic nuclei (PNs), and karyolysis (KL) were determined at different pre-treatment (baseline) and post-treatment time points at 15 and 30 days. Additionally, a group of 44 healthy individuals was used as the control group. We observed a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of NAs in the drug abuser group (28.45 ± 17.74 before supplementation vs. 11.18 ± 7.42 at 15 days and 9.11 ± 10.9 at 30 days of supplementation). Specifically, it decreased the frequency of NBUDs, BNs, CC, KX, and PNs (p < 0.05). Our study demonstrates a clear improvement in cytogenotoxic damage in drug abusers supplemented with folic acid.

“I read the rules and know what is expected of me”: The performance of competence and expertise in ‘newbie’ offenders’ membership requests to dark web child abuse communities

Community-building among groups of child abusers on the ‘dark web’ facilitates the large-scale distribution of indecent imagery and supports individuals in becoming more skilled, more dangerous offenders. Undercover police are tasked with posing as offenders to gather intelligence; however, we know little about the nature of these groups, and especially how one might approach them linguistically as an ‘authentically’ interested outsider. This study analyses rhetorical moves (Swales, 1990) in forum posts from child abuse-related dark web fora by self-identifying ‘newbies’ hoping to join established abuse communities. It identifies 12 distinct moves used in the pursuit to join online abuse communities and finds that expressions of competence and expertise are central to newbies’ attempts to gain community membership. ‘De-lurking’ is identified as a useful strategy in the performance of competence in online forums. These findings can support online undercover policing tasks as well as offender prioritisation.

The Relationship between the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Gene Polymorphism (Val66Met) and Substance Use Disorder and Relapse.

Substance addiction is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by a recurring desire to continue using a substance despite harmful consequences. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that plays a role in the activity-dependent remodeling of neural function in adult nervous systems. This study analyzed the association of the rs6265 polymorphism of the BDNF gene in a group of patients addicted to psychoactive substances who were participating in addiction treatment for the first time, in a group of post-relapse psychoactive substance abusers and in a control group. The study also assessed personality and anxiety in all study groups. Statistically significant differences in the frequency of genotypes and alleles were found between all study groups. Compared to the control, both study groups had statistically significantly higher scores for trait and state anxiety. Addicted patients in both groups also had higher scores on the Neuroticism and Openness scales and lower scores on the Extraversion and Agreeableness scales. The results of this study provide further evidence that personality traits, anxiety and the rs6265 polymorphism of the BDNF gene may be risk factors for susceptibility to addiction to psychoactive substances. In addition, they can be a predictor of addiction relapse, but further extensive studies are required to confirm these findings.

Therapeutic Measures from Cardiovascular Damage using Statins, Acetylsalicylic Acid during the Abuse of Irrational Cycles of Anabolic Steroids in Bodybuilder Who Were Infected with the COVID-19

Introduction: We are increasingly witnessing the self-initiated, uncontrolled stacking of incompatible anabolic substances in various cycles in the young Balkan Recreational Bodybuilding population group, increasingly frequent acts of violence in our country and the emergence of a neglected and very silent epidemic that is taking on an increasingly aggressive course of illness and psychological behavior. Black market anabolic steroids are associated with many generally health problems and uncontrolled aggression behavior by abusers. Young unsolicited recreate bodybuilding are also associated with generalized atherosclerosis and potential increased high risk for heart disease that can structural and functional damage the cardiovascular system during muscle mass steroid cycles. Besides high calorie intake, elevating serum blood lipid cholesterol levels LDL lowering HDL levels, elevating, systolic and diastolic blood pressure take a certain participation in cardiovascular risk and therefor need a development of certain cardiovascular protection strategies for this avoiding medical supervision anabolic steroids abuser group which are not yet appropriate established. The aim of the short study was to estimate Cardiovascular Protective Strategy Measures on lipid levels, and blood pressure status in a young recreational bodybuilder with different ethnic groups who Abuse Anabolic Steroids during controversial and different mass Cycles with and without taking Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) and Statins. Subjects and methods: This study was conducted from beginning of January, 2022 till end of July, 2022. 140 subjects are included age 17-30 (74 male Recreational Bodybuilder Who Abuse Anabolic Steroids on Simvastatin’s 10mg and Acetylsalicylic Acid 150mg doses of (ASA) and 10 grams of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids during mass Steroid Cycles and 66 impellers group of male Recreational Bodybuilder Who Abuse Anabolic Steroids consisting without consume Statins and Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) during mass Steroid Cycles). For the testing of statistical significance of differences between the exanimated groups non-parameter and parameter tests were used. The difference at a level of p&lt; (0,001) was statistically significant. Results: In all the tested subjects we investigated increasing lipid levels and blood pressure after six months of study. Analysis shows the statistically insignificant influence of antiplatelet therapy (150mg Acetylsalicylic acid) (ASA), combined with Simvastatin 10mg p&lt;(0,001) in steroid abuse subjects during irrational muscle mass steroid cycles. Conclusion: Lack of familiarity with combinations of anabolic substances, as well as the danger of oral applications of very harmful steroids from the former Soviet Union and German Democratic Republic (GDR), this study showed. Avoidance of physician supervision by recreate bodybuilders by deceiving of the athletic subjectivity look, seams appears almost always in gym. This cardiovascular protective measures have poor benefit appeared to be usefully blind preventing strategy of controlling blood lipid levels during muscle mass steroid cycles, with no guaranty of worsen cardiovascular condition by abusing anabolic steroids. The influence of the reflection of the COVID 19 virus on such dramatic therapeutic results in this population group of two groups cannot be ruled out for sure.

The relationship between patterns of negative life experiences and clinical presentation in a psychiatric sample.

Attempts have been made to classify the patterns of polytraumatization using a person-centered approach. However, most studies have only focused on maltreatment and interpersonal trauma and have been unable to examine various clinical symptoms. This study aimed to explore patterns of negative life experiences, including maltreatment, lifetime trauma, and recent stressful life events, and compare diverse dimensions of the clinical manifestations among the subtypes in a clinical sample. We investigated childhood maltreatment, lifetime trauma, and recent stressful events using a self-report method in 1410 psychiatric patients; we classified the patterns of lifelong negative life experiences using latent profile analysis (LPA). We used the rates of psychiatric diagnosis, the Beck Depression Inventory,the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R-K),and the Multiphasic Minnesota Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Formto compare various symptom dimensions among the derived subtypes. LPA indicated a four-class solution: mild, recent stress, maltreatment, and multiple adversity group. The multiple adversity group experiencing both lifetime trauma and recent stressful life events, in addition to maltreatment, including sexual abuse, had a high rate of severe mental illness and more symptom dimensions of thought and behavior problems. However, the rates of depressive disorders and emotional/internalizing symptoms were not more than those in the other two groups (recent stress and maltreatment groups) experiencing moderate levels of lifetime trauma. There was no significant difference between the recent stress and maltreatment groups for most symptom dimensions. The findings indicate that distinct symptom profiles may be associated with the pattern of negative experiences, suggesting that negative experiences need multidimensional investigation in clinical settings.

B - 66 Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy as a Sensitive Marker of Neuropsychological Deficits in Executive Functioning Tasks in Young Adults with a History of Child Abuse.

Research has shown the utility of imaging measures of neural activity in identifying deficits in cognitive functioning in individuals with a history of child abuse. The purpose of this study was to measure differences that may exist between individuals who reported physical, emotional, or sexual abuse as children vs. those who did not using Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the completion of executive function tasks. The present study recruited 84 students from the University of North Dakota. The participants were administered several prescreening measures, including a measures of child abuse. Based on responses, participants were assigned to either a "no child abuse" or "child abuse" group. Next, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, the Operation Span Task, and the Connors Continuous Performance Task were administered while functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data was collected. The results showed a significantly higher rate and number of errors of commission on the Conners CPT in the child abuse group compared to the control group (F(1,57) = 6.604, p = 0.013 partial eta2 = 0.104). Neurological data revealed a statistically significant effect of group (F(1, 69) = 2.934, p = 0.043) across all executive functioning tasks. Additional tests showed these differences exist only during measures of decision-making (t(71) = 2.063, p = 0.043). The results suggest that the child abuse group may show subtle neurological deficits that persist into adulthood that may not manifest on traditional measures of cognitive function. These findings have implications for the development of remediation and treatment strategies in this population.

Drug addiction and marital conflicts: Exploring the experiences of drug‐addicted wives in Abuja, Nigeria

AbstractRecent studies have shown that women now abuse drugs as much as men. Women even abuse certain kinds of drugs more than men. There is strong evidence that some married women also engage in drug abuse. However, few studies have explored the experiences of drug addicted wives in Nigeria in relation to marital conflicts. In this study, the experiences of drug addicted wives were explored in relation to marital conflicts in Nigeria using a phenomenological research design. A total of 18 married women participated in the study. They were purposively selected from a socially disadvantaged neighborhood of Batcher Estate, Gwarinpa, Abuja, Nigeria. In‐depth interviews (IDI) were used to collect data from the participants. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Two major conclusions were drawn from the study. Drug addiction may cause marital conflicts and vice versa. However, wives abusing drugs without the consent of partners or husbands were more likely to report marital conflicts than those abusing drugs with their partners' consent. Two groups of drug abusers were also discovered: those who were initiated into drug abuse/addiction prior to marriage and those who started taking drugs after marriage. Factors influencing drug abuse/addiction were complex and comprised a combination of psycho‐social and environmental issues. Access to substance‐use disorder (SUD) treatment was, however, impeded by poor knowledge, stigma and shame. Improved access to treatment is an important asset in minimizing drug abuse among married women and its impact on marital conflicts.

Maternal childhood maltreatment: associations to offspring brain volume and white matter connectivity.

The deleterious effects of adversity are likely intergenerational, such that one generation's adverse experiences can affect the next. Epidemiological studies link maternal adversity to offspring depression and anxiety, possibly via transmission mechanisms that influence offspring fronto-limbic connectivity. However, studies have not thoroughly disassociated postnatal exposure effects nor considered the role of offspring sex. We utilized infant neuroimaging to test the hypothesis that maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) would be associated with increased fronto-limbic connectivity in infancy and tested brain-behavior associations in childhood. Ninety-two dyads participated (32 mothers with CM, 60 without; 52 infant females, 40 infant males). Women reported on their experiences of CM and non-sedated sleeping infants underwent MRIs at 2.44 ± 2.74 weeks. Brain volumes were estimated via structural MRI and white matter structural connectivity (fiber counts) via diffusion MRI with probabilistic tractography. A subset of parents (n = 36) reported on children's behaviors at age 5.17 ± 1.73 years. Males in the maltreatment group demonstrated greater intra-hemispheric fronto-limbic connectivity (b = 0.96, p= 0.008, [95%CI 0.25, 1.66]), no differences emerged for females. Fronto-limbic connectivity was related to somatic complaints in childhood only for males (r = 0.673, p = 0.006). Our findings suggest that CM could have intergenerational associations to offspring brain development, yet mechanistic studies are needed.

To produce or not to produce? Contrasting the effect of substance abuse in social decision-making situations

Substance use disorders (SUD) have been related to high criminal justice costs, expensive healthcare, social impairment, and decision-making deficits. In non-social decision-making tasks, people with SUD tend to take more risks and choose small immediate rewards than controls. However, few studies have explored how people with SUD behave in social decision-making situations where the resources and profits depend directly on participants' real-time interaction, i.e., social foraging situations. To fulfill this gap, we developed a real-time interaction task to (a) compare the proportion of producers (individuals who tend to search for food sources) and scroungers (individuals who tend to steal or join previously discovered food sources) among participants with SUD and controls with respect to the optimal behavior predicted by the Rate Maximization Model, and (b) explore the relationship between social foraging strategies, prosocial behavior, and impulsivity. Here participants with SUD (n = 20) and a non-user control group (n = 20) were exposed to the Guaymas Foraging task (GFT), the Social Discounting task (SD), and the Delay Discounting task (DD). We found that participants in the control group tended to produce more and obtain higher profits in contrast to substance abuser groups. Additionally, SD and DD rates were higher for scroungers than producers regardless of the group. Our results suggest that producers tend to be more altruistic and less impulsive than scroungers. Knowing more about social strategies and producers' characteristics could help develop substance abuse prevention programs.