Onset Of Abuse Research Articles

Age of Onset of Physical Abuse: Implications for Adult Anger and Aggression

This study examines the impact the age of onset of physical abuse has on the expression of anger and aggression in adulthood. The Emotional and Physical Abuse Questionnaire (EPAB), State Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), Emotional Response Scenarios (ERS), and a demographics questionnaire were given to 229 undergraduate psychology students. Age of onset of abuse does predict higher levels of Trait Angry Temperament and Anger Expression Out in those whose abuse began as a child than for those whose abuse began in adolescence/ adulthood or those not abused. Further, it was determined that Hostile Attributional Bias moderated the relationship between age of onset of abuse and both Trait Angry Temperament and Anger Expression Out. The implications for the Social Information Processing theory of anger and aggression and potential therapeutic use of these findings are discussed.

Cannabis abuse and age at onset in schizophrenia patients with large, rare copy number variants

BackgroundLarge deletions are found to a greater extent in patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy controls. This study aims to investigate clinical symptomatology and substance abuse rates in patients with large (>500kb), rare (<1% of cohort) deletions and duplications compared with schizophrenia patients in general. Methods633 schizophrenia patients, including 60 with large (>500kb), rare (<1% of cohort) deletions and 74 with large, rare duplications, who formed part of a large genome-wide association study, were assessed for alcohol and cannabis abuse rates as well as a range of symptom measures using the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS), Family Interview for Genetic Studies (FIGS), and medical records. ResultsPatients with large, rare deletions had significantly less cannabis abuse rates but comparable alcohol abuse rates, with an age at onset later than those without large, rare deletions. There was no significant difference in any substance abuse or clinical symptom rates between patients with and without large, rare duplications, but an interaction did exist between cannabis abuse, duplication status, and age at onset, with cannabis abuse resulting in an earlier age at onset only in those without a large, rare duplication. Similarly, patients with a large, rare duplication had a later onset age for cannabis abuse/dependence. ConclusionsSchizophrenia patients with large, rare deletions were less likely to have comorbid cannabis abuse over their lifetime. This provides support for a threshold model of risk with those carrying a schizophrenia-associated copy number variation less reliant on environmental insults. Patients with large, rare duplications were protected against earlier onset of schizophrenia in the presence of comorbid cannabis abuse in addition to later onset of cannabis abuse itself.

Volumetric differences in the anterior cingulate cortex prospectively predict alcohol-related problems in adolescence

Individual differences in brain structure and function are suggested to exist prior to the onset of alcohol abuse. Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated abnormalities in brain regions underlying affective processes that may form a pathway to the emergence of later alcohol abuse and dependence in vulnerable individuals. However, no prospective studies have examined whether these abnormalities predict later problems with alcohol. This study aims to examine whether individual differences in affect and brain volume prospectively predict alcohol-related problems in adolescence. Adolescent drinkers (n = 98) were recruited from an ongoing prospective, longitudinal study examining adolescent emotional development. At age 12, participants underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging to obtain volumetric data on the amygdala, hippocampus, orbitofrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and completed a self-report measure of affective temperament. At age 16, participants completed a questionnaire measuring alcohol use, with 39 % reporting alcohol-related problems in the past year. Pre-existing differences in the left ACC predicted problem drinking. Alcohol-related problems were associated with higher levels of temperamental negative affectivity; however, these were not correlated with anterior cingulate volumes. These findings indicate that individual differences in the structural morphology of the anterior cingulate, a region implicated in affective processes, self-control, and drug addiction, predict later alcohol-related problems. Although this finding remained significant after controlling for other substance use and psychopathology, future research is required to test its specificity for alcohol use disorders.

Adolescent Heavy Episodic Drinking: Neurocognitive Functioning during Early Abstinence

The present study investigated the rate and pattern of neuropsychological recovery in heavy episodic drinking teens during the initial days to weeks of abstinence from alcohol. Adolescents (ages, 16-18 years) with histories of heavy episodic drinking (HED; N = 39) and socio-demographically similar control teens (CON; N = 26) were recruited from San Diego area schools. HED and CON were comparable on 5th grade standardized math and language arts test performance to ensure similar functioning before onset of substance use. Participants were administered three neuropsychological test batteries with 2-week intervals during a 4-week monitored abstinence period. HED teens performed worse overall than CON on tests of prospective memory (p = .005), cognitive switching (p = .039), inhibition task accuracy (p = .001), verbal memory (p's < .045), visuospatial construction (p's < .043), and language and achievement (p's < .008). The statistically significant group × time interaction for block design demonstrated normalization within the 4 weeks of abstinence for the HED (p = .009). This study identified cognitive performance deficits associated with heavy episodic drinking in adolescence during early abstinence and with sustained 4-week abstention. These findings suggest alcohol-related influences on several underlying brain systems that may predate the onset of alcohol abuse or dependence or take longer than 4 weeks to recover.

Intergenerational Patterns of Substance Abuse Among Urban American Indian Families

Substance abuse continues to be a family problem in American Indian (AI) families. This article highlights findings from a two generation study on substance abuse among nine AI families. Five common themes shared by the parent and adult child groups included early onset of substance abuse, minimization of substance abuse (and a subtheme of efforts to control use), taking accountability for substance abuse (and a subtheme about perpetuated stereotypes), turning point moments in use (and a subtheme of negotiating and exploring sobriety), and perceptions of the abstinence only approach. Clinical implications are discussed in light of the findings.

Prevalence of substance abuse among adolescent school students in Zagazig

Introduction The 20th century ended with the conviction that drug abuse was a global problem and thus global solutions were required. This is a cross-sectional study that was carried out in Zagazig Center, Sharkia governorate, in the year of 2013 (September to October). Participants and methods The study included 204 preparatory and secondary school students. The mean age of the participants was15.26 ± 1.59 years. The school students were met in their classrooms, in the presence of their teachers, and assessed for substance abuse using the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) and the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test-Extended (DUDIT-E); urine samples were then collected for all participants during the interviews using the multidrug one-step test. Results The prevalence of smoking and substance abuse among school students were 8.3 and 8.8%, respectively, and the majority of them used substances once a month or less. The most common substances used by the students included tramadol, cannabis, and alcohol (83.3, 27.8, and 16.7%, respectively), with a mean age of onset of smoking of 16.06 ± 1.39 years and a mean age of onset of substance abuse of 16.5 ± 1.098 years. Conclusion Substance abuse and smoking were common among adolescents, and the age at onset was almost the same for both. DUDIT and DUDIT-E may significantly contribute to more effective screening of drug problems in research and clinical settings with groups at risk and it may be useful for mapping drug use among different groups in public health contexts.

An analysis of early developmental trauma in social anxiety disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.

BackgroundThe early contributions of childhood trauma (emotional, physical, sexual, and general) have been hypothesized to play a significant role in the development of anxiety disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD). The aim of this study was to assess childhood trauma differences between PTSD and SAD patients and healthy controls, as measured by the Early Trauma Inventory.MethodsWe examined individuals (N = 109) with SAD with moderate/severe early developmental trauma (EDT) (n = 32), individuals with SAD with low/no EDT (n = 29), individuals with PTSD with EDT (n = 17), and healthy controls (n = 31). The mean age was 34 years (SD = 11). Subjects were screened with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Analysis of variance was performed to assess group differences. Correlations were calculated between childhood traumas.ResultsAlthough not statistically significant, individuals with PTSD endorsed more physical and sexual childhood trauma compared with individuals with SAD with moderate/severe EDT who endorsed more emotional trauma. For all groups, physical and emotional abuse occurred between ages 6 and 11, while the occurrence of sexual abuse in individuals with PTSD was at 6–11 years and later (13–18 years) in individuals with SAD with moderate/severe EDT. For emotional abuse in all groups, the perpetrator was mostly a primary female caregiver; for sexual abuse, it was mostly a nonfamilial adult male, while for physical abuse, it was mostly a caregiver (male in PTSD and female in SAD with moderate/severe EDT).ConclusionsThe contribution of childhood abuse to the development of PTSD and SAD and the differences between these groups and other anxiety disorders should not be ignored and attention should be given to the frequency and severity of these events. The relationship of the perpetrator(s) and the age of onset of childhood abuse are also important considerations as they provide a useful starting point to assess impact over the life course. This can, in turn, guide clinicians on the optimal timing for the delivery of interventions for the prevention of PTSD and SAD.

An Overview on the Comprehensive Program on Prevention and Control of High Risk Behaviors in 7-18-year-old Individuals in Isfahan, Iran.

An Overview on the Comprehensive Program on Prevention and Control of High Risk Behaviors in 7-18-year-old Individuals in Isfahan, Iran.

Contribution of Time of Drinking Onset and Family History of Alcohol Problems in Alcohol and Drug Use Behaviors in Argentinean College Students

The aim of the study was to analyze independent and potential interactive effects of age at drinking onset and family history of alcohol abuse on subsequent patterns of alcohol drinking, alcohol-related problems and substance use. Participants were college students (60.3% females, mean age = 20.27 ± 2.54 years) from the city of Córdoba, Argentina. Several measures were used to assess alcohol, tobacco and drug use. The Spanish version of the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire was used to assess alcohol-related problems. Factorial analyses of variance, or its non-parametric equivalent, were performed to explore differences in substance use behaviors and alcohol-related problems in subjects with early or late drinking onset and with or without family history of alcohol abuse. Chi-square tests were conducted to analyze the association between these two risk factors and categorical measures of alcohol, tobacco and drug use. Early onset of drinking was associated with amount of consumption of alcohol including up to hazardous levels, as well as tobacco and drug use. However, the frequency of alcohol problems and frequency of episodes of alcohol intoxication were only related to age of onset in those with a positive family history of alcohol problems. Delaying drinking debut is particularly important in the prevention of future alcohol problems in those adolescents who have a family history of such problems.

Adolescent Onset of Maternal Substance Abuse: Descriptive Findings From a Feasibility Trial

Although maternal substance abuse in child welfare populations is a well-documented occurrence, little is known about the onset of these behaviors or the substance abuse histories of these mothers. Descriptive data from a small feasibility trial of mothers referred for substance abuse and child neglect suggest adolescent onset of hard substance use. Age of onset was associated with family history of use. The majority of mothers reported polysubstance abuse starting at an early age and quickly escalating patterns of behavior, including intravenous drug use. Implications for prevention efforts for children of families identified with substance abuse problems are discussed.

The 1 % of the population accountable for 63 % of all violent crime convictions

PurposePopulation-based studies on violent crime and background factors may provide an understanding of the relationships between susceptibility factors and crime. We aimed to determine the distribution of violent crime convictions in the Swedish population 1973–2004 and to identify criminal, academic, parental, and psychiatric risk factors for persistence in violent crime.MethodThe nationwide multi-generation register was used with many other linked nationwide registers to select participants. All individuals born in 1958–1980 (2,393,765 individuals) were included. Persistent violent offenders (those with a lifetime history of three or more violent crime convictions) were compared with individuals having one or two such convictions, and to matched non-offenders. Independent variables were gender, age of first conviction for a violent crime, nonviolent crime convictions, and diagnoses for major mental disorders, personality disorders, and substance use disorders.ResultsA total of 93,642 individuals (3.9 %) had at least one violent conviction. The distribution of convictions was highly skewed; 24,342 persistent violent offenders (1.0 % of the total population) accounted for 63.2 % of all convictions. Persistence in violence was associated with male sex (OR 2.5), personality disorder (OR 2.3), violent crime conviction before age 19 (OR 2.0), drug-related offenses (OR 1.9), nonviolent criminality (OR 1.9), substance use disorder (OR 1.9), and major mental disorder (OR 1.3).ConclusionsThe majority of violent crimes are perpetrated by a small number of persistent violent offenders, typically males, characterized by early onset of violent criminality, substance abuse, personality disorders, and nonviolent criminality.

Social cognition in schizophrenia and comorbid antisocial personality disorder

selected from a stratified multistage clustered area probability sample of households within the 39 municipalities of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Analyses used weighted simple and multiple logistic regression models with childhood neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and family violence as exposures and heart disease and hypertension as outcomes, adjusted for socio-demographic variables and early onset of major depressive disorder. Results: In models adjusted for socio-demographic factors and early onset of depression, physical abuse (OR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.30–2.07) and family violence (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.10–1.71) were associated with hypertension. Physical abuse was a significant risk factor for heart disease (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.06–2.85) when controlling for socio-demographic variables, but this association lost significance when controlling for early onset of depression. When additionally controlling for other childhood adversities simultaneously, physical abuse remained associated with adult hypertension (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.28–2.20; OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.22–2.07 with and without adjusting for depression, respectively). Physical abuse lost significance when also adjusting for the other childhood adversities simultaneously. Conclusions: Results suggest a positive association between childhood physical abuse and hypertension in adulthood, even when adjusting for other childhood adversities, onset of depression and socio-demographic risk factors. Efforts to curb child physical abuse could potentially reduce subsequent hypertension, and morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease.

Pain interference and incident mood, anxiety, and substance-use disorders: Findings from a representative sample of men and women in the general population

To examine gender differences in the longitudinal relationship between past-month pain interference and incident mood, anxiety, and substance-use disorders, chi-square tests and binomial logistic regression analyses were performed on data obtained from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions from 34,465 adult respondents (47.9% men; 52.1% women) who completed waves 1 (2000–2001) and 2 (2004–2005) data collection. Models were adjusted for potentially confounding factors (i.e., age, race, marital status, educational level, employment, household income, number of stressful life events, number of general medical conditions, and wave-1 psychopathology). Respondents were categorized at wave 1 according to their past-month level of pain interference (i.e., no or low pain interference, moderate pain interference, severe pain interference). Moderate and severe pain interference (as compared to no or low pain interference) in male and female respondents was associated with the incidence of several psychiatric disorders. A stronger relationship was observed in male respondents as compared to female ones between past-month moderate pain interference and a new onset of any mood disorder (OR=1.57, p=0.03) and major depressive disorder (OR=1.60, p=0.03), and between past-month severe pain interference and a new onset of alcohol abuse or dependence (OR=1.69, p=0.045) and nicotine dependence (OR=1.48, p=0.04). These findings suggest that providers should consider screening patients with past-month moderate or severe pain interference for mood, anxiety, and substance-use problems and monitor the possible development of subsequent comorbid psychiatric disorders.

Externalizing Disorders in Adolescence Mediate the Effects of Maternal Depression on Substance Use Disorders

Maternal depression has been linked to increased risk of substance use disorders (SUDs) in offspring. Cross-sectional studies have identified relationships among maternal depression, externalizing disorders and SUDs, but no longitudinal examination of causality has been undertaken. In order to address this gap in the literature, depression and externalizing disorders at or prior to age 15 were tested as mediators of the relationship between maternal depression and SUDs diagnosed between ages 16 and 20 in a sample of 702 Australian youth (363 women) using path models. Mothers' and fathers' substance diagnoses and earlier onset of substance abuse in youth were controlled for in all analyses. Consistent with previous work, maternal depression predicted SUDs between ages 16 and 20. An indirect effect of maternal depression through youth externalizing disorders diagnosed by age 16 was detected for alcohol and cannabis use disorders, but not drug disorders. Early adolescent depression was not a mediator of the relationship between maternal depression and any of the substance outcomes measured. To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine depression and externalizing disorders in early adolescence as mediators of the effect of maternal depression on psychopathology in later adolescence. Further work is needed to understand how family environment and genetic factors may explain the mediation by externalizing disorders.

Reply to Letter Re: Childhood adversity and cell-mediated immunity in young adulthood

Dear Editor and BBI readership, We appreciate the correspondence from Dowd and colleagues, which informed us and BBI readers that our study (Slopen et al., 2013) using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) included individuals who were Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) seronegative. We agree with Dowd and colleagues that (1) use of EBV antibodies as an indicator of stress-related reactivation of latent herpes virus applies only to seropositive individuals, and (2) studies of psychosocial stressors and reactivation of latent herpes virus should focus exclusively on seropositive individuals. In error, we assumed that seronegative individuals did not have valid entries for EBV antibody levels in the Add Health data; for this reason, all individuals with an EBV antibody value were eligible for inclusion (range: 18–1310 au/mL). As a result, as described by Dowd and colleagues, our findings reflect both risk for EBV seropositivity and antibody response to latent infection among seropositive individuals, which introduced error into our associations of interest. We appreciate that Dowd and colleagues have estimated a seronegative cut-off (i.e., the lowest 10% of continuous survey-weighted EBV antibody values), based on recent estimates from NHANES (Dowd et al., 2013). The criterion for establishing seropositivity varies depending on the assay used to measure EBV antibody titers. Notably, the EBV threshold value used by Dowd and colleagues for Add Health data is much higher than a previously-reported threshold (McDade et al., 2000), which exemplifies the importance of disseminating seropositivity threshold values at the time of data release for public-use or contractual datasets like Add Health. Although the seronegativity threshold for Add Health has not been officially released, we have prepared tables to estimate how our results change once EBV seronegative individuals (i.e., EBV antibody values in the bottom 10%) are excluded. Associations of socioeconomic position and child maltreatment with EBV antibody levels are attenuated once seronegative individuals are excluded, and several of the associations that were significant at p 10 occasions of sexual abuse had significantly higher EBV titers. Table 3A Regression coefficients for the relationship between adolescent socioeconomic context and log EBV antibody titers (au/mL) in young adulthood among individuals seropositive for EBV (N = 11886).a Table 4A Regression coefficients for the relationship between frequency of abuse and timing of 1st onset of abuse and log EBV antibody titers (au/mL) in young adulthood among individuals seropositive for EBV.a,b,c We thank the Editor for the opportunity to submit revised tables so that readers can observe how our results change once seronegative individuals are excluded. We have requested that these tables be linked to our original article.

Early childhood sexual abuse increases suicidal intent

Childhood sexual abuse has been consistently associated with suicidal behavior. We studied suicide attempt features in depressed individuals sexually abused as children. On average, sexual abuse started before age 9. It frequently coexisted with physical abuse. Suicide attempters more often had personality disorders and had endured abuse for longer, but did not differ in terms of other clinical characteristics from non-attempters. Earlier onset of sexual abuse and its duration were associated with more suicide attempts. However, when personality disorders were included in the regression model, only these disorders predicted number of attempts. The severity of sexual abuse and the coexistence of physical abuse were correlated with age at first suicide attempt. However, only severity of sexual abuse was marginally associated with age at first suicide attempt in the regression model. Finally, the earlier the age of onset of sexual abuse, the higher the intent, even after controlling for age, sex and personality disorders. This suggests that the characteristics of childhood sexual abuse, especially age of onset, should be considered when studying the risk for suicidal behavior in abused populations.

Neuroanatomical Correlates of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Identifying Biological Substrates for Environmental Effects on Clinical Phenotypes

Neuroanatomical Correlates of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Identifying Biological Substrates for Environmental Effects on Clinical Phenotypes

Probability and Predictors of Transition from Abuse to Dependence on Alcohol, Cannabis, and Cocaine: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions

Background: Little is known about the transition from substance abuse to substance dependence. Objectives: This study aims to estimate the cumulative probability of developing dependence and to identify predictors of transition to dependence among individuals with lifetime alcohol, cannabis, or cocaine abuse. Methods: Analyses were done for the subsample of individuals with lifetime alcohol abuse (n = 7802), cannabis abuse (n = 2832), or cocaine abuse (n = 815) of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Estimated projections of the cumulative probability of transitioning from abuse to dependence were obtained by the standard actuarial method. Discrete-time survival analyses with time-varying covariates were implemented to identify predictors of transition to dependence. Results: Lifetime cumulative probability estimates indicated that 26.6% of individuals with alcohol abuse, 9.4% of individuals with cannabis abuse, and 15.6% of individuals with cocaine abuse transition from abuse to dependence at some point in their lives. Half of the transitions of alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine dependence occurred approximately 3.16, 1.83, and 1.42 years after abuse onset, respectively. Several sociodemographic, psychopathological, and substance use-related variables predicted transition from abuse to dependence for all of the substances assessed. Conclusion: The majority of individuals with abuse do not transition to dependence. Lifetime cumulative probability of transition from abuse to dependence was highest for alcohol, followed by cocaine and lastly cannabis. Time from onset of abuse to dependence was shorter for cocaine, followed by cannabis and alcohol. Although some predictors of transition were common across substances, other predictors were specific for certain substances.

Developmental Disruption of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Function in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex by Noncontingent Cocaine Exposure During Early Adolescence

Drug experimentation during adolescence is associated with increased risk of drug addiction relative to any other age group. To further understand the neurobiology underlying such liability, we investigate how early adolescent cocaine experience impacts medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) network function in adulthood. A noncontingent administration paradigm was used to assess the impact of early adolescent cocaine treatment (rats; postnatal days [PD] 35-40) on the overall inhibitory regulation of mPFC activity in adulthood (PD 65-75) by means of histochemical and in vivo electrophysiological measures combined with pharmacologic manipulations. Cocaine exposure during early adolescence yields a distinctive hypermetabolic prefrontal cortex state that was not observed in adult-treated rats (PD 75-80). Local field potential recordings revealed that early adolescent cocaine exposure is associated with an attenuation of mPFC gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic inhibition evoked by ventral hippocampal stimulation at beta and gamma frequencies that endures throughout adulthood. Such cocaine-induced mPFC disinhibition was not observed in adult-exposed animals. Furthermore, the normal developmental upregulation of parvalbumin immunoreactivity observed in the mPFC from PD 35 to PD 65 is lacking following early adolescent cocaine treatment. Our data indicate that repeated cocaine exposure during early adolescence can elicit a state of mPFC disinhibition resulting from a functional impairment of the local prefrontal GABAergic network that endures through adulthood. A lack of acquisition of prefrontal GABAergic function during adolescence could trigger long-term deficits in the mPFC that may increase the susceptibility for the onset of substance abuse and related psychiatric disorders.

Risk of substance use disorders following prenatal or postnatal exposure to bereavement

IntroductionSubstance use disorder (SUD) is associated with major socioeconomic consequences but its etiology is only partly known. The disease predisposition may be established early in life and prenatal stress may play a role. We aimed to examine whether prenatal maternal bereavement, as the indicator of prenatal stress, was associated with an increased risk of SUD in offspring. MethodsThis population-based cohort study included all children born in Denmark (N=1686416) and Sweden (N=2563659) from 1973 to 1997. The exposure was maternal bereavement by the death of a close relative 1 year before or during pregnancy. Children were followed from 10 years of age until their death, migration, onset of substance abuse, or December 31st, 2007. The main outcome is hospitalization due to substance use disorder (SUD). ResultsA total of 100363 children (2.45%) were born to mothers who had experienced bereavement 1 year before or during pregnancy. Overall, these exposed children had a similar risk of hospitalization due to SUD (IRR=1.02, 95% CI: 0.98–1.07), compared to unexposed children. Children born to mothers who lost a spouse during pregnancy had a two-fold risk (IRR=2.19, 95% CI: 1.74–2.76) and similar elevated risks were observed in children whose mothers lost a spouse during the first 10 years after child birth. ConclusionsOur data do not support a programming role of prenatal stress following maternal bereavement on SUD later in life. The increased risk in relation to spousal bereavement may mostly be explained by postpartum changes in familial environment.