Trauma Symptoms in Substance Abusers With and Without Histories of Childhood Abuse

Abstract

This study was designed to provide a prevalence rate of childhood abuse in patients being treated for alcohol and other drug problems, and to compare the extent of trauma symptoms that were present in substance abusers with and without childhood histories of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. One hundred male veterans completed a standard test battery that included the Trauma Symptom Checklist and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Clinical information pertaining to history of childhood abuse was obtained from the subjects' medical charts. Results demonstrated that 34% of the sample reported a history of childhood abuse. Although this group did achieve higher mean scores on all the scales, in comparison to the nonabused group, statistical significance was absent. Implications of these findings are discussed and future research is suggested.

Keywords:

• childhood abuse
• substance abuse
• trauma symptoms