Women's treatment utilization and its relationship to childhood sexual abuse history and lifetime PTSD

Abstract

A central issue in the substance abuse literature is whether a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a risk factor for poorer treatment outcomes. Although there is a strong belief that CSA is associated with increased substance abuse treatment utilization and relapse among women clients, most empirical evidence does not support this position. This study addresses this conundrum by exploring several possible explanations among a sample of women in substance abuse treatment. Unexpectedly, the results indicate that women with more severe histories of CSA were likely to have received less lifetime substance abuse treatment, although they were likely to have received more mental health treatment. In addition, the expected interaction between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) status and CSA status and increased rates of both types of treatment was not found. However, participants with both PTSD and CSA concentrated on mental health treatment while those with only PTSD focused on substance abuse treatment.

Key words:

• human females
• substance abuse
• treatment utilization
• sexual abuse
• posttraumatic stress disorder

Notes

Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington 98108.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.

To whom correspondence should be addressed at VA Puget Sound Health Care System (116‐MHC), 1660 S. Columbian Way, Seattle, Washington 98108; e‐mail: [email protected].

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tracy L. Simpson

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