The Role of Child Sexual Abuse in the Etiology of Substance-Related Disorders

ABSTRACT

To elucidate the role of child sexual abuse in the etiology of substance-related disorders, a systematic review of the several articles on the childhood sexual abuse-related risk for developing substance problems in adolescence or adulthood is provided. Seven databases were searched, supplemented with hand-search of reference lists. Six reviews, including 200 studies, were included. Results indicate that child sexual abuse is a statistically significant, although general and nonspecific, risk factor for substance problems. Other biological and psychosocial variables contribute to substance-related disorders, with sexual abuse conferring additional risk, either as a distal, indirect cause or as a proximal, direct cause. Recommendations for future research are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• Substance-related disorders
• drug abuse
• alcohol abuse
• child sexual abuse
• etiology

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Oronzo Greco, MD, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy, for his help on study selection, data abstraction, and quality assessment.