Substance misuse linked to risk profiles, study finds - Jeff Grabmeier

The study found that scores assessing childhood trauma exposure among adults with substance misuse issues were 24% higher than previous estimates for other adults in the child welfare system, and 108% higher than the general population. While many parents and caregivers involved in the child welfare system suffered trauma as children, new research suggests that those with substance misuse issues as adults may have had particularly difficult childhoods.

Not surprisingly, children in these families also have suffered more trauma. The study found that trauma scores of children aged 6-18 in families with substance misuse issues were 27% higher than scores for children involved in the juvenile justice system.

Trauma could include emotional, physical and sexual abuse, neglect, mental illness, divorce and separation, substance misuse and other issues.

“There is a difference in risk profiles between families involved in child welfare due primarily to substance misuse and those where substance misuse was not the main issue,” said Elinam Dellor, lead author of the study and senior researcher at The Ohio State University College of Social Work.

“When you add substance use to an already vulnerable sample of adults, that may help explain why these adults report higher levels of trauma exposure.”

The study was published online recently in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Data for the study came from two Ohio-based child welfare interventions that target families that have had issues with both mistreatment of children and substance misuse. The treatment programs are Ohio START and EPIC.

The study included 402 adults, 271 children up to 5 years of age and 177 children aged 6-18 who participated in the two intervention programs.

Both interventions require trauma screening for adults and children within 30 days of enrollment.

Adults completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences questionnaire, which asks if participants experienced any of 10 traumatic experiences before they were 18 years old, including abuse and neglect and household dysfunction.

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