Abstract: Gender Differences in Trauma Symptom Pathways from Childhood Abuse to Substance Use Severity (Society for Social Work and Research 22nd Annual Conference - Achieving Equal Opportunity, Equity, and Justice)

Schedule:

Thursday, January 11, 2018: 4:21 PM

Mint (ML 4) (Marriott Marquis Washington DC)

* noted as presenting author

Julia Kobulsky, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland at Baltimore, Baltimore, MD

Susan Yoon, PhD, Assistant Professor, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Guijin Lee, MSW, PhD Student, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Charlotte Bright, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Maryland at Baltimore, Baltimore, MD

Background and Purpose Substantial research has linked childhood abuse to the development of substance use problems. However, gender differences in the mechanisms connecting this relation remain unclear. This longitudinal study builds knowledge by examining depression, anxiety, and anger as potential pathways connecting child abuse to substance use severity in high-risk boys and girls.

Methods A sample of 884 youth (girls = 439, boys = 445) participating at ages 12, 14, 16, or 18 was derived from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), a national multisite study of high-risk children. Child abuse from birth to 12 years was modeled as a multi-informant latent construct indicated by child protective services allegations or 12-year youth self-reports of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse to LONGSCAN-developed measures. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children was used to measure early substance use at 14 years (number substances used in past-year including alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and hard drugs) and substance use severity at 18 years (latent construct indicated by number of substances used, frequency, and abuse/dependence). Depression, anxiety, and anger were indicated by t-scores of the 16-year Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children. Multi-group structural equation modeling assessed gender differences in the relation between childhood abuse and substance use severity via early substance use and trauma symptoms.

Findings Results indicated good model fit: CFI = .98; RMSEA = .04 (90% CI: .02, .05); SRMR = .05), measurement invariance supporting multigroup analysis, and significant gender differences in structural paths ΔX² (7) = 17.79, p <.01. In boys, abuse was significantly related to higher anger (B = 5.47, p = .004) and depression (B = 4.39, p = .041). Anger positively predicted substance use severity (B = .011, p < .001). Early substance use predicted higher anger (B = 1.79, p = .028) and substance use severity (B = .06, p = .008). The path from childhood abuse to substance use severity via anger was significant (standardized indirect effect = .09, p = .017).

In girls, abuse predicted early substance use (B = .491, p = .004) and higher anger (B = 5.12, p = .015), depression (B = 5.71, p = .005), and anxiety (B = 4.79, p = .022). Early substance use (B = .070, p < .001) and depression (B = .007, p = .007) predicted higher substance use severity. Early substance use also predicted higher anger (B = 2.49, p < .001), depression (B = 2.07, p = .027), and anxiety (B = 2.00, p = .015). Significant indirect effects were found via depression (standardized indirect effect = .06, p = .047) and early substance use (standardized indirect effect = .05, p = .024).

Conclusion and Implications Findings suggest gender differences in pathways connecting childhood abuse to substance use severity in emerging adulthood, with anger acting as a significant mediator in boys and early substance use and depression acting as significant mediators in girls. Findings also suggest that early substance use may exacerbate adolescent anger in both genders and depression and anxiety in girls.