Physical and sexual abuse issues among youths with substance use problems

To evaluate the prevalence of reported physical and sexual abuse among youths with substance use problems, to explore whether youths report relying on substances to cope with the abuse, and to examine whether individual factors related to substance use were associated with the outcome measures of reported physical abuse, sexual abuse, and using substances to cope.

We assessed 287 male and female youths (age 14 to 24 years) who presented for help for substance use problems, using a semistructured interview that focused on substance use, history of previous sexual and physical abuse, and coping strategies.

One-half of the female youth substance abusers reported having been sexually abused (50.0%), while male youth substance users reported a significantly lower rate (10.4%). Similarly, one-half of the female youths had a history of physical abuse (50.5%), and males again had a lower rate (26.0%). Of those who endorsed a history of abuse, more females (64.7%) than males (37.9%) reported using substances to cope with the trauma. Specific associations between the outcome measures and substance use variables were found for youths in both sexes.

These findings underscore the importance of why clinicians should explore abuse issues with substance-using youth of both sexes. Identifying concurrent factors will help provide better intervention strategies. Suggestions for assessing sexual and physical abuse in youths with substance use disorders are provided.