The Association between Childhood Trauma on Executive Functioning and Treatment Outcomes among Individuals with...

Childhood trauma is associated with executive function impairment and an increased risk of methamphetamine (MA) use. MA use itself also compromises executive function. Limited evidence is known about the association between childhood trauma, executive functioning and treatment outcomes among individuals with MA use disorder (MAUD). The study explored whether patients with MAUD who had experienced childhood trauma presented poorer executive function and treatment outcomes.

The participants were individuals with MAUD and were all recruited from an outpatient-based addiction clinic from 2019 to 2022. Childhood trauma was assessed using Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS), and Visual Analog Scale for Craving, and urine MA/amphetamine tests were assessed repeatedly during the one-year treatment program. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the changes in these outcomes.

In 115 MAUD patients we recruited those with a history of childhood physical neglect (PN) exhibited inferior WCST performance on number of categories completed (p = 0.02), and conceptual level responses (p = 0.046) and were more likely to test positive for MA/amphetamine in urine during the one-year treatment (p = 0.02). Patients with PN also reported significantly more severe cravings (p = 0.002), while those with a history of sexual abuse (SA) had notably higher SDS scores (p = 0.004) during treatment.

Childhood trauma, particularly PN and SA, shows substantial adverse effects on executive function and treatment outcomes among MAUD patients.