Peer-reviewed article
Child Maltreatment and Illicit Substance Abuse: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Longitudinal Studies
Silvia Chwartzmann Halpern, Felipe Barreto Schuch, Juliana Nichterwitz Scherer, Anne Orgler Sordi, Mayra Pacheco Pachado et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment and later substance use disorders across ten longitudinal studies. Children who experienced physical abuse had a 74% increased risk of drug abuse in adulthood, while those with a history of sexual abuse had a 73% increased risk. The review found that gender moderates this relationship, with women facing greater risk than men. Understanding these connections is essential for designing prevention and intervention programmes.
Key points
- Physical abuse in childhood increased odds of adult drug abuse by 74% (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.36–2.18)
- Sexual abuse in childhood increased odds of adult drug abuse by 73% (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.24–2.41)
- Women showed higher risk of substance use disorder than men following childhood maltreatment
- Drug users report higher rates of childhood maltreatment and psychological suffering than the general population
- The interplay between violence exposure and substance abuse is critical for prevention programme design
Limitations
The review does not provide country-level breakdown of findings, so application to specific African contexts cannot be determined. The document does not discuss the quality of included studies or potential publication bias that might affect the pooled estimates.
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the association between exposure to different types of child maltreatment (CM) and the development of substance use disorders (SUDs) later in life. A systematic review was conducted: the PubMed, EMBASE and PsycINFO databases were searched for relevant papers and ten studies were identified for further analysis. Random effects meta‐analyses were performed for each type of maltreatment in order to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for SUD incidence, and meta‐regressions were performed to explore potential moderators. Individuals with a history of physical abuse during childhood had a 74 per cent increased risk for drug abuse later in life (OR = 1.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.362.18). The risk for drug abuse was also 73 per cent higher in individuals with a history of sexual abuse during childhood (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.242.41). A meta‐regression found that gender has a moderating effect, with women at a greater risk of SUD incidence compared to men. Exposure to CM, such as physical and sexual abuse in childhood, increases the risk of further substance abuse. Understanding the interplay between the different factors associated with violence and abuse of psychoactive substances is of fundamental importance in designing prevention approaches and interventions for drug users. ‘Investigate[s] the association between exposure to different types of child maltreatment and the development of substance use disorders later in life ’ Key Practitioner Messages Child exposure to violence was associated with the development of substance use disorder. Exposure to violence affects men and women in a gender‐dependent manner, with females being at a higher risk. Understanding the interplay between the different factors associated with violence and drug abuse is of fundamental importance to design prevention approaches and interventions. Drug users have higher rates of child maltreatment and psychological suffering compared to the general population.