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Child abuse and the clinical course of drug misuse

Drug Treatment Centre, Trinity Court, 30/31 Pearse St, Dublin 2, Republic of Ireland

EDITED BY MATTHEW HOTOPF

Charnaud & Griffiths (2000) in response to the finding of increased psychiatric symptoms in female drug users by Marsden et al (2000) postulate that this finding may be a sequela of earlier child abuse. It is interesting to note the high incidence of childhood sexual abuse found in their study population based in Cornwall. In a Dublin sample, the level of sexual abuse for both males and females was considerably lower (21%). However, the effects of abuse appeared to have a significant influence in subsequent clinical progression of substance misuse. Those patients with a history of sexual abuse in the past had a significantly younger mean age of first opiate use (16.7 years v. 19.1 years for those without a history of sexual abuse) (Browne et al, 1998). The duration of drug misuse was also considerably longer (mean 10.8 v. 8.4 years).

We would support the suggestion of Charnaud & Griffiths (2000) that the evaluation of previous history of sexual abuse can predict the best plan of treatment for these patients. We would suggest that the long-term clinical progression of sexually abused drug misusers is that of more rapid progression to intravenous drug misuse with all the prognostic features that this implies.

REFERENCES

Charnaud, B. & Griffiths, V. (2000) Drug dependence and child abuse (letter). British Journal of Psychiatry, 177, 84.[Free Full Text]

Marsden, J., Gossop, M., Stewart, D., et al (2000) Psychiatric symptoms among clients seeking treatment for drug dependence. Intake data from the National Treatment Outcome Research Study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 176, 285-289.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

Browne, R., Keating, S. & O'Connor, J. (1998) Sexual abuse in childhood and subsequent illicit drug abuse in adolescence and early adulthood. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 15, 123-126.

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This Article Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Browne, R. Articles by O'Connor, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Browne, R. Articles by O'Connor, J.