Caregiver Substance Use and Trauma Exposure in Young Children

Background: Refugee youth often face numerous adversities before and during forced migration. Although experiences vary across settings and subpopulations, common mental disorders are prevalent among refugee youth who are displaced in low- and middle-income countries. It is important to examine how risk factors are intricately linked and contribute to common mental health issues to inform clinical practice and social policy. Aims: This study aims to test the pathways from risk factors previously identified as determinants of Somali refugee youth mental health (i.e. trauma exposure, substance use, social functioning, aggression) to symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and somatic pains. Method: We collected survey data in 2013, using snowball sampling to recruit Somali refugee youth (15–35 years old) living in Eastleigh, Kenya. We ran three structural equation models to assess paths from trauma exposure to mental health symptoms, through psychosocial factors including substance use, aggression, and functional impairment. We first conducted this analysis with a mixed-gender sample ( N = 305) and then assessed gender differences by running one model for male participants ( n = 124) and another for female participants ( n = 181). Results: In the mixed-gender sample, trauma exposure directly predicted substance use and both directly and indirectly predicted aggression, functional impairment, and mental health symptoms. Substance use directly predicted aggression and functional impairment, and substance use both directly and indirectly predicted mental health symptoms. The split-gender models revealed gender differences, with only functional impairment directly predicting mental health symptoms in the male sample and with many significant direct and indirect pathways in the female sample. Conclusions: This study shows the role of trauma exposure, substance use, aggression, and social functioning in determining mental health outcomes among refugee youth and how CMD symptoms are differently manifested across genders in this population.

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Gender difference in trauma exposure among a sample of egyptian patients with substance use disorder

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.1008 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 33 (S1) ◽

pp. S296-S296

Author(s):

H. Eldabah ◽

H. Salama ◽

M. Attia ◽

O. Elkholy

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Gender Difference ◽

Substance Use Disorder ◽

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Traumatic Stress ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Trauma Exposure ◽

Arabic Version ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Post Traumatic

BackgroundStudies have shown high association between trauma exposure in childhood and adulthood, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD). Women seeking treatment for SUD are more likely to have histories of sexual and physical abuse.AimTo study the effect of gender difference on the history of traumatic experiences and the mental health problems of the SUD patients.MethodCross-sectional comparative study was conducted at the Addiction Treatment Center at El Maamoura psychiatric hospital. Two hundred adult inpatients were recruited and assessed using a structured interview questionnaire to collect sociodemographic data, substance-use history, and medical and psychiatric history. The semi structured psychiatric interview was applied, and psychometric assessment was performed using Arabic version of Trauma History Screen (THS) for assessment of trauma exposure, and the Arabic version of the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, civilian version (PCL-C) for assessment of current PTSD.ResultsOne hundred and fifty-six were males (78.0%), 44 were females (22.0%). Females were significantly more likely to be exposed to sexual abuse at childhood (P = 0.002) and adulthood (P = 0.050), score higher on PCL-C (P = 0.002), to have major depressive disorder (MDD) (P = 0.028), and have suicidal plans and attempts (P = 0.001).ConclusionsFemales with substance use disorder are more likely to be victims of sexual trauma, to develop Post-traumatic stress disorder and to have more complicated psychiatric comorbidities than their male counterparts.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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