Associations between child maltreatment and hospital admissions for alcohol and other substance use‐related disorders up to 40 years of age: Results from the Childhood Adversity and Lifetime Morbidity study

Abstract

Background and aimsEvidence on the associations between child maltreatment (CM), alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and other substance use disorders (SUDs) comes largely from retrospective studies. These rely on self‐reported data, which may be impacted by recall bias. Using prospective CM reports to statutory agencies, we measured associations between CM notifications and inpatient admissions for AUDs and SUDs up to 40 years of age.Design, setting and participantsObservational study linking administrative health data from Queensland, Australia to prospective birth cohort data comprising both agency‐reported and substantiated notifications of CM.MeasurementsOutcomes were inpatient admissions for AUDs and SUDs based on ICD‐10‐Australian modification (AM)‐coded primary diagnoses. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analyses were undertaken.FindingsTen per cent (n = 609) of the cohort had a history of agency‐reported or substantiated CM notifications before age 15. These individuals had higher adjusted odds of being admitted for AUDs and SUDs. For AUDs, the adjusted odds of inpatient admission were 2.86 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.73–4.74] greater where there was any previous agency‐reported CM and 3.38 (95% CI = 1.94–5.89) greater where there was any previous substantiated CM. For SUDs, the adjusted odds of inpatient admission were 3.34 (95% CI = 2.42–4.61) greater where there was any previous agency‐reported CM and 2.98 (95% CI = 2.04–4.36) greater where there was any previous substantiated CM.ConclusionsPeople with a history of child maltreatment appear to have significantly higher odds of inpatient admissions for alcohol use disorders and other substance use disorders up to 40 years of age compared to people with no history of child maltreatment.