Lifetime physical and sexual abuse and substance use treatment outcomes in men

The influence of abuse victimization on attendance and involvement in mutual-help groups among dually diagnosed male veterans

“…This study represents an extension of previous work (Charney et al, 2007;Schneider et al, 2008aSchneider et al, , 2008b by assessing the unique influences of sexual abuse and physical abuse victimization. As our results demonstrate, the type of abuse victimization has a significant impact on the severity of a patient's problems.…”

“…Further, in a study of more than 20,000 veterans, male and female participants with an abuse history demonstrated significantly higher rates of alcohol problems (Rosen et al, 2005). Finally, even among the few studies that have assessed group differences among nonabused, physically abused, and sexually abused participants, there is mixed evidence, with one study of male patients with SUD finding that both sexually abused and physically abused participants had higher rates of drug use at treatment intake (Schneider et al, 2008a(Schneider et al, , 2008b) and a study of male and female patients finding no group differences (Charney, Palacios-Boix, & Gill, 2007). These mixed results, potentially accounted for by differences in the patient samples, highlight the importance of assessing the unique and common influence of physical abuse and sexual abuse victimization on SUD outcomes among men.…”

“…Studies completed on small community samples of male and female patients with SUD have demonstrated no group differences in drug or alcohol use problems between abused and nonabused patients (Fiorentine et al, 1999;Pirard, Sharon, Kang, Angarita, & Gastfriend, 2005). In contrast, studies with larger and primarily male samples have found consistent evidence that abuse victimization is associated with severe drug and alcohol problems (Schneider et al, 2008a(Schneider et al, , 2008b. In a study of almost 25,000 patients with SUD, men with a history of abuse experienced more severe drug and alcohol problems than men who were not abused (Ouimette et al, 2000).…”

“…In a study of male and female patients with SUD, nonabused patients showed the lowest rates of depression, suicide attempts, and suicidal thoughts; physically abused patients showed higher rates of these problems; and sexually abused patients showed the highest or most severe scores on each measure of psychiatric problems (Charney et al, 2007). In a primarily male sample, Schneider et al (2008aSchneider et al ( , 2008b also found that sexually abused patients had significantly higher levels of psychiatric problems, suicide attempts, and suicidal thoughts compared with nonabused patients, but no differences emerged between nonabused and physically abused patients with SUD on psychiatric indexes (Schneider et al, 2008a(Schneider et al, , 2008b.…”

“…In addition, almost one third of patients with SUD have been the victim of physical or sexual abuse (Fiorentine, Pilati, & Hillhouse, 1999;Ouimette, Kimerling, Shaw, & Moos, 2000;Rosen et al, 2005). Among patients with SUD, those with previous abuse victimization and comorbid psychiatric problems have higher rates of alcohol and drug problems, more severe psychiatric problems, and poorer social functioning, as compared with patients with SUD without an abuse history or dual diagnosis (Drake, Mueser, Clark, & Wallach, 1996;Farrell et al, 1998;Ouimette et al, 2000;Schneider, Burnette, & Timko, 2008a, 2008b.…”