Psychological, Physical, and Sexual Abuse in Addicted Patients Who Undergo Treatment

Abstract

This study explored the prevalence of a history as victims of abuse among patients who sought outpatient treatment for drug addiction. A sample of 252 addicted patients was assessed. Information was collected on the patients' lifetime history of abuse (psychological, physical, and/or sexual abuse), sociodemographic factors, consumption factors, psychopathological factors, and personality variables. Drug-addicted patients who present a lifelong history of abuse were compared with patients who were not abused. Of the total sample, 46% of the patients (n = 115) who were addicted to drugs had been victims of abuse. There was a statistically significant difference between the victimization rates of men (37.8%) and women (79.6%). Moreover, for some variables, significant differences were observed between patients who had been abused and those who had not. Compared with patients who had not been abused, the addicted patients with a history of victimization scored significantly higher on several European Addiction Severity Index, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II, and maladjustment variables but not on the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. The current results indicate that patients who present a lifelong history of abuse exhibit both a more severe addiction than patients who were not abused and several comorbidities. The implications of these results for further research and clinical practice are discussed.

Therapeutic Progression in Abused Women Following a Drug-Addiction Treatment Program

“…The most frequent type of abuse reported was psychological, followed by physical abuse and sexual abuse. These figures complement the results found in previous studies, which showed higher rates of abuse in women than in men (Fernández-Montalvo et al, 2015;Sacks et al, 2008;Schneider et al, 2008).…”

“…This problem especially affects addicted women, whose rates of lifetime abuse (psychological, physical, and sexual) are significantly higher than those observed in men (Fernández-Montalvo, López-Goñi, & Arteaga, 2015;Sacks, McKendrick, & Banks, 2008).…”

Risk factors for stimulant use among homeless and unstably housed adult women

“…This remarkably high level of violence against impoverished women is consistent with studies in multiple geographic areas (Bonugli et al, 2013; Bourgois et al, 2004; Galano et al, 2013; Riley et al, 2014; Tutty et al, 2013; Wenzel et al, 2006), suggesting the ongoing recognition of this public health problem and the lack of an effectual response. Results presented here and elsewhere suggest that continued violence against impoverished women not only compromises health and increases emergency department use (Doran et al, 2014), it also increases the risk of subsequent drug use (ARR = 4.56; 95% CI: 1.93–10.76; Table 2) and increases the severity of addiction (Fernandez-Montalvo et al, 2014a). …”

Suicidal ideation and attempts among patients with lifetime physical and/or sexual abuse in treatment for substance use disorders

“…Among patients with drug addiction problems, those presenting with suicidalrelated behaviours appear to have suffered more from lifetime abuse. Similarly, patients who sought treatment for substance use disorder with a history of lifetime abuse show higher rates of suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempts (Fernández-Montalvo, López-Goñi, & Arteaga, 2015;Hung et al, 2013;Roy, 2010;Roy & Janal, 2007;Trout, Hernandez, Kleiman, & Liu, 2017;Vaszari et al, 2011). For example, in a study by Fernández-Montalvo et al (2015), the rate of suicidal ideation in a sample of 115 patients in treatment for addictions problems with histories of any type of lifetime abuse (psychological, physical and/or sexual) reached 48.8%, and the rate of suicide attempts was 21.3%.…”