Citation

Rosenkranz SE, Muller RT, Henderson JL. Psychol. Trauma 2014; 6(1): 25-33.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/a0031920

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Research has indicated that childhood maltreatment is associated with youth substance use problems; however, this association is not yet fully understood. Consistent with theories that describe substance use problems as reflecting impaired self-regulation abilities, we hypothesized that complex posttraumatic stress disorder (Complex PTSD), reflecting disruptions in the development of self-regulatory capacities, would mediate the association between maltreatment and substance use problem severity. Questionnaires assessing severity of drug and alcohol problems, maltreatment, and Complex PTSD symptoms were collected from 144 young men and 72 young women (N = 216) aged 16-24 years entering an outpatient substance abuse program. Results indicated the mediation model was an adequate fit to the data, χ²(49, N = 216) = 102.23, p < .001, comparative fit index = .949, Tucker-Lewis index = .932, root mean square error of approximation = .071. Complex PTSD symptoms were elevated among youth with maltreatment histories, and they partially mediated the relation between maltreatment and substance abuse (β = .21, p < .05). Because 25.3% of the variance in substance use problem severity was predicted by this model, future research expanding upon the model is recommended. The findings provide preliminary support for the development of treatment methods that address Complex PTSD among youth with maltreatment histories who abuse substances.