A descriptive analysis of the impact of early childhood trauma in a group of people undergoing rehabilitation for substance use

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood traumatic experiences which did not receive appropriate pharmacological and/or other intervention, may lead to psychological disturbances and psychiatric disorders such as substance use disorders. The aim of this study was to describe the socio-demographic profile of substance abusers and to compare patterns of substance abuse among individuals with early childhood trauma experience and those without. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that took place among people undergoing rehabilitation for substance abuse at the Ithemba Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Clinic and at SANCA Vaal Triangle. A total of hundred and twenty (120) participants were interviewed. Besides their socio-demographic information, data on whether they had confided in anyone was collected. The Childhood Traumatic Event Scale (CTES) was administered to elicit past traumatic experiences and to determine the level of their severity. Results: Of the hundred and twenty (120) participants, the majority were male (118) (98.2%) and only two (2) (1.68%) were female. The mean age of the participants was 27.9 years (SD = 6.9) and 88.24% had high school education. The majority (94%) were single and unemployed (87.39%). Cannabis, opioids, alcohol and stimulants, were the most used substances. Analysis of total trauma scores (high vs low) by demographics, type of substance used and forensic history did not yield any statistical significance. Social support and the absence of parental use of alcohol and other substance use was significantly associated with low trauma scores p-value (0.0267 and 0.0049) respectively. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of childhood trauma in people seeking help for substance abuse. Further research, using larger sample sizes and of a longitudinal nature needs to be conducted regarding the association between various substances being abused and childhood traumatic events, as well as the impact of confiding in others as coping mechanisms. Early psychosocial interventions should be offered to mitigate the impact of past traumatic experiences