Premium
Patients with non‐substance‐related disorders report a similar profile of childhood trauma experiences compared to heroin‐dependent patients
Author(s) -
Schwaninger Philipp V.,
Mueller Sandra E.,
Dittmann Rebecca,
Poespodihardjo Renanto,
Vogel Marc,
Wiesbeck Gerhard A.,
Walter Marc,
Petitjean Sylvie A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the american journal on addictions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.997
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-0391
pISSN - 1055-0496
DOI - 10.1111/ajad.12512
Subject(s) - heroin , medicine , heroin dependence , psychiatry , ctq tree , addiction , substance dependence , clinical psychology , drug , injury prevention , poison control , medical emergency , domestic violence
Background and Objectives Exposure to traumatic events is common among patients with substance use disorders (SUD). In patients with non‐substance‐related disorders, especially with gambling disorders (GD) and internet addiction (IA), traumatic childhood experiences have not been investigated extensively. The objective of this study was to compare trauma histories in patients with GD and IA to patients with heroin dependence. Methods Cross‐sectional surveys including the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) and clinical data among 107 participants; 59 patients with non‐substance‐related disorders (GD [ n = 39]; IA [ n = 20]) were compared to 28 patients prescribed injectable heroin for opioid dependence in heroin‐assisted treatment (HAT) and to a healthy control group (HC) ( n = 20). Results The findings revealed a high prevalence of trauma exposure in all three clinical groups, with 74.4% of patients with GD, 80.0% of patients with IA, and 93.0% of patients in HAT compared to 40% in HC. All three groups (GD, IA, HAT) reported significantly higher levels of “emotional neglect” compared to HC. Conclusions and Scientific Significance The results provide clinically relevant information suggesting that the burden of childhood traumatic experiences may be as common in patients with GD and IA as in patients with heroin dependence. These findings could pose an important starting‐point for treatment. (Am J Addict 2017;26:215–220)