Impact of Childhood Trauma on Substance Use in Hispanic Adolescents
Researchers surveyed a cohort of Hispanic adolescents in southern California across eight survey waves (beginning in ninth grade and continuing through emerging adulthood) to investigate the role of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) in substance use trajectories among Hispanic emerging adults.
ACE was found to be a significant predictor at ninth grade across all substances. Every additional ACE was associated with significantly higher past 30-day cigarette use, marijuana use, and alcohol use. Across all models, young adults exposed to more ACE had significantly steeper inclining trajectories of 30-day cigarette use, marijuana use, and alcohol use than young adults with fewer ACE. The cross-level effect of ACE indicates that ACE is a critical risk factor in substance use trajectories among Hispanic adolescents.
This paper, “The impact of childhood trauma on substance use trajectories from adolescence to adulthood: Findings from a longitudinal Hispanic cohort study,” was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and published in the journal Child abuse and neglect.
Link to full item
