Project

Effects of Child Maltreatment on Adult Substance Use and Mental Health

Project Description

This is a secondary data analysis project that focuses on the long-term effects of child maltreatment and other forms of family adversity on adult substance use behaviors and mental health problems. Data are from the Lehigh Longitudinal Study, a unique prospective investigation of the causes and consequences of child maltreatment, which began in the 1970s when children in the study were 18 months to six years of age. Data were most recently collected in 2008-2010, when children had entered middle adulthood. Goals of the current project are to study the combined and unique effects of differing forms of child abuse (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse), neglect, and childhood exposure to domestic violence on outcomes of tobacco use, binge drinking, marijuana use, and substance abuse risk in adulthood; depression and anxiety symptoms; and co-occurring adult disorders. Analyses will also investigate patterns of cumulative victimization and adulthood stresses, as they impact adulthood functioning. Another very important aspect of this work focuses on resilience and sources of protection for individuals with abuse histories. A focus on gender differences in predictors, processes, and outcomes of child abuse is also included in the goals of the current project. Findings that emerge from this work are critical to service providers and policy makers who focus on vulnerable populations.