The association between adult drug abuse and childhood maltreatment in students attending seven universities in five countries in Latin America and one country in the Caribbean

This study investigated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adulthood drug abuse among university students from seven universities in five countries in Latin America and one country in the Caribbean. This multi-country study utilised a cross-sectional design to collect data on drug abuse, as well as retrospective data on maltreatment during childhood. The sample consisted of 2,283 university students, of which 82.6% reported childhood maltreatment experiences, and 33.5% increased levels of psychological distress. A significant relationship was observed between childhood maltreatment and drug abuse as an adult (p<0.05). Although the sampling technique does not permit generalisations to all university students, the current study identified exposure to childhood maltreatment as a potential precursor to adult drug abuse within the populations studied. Therefore, the effectiveness of drug demand reduction strategies at the respective universities may be enhanced by incorporating policies and interventions aimed at childhood maltreatment.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Longman-Mills,Samantha, Williams,Yolanda Maria González, Rodriguez,Marlon Osman Melendez, Baquero,Monica Rosaura García, Rojas,Juan Daniel Gómez, Amaya,Cristina Juárez de, Diaz,Eduardo Alfredo Martínez, Corea,Sobeya Jose Peñalba, Baez,Enrique Miguel Pizzanelli, Tinoco,Lucia Isabel Solórzano
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pós Graduação em Enfermagem 2015
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-07072015000600026
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