Childhood Risk Factors for Alcohol Abuse and Psychological Distress Among Adult Lesbians

Overview

Journal Child Abuse Negl

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2007 Jul 14

PMID 17628667

Citations 38

Authors

Tonda L Hughes

Timothy P Johnson

Sharon C Wilsnack

Laura A Szalacha

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the relationships between childhood and family background variables, including sexual and physical abuse, and subsequent alcohol abuse and psychological distress in adult lesbians.

Methodology: Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate relationships between childhood sexual and physical abuse and parenting variables and latent measures of lifetime alcohol abuse and psychological distress in a large community-based sample of lesbians.

Results: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) directly predicted lifetime alcohol abuse, and childhood physical abuse (CPA) directly predicted lifetime psychological distress. In addition, CSA indirectly increased the risk of lifetime alcohol abuse through its negative effect on age at first heterosexual intercourse. Childhood physical abuse had only indirect effects on lifetime alcohol abuse through its strong relationship to lifetime psychological distress. Parental drinking problems and parental strictness directly predicted lifetime psychological distress; parental drinking problems indirectly predicted lifetime alcohol abuse through the mediators of age of drinking onset and lifetime psychological distress. White lesbians, younger lesbians, and those with lower levels of education were at greatest risk of psychological distress.

Conclusion: While the cross-sectional design precludes causal conclusions, study findings--especially those related to CSA--are consistent with previous research on predominantly heterosexual women in the general population. Lesbians who experienced CSA were at heightened risk of lifetime alcohol abuse and those who experienced CPA were at heightened risk of lifetime psychological distress relative to lesbians without abuse histories. Given the dearth of research on childhood abuse and sexual orientation, studies are needed that examine the similarities and differences between lesbians' and heterosexual women's experiences of, and responses to, childhood abuse.

Citing Articles

Testing whether the combination of victimization and minority stressors exacerbate PTSD risks in a diverse community sample of sexual minority women.

Veldhuis C, Juster R, Corbeil T, Wall M, Poteat T, Hughes T Psychol Sex. 2024; 14(1):252-278.

PMID: 38549608 PMC: 10978045. DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2022.2106147.

Alcohol use among sexual minority women: Methods used and lessons learned in the 20-Year Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women Study.

Hughes T, Wilsnack S, Martin K, Matthews A, Johnson T Int J Alcohol Drug Res. 2023; 9(1):30-42.

PMID: 37946724 PMC: 10634638. DOI: 10.7895/ijadr.289.

Mental health and substance use among sexual minority women who report childhood sexual abuse: A systematic literature review.

Bochicchio L, Xu M, Veldhuis C, McTavish C, Hughes T Psychol Trauma. 2023; .

PMID: 37166921 PMC: 10638469. DOI: 10.1037/tra0001476.

Health Outcomes of Sexual Minority Women Who Have Experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Scoping Review.

Bochicchio L, Porsch L, Zollweg S, Matthews A, Hughes T Trauma Violence Abuse. 2023; 25(1):764-794.

PMID: 37070743 PMC: 10582204. DOI: 10.1177/15248380231162973.

Comparing substance use outcomes by sexual identity among women: Differences using propensity score methods.

Karriker-Jaffe K, Drabble L, Li L, Munroe C, Mericle A, Trocki K Drug Alcohol Depend. 2022; 238:109567.

PMID: 35901534 PMC: 9869911. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109567.

References

Wyatt G . The sexual abuse of Afro-American and white-American women in childhood. Child Abuse Negl. 1985; 9(4):507-19. DOI: 10.1016/0145-2134(85)90060-2. View

Bloomfield K . A comparison of alcohol consumption between lesbians and heterosexual women in an urban population. Drug Alcohol Depend. 1993; 33(3):257-69. DOI: 10.1016/0376-8716(93)90112-4. View

Finkelhor D, Browne A . The traumatic impact of child sexual abuse: a conceptualization. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1985; 55(4):530-541. DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.1985.tb02703.x. View

Wilsnack R, Wilsnack S, Klassen A . Women's drinking and drinking problems: patterns from a 1981 national survey. Am J Public Health. 1984; 74(11):1231-8. PMC: 1652042. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.74.11.1231. View

Kessler R, McGonagle K, Zhao S, Nelson C, Hughes M, Eshleman S . Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. Results from the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1994; 51(1):8-19. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.1994.03950010008002. View

Cochran S, Mays V . Depressive distress among homosexually active African American men and women. Am J Psychiatry. 1994; 151(4):524-9. PMC: 3606487. DOI: 10.1176/ajp.151.4.524. View

Widom C, Ireland T, Glynn P . Alcohol abuse in abused and neglected children followed-up: are they at increased risk?. J Stud Alcohol. 1995; 56(2):207-17. DOI: 10.15288/jsa.1995.56.207. View

Grant B, Harford T . Comorbidity between DSM-IV alcohol use disorders and major depression: results of a national survey. Drug Alcohol Depend. 1995; 39(3):197-206. DOI: 10.1016/0376-8716(95)01160-4. View

Hughes T, Wilsnack S . Use of alcohol among lesbians: research and clinical implications. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1997; 67(1):20-36. DOI: 10.1037/h0080208. View

10.

Wilsnack S, Vogeltanz N, Klassen A, Harris T . Childhood sexual abuse and women's substance abuse: national survey findings. J Stud Alcohol. 1997; 58(3):264-71. DOI: 10.15288/jsa.1997.58.264. View

11.

Wilsnack R, Wilsnack S, Kristjanson A, Harris T . Ten-year prediction of women's drinking behavior in a nationally representative sample. Womens Health. 1998; 4(3):199-230. View

12.

Saewyc E, Bearinger L, Blum R, Resnick M . Sexual intercourse, abuse and pregnancy among adolescent women: does sexual orientation make a difference?. Fam Plann Perspect. 1999; 31(3):127-31. View

13.

Fergusson D, Horwood L, Beautrais A . Is sexual orientation related to mental health problems and suicidality in young people?. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999; 56(10):876-80. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.56.10.876. View

14.

Balsam K, Rothblum E, Beauchaine T . Victimization over the life span: a comparison of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual siblings. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2005; 73(3):477-87. DOI: 10.1037/0022-006X.73.3.477. View

15.

Hughes T . Alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among lesbians and gay men. Annu Rev Nurs Res. 2005; 23:283-325. View

16.

Cho Y, Crittenden K . The impact of adult roles on drinking among women in the United States. Subst Use Misuse. 2006; 41(1):17-34. DOI: 10.1080/10826080500318574. View

17.

Hughes T, Wilsnack S, Szalacha L, Johnson T, Bostwick W, Seymour R . Age and racial/ethnic differences in drinking and drinking-related problems in a community sample of lesbians. J Stud Alcohol. 2006; 67(4):579-90. DOI: 10.15288/jsa.2006.67.579. View

18.

Cochran S, Mays V . Relation between psychiatric syndromes and behaviorally defined sexual orientation in a sample of the US population. Am J Epidemiol. 2000; 151(5):516-23. PMC: 3698226. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a010238. View

19.

Tjaden P, Thoennes N, Allison C . Comparing violence over the life span in samples of same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. Violence Vict. 2000; 14(4):413-25. View

20.

Oetjen H, Rothblum E . When lesbians aren't gay: factors affecting depression among lesbians. J Homosex. 2000; 39(1):49-73. DOI: 10.1300/J082v39n01_04. View