ABSTRACT
The study explored associations among childhood abuse, post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and alcohol misuse in a sample of low-income African-American women (N = 172). Using bootstrapping techniques, a mediation effect was found of childhood physical and emotional abuse on alcohol misuse via PTSS symptom severity, avoidance, and hyperarousal, as well as for childhood sexual abuse on alcohol misuse via PTSS symptom severity and hyperarousal. Our results suggest that PTSS indicators, particularly symptom severity and hyperarousal, may be important mechanisms underlying the association of experiences of abuse during childhood and alcohol misuse in adulthood.
Subject(s)
Alcoholism/etiology , Child Abuse/ethnology , Child Abuse/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic , Adult , Black or African American , Alcoholism/epidemiology , Alcoholism/ethnology , Alcoholism/psychology , Child , Female , Humans , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure can increase alcohol use. Although African Americans use less alcohol compared with European Americans, African American women experience disparate rates of IPV, potentially intensifying their alcohol abuse. We used data from 171 African American women to test if IPV was related to alcohol abuse and if psychosocial factors-loneliness, embarrassment, fear of harm, hope, social support, childcare needs, and finances-mediated this link. IPV and alcohol abuse were related, and several factors were related to either IPV or alcohol abuse. Social support was related to both, and it mediated the IPV-alcohol abuse link, explaining women's alcohol abuse relating to IPV.
