On the Books: Featured Publication

Substance use during adolescence represents one of the best predictors of substance use disorders (SUD) later in life. Adolescence is a key developmental period during which predictors of SUD can be used to guide early interventions. One of the most prominent factors associated with SUD during adolescence is exposure to early life trauma, such as trauma experienced prior to age 21, which is associated with earlier initiation of substance use, higher levels of use, and escalation of substance use behavior during adolescence. This paper studied the connection between experiencing trauma and developing a Substance Use Disorder (SUD), such as alcoholism or drug dependency, in teenagers.

What was the study about?

The study sought to research the impact of early life trauma history and the emergence of substance use disorders (SUD) during adolescence; specifically, to determine if there were certain ages during adolescence at which the association between prior trauma history and SUD onset was most prominent.

What did the researchers do?

Researchers studied a large group of over 2,300 youth (ages 12–20) who had experienced trauma to determine if specific types of trauma put them at greater risk for being diagnosed with an alcohol or substance use disorder (AUD/SUD) during adolescence.

What were the findings?

1. Interpersonal Trauma is a Major Risk Factor: The study found that exposure to interpersonal trauma—which involves victimization or violence experienced at the hands of another person, such as physical or sexual violence—was a strong predictor of a SUD diagnosis.
2. Trauma Type Matters: In contrast, exposure to incidental trauma—traumas that do not involve interpersonal violence, such as accidents, medical emergencies, or family separation—did not increase the risk for a SUD.
3. Risk is Consistent: The heightened risk for SUD due to interpersonal trauma was present throughout the entire adolescent period (ages 12–20), meaning it was not limited to only older or younger teens.
4. Other Risk Factors: The paper also confirmed that other factors independently increase an adolescent's risk for SUD, including:

• Having a family history of substance use problems.
• Having other psychiatric conditions (like depression, anxiety, or externalizing/behavioral disorders)

What does this mean?

These findings highlight the unique importance of interpersonal trauma as a factor that can lead to substance use problems in youth. The study supports the idea that clinicians should screen youth for a history of interpersonal trauma—especially those who already have other major risk factors like mental health disorders or a family history of addiction—to identify and help the adolescents most at risk for developing a SUD.

Why is this important?

The findings from this paper are important because they refine our understanding of the link between trauma and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in adolescents, which has direct and critical implications for prevention and treatment.

John Leri, Ph.D., Josh M. Cisler, Ph.D., Shaunna L. Clark, Ph.D., Amy Garrett, Ph.D., Leslie Taylor, Ph.D., Muruga Loganathan, M.D., Angeline Trinh, M.D., Jeffrey D. Shahidullah, Ph.D., Justin F. Rousseau, M.D., Paul J. Rathouz, Ph.D., D.Jeffrey Newport, M.D., M.S., Karen Dineen Wagner, M.D., Ph.D., Charles B. Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D. History of Interpersonal Trauma Exposure is a Robust Risk Factor for Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders during Adolescence.Journal of Psychiatric Research. Volume 192. Advance online publication.