Adverse Childhood Experiences as Predictors of Substance Use Disorder among Female Youths in Plateau State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Emotional Neglect, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Substance Use Disorder, Female Youths, Plateau State, Trauma, Physical AbuseAbstract
This study examined the predictive influence of adverse childhood experiences (physical abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, parental neglect, and sexual abuse) on Substance Use Disorder (SUD) among female youths in Plateau State, anchored on Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) Ecological Theory. The study adopted a retrospective cross-sectional survey design. A total of 159 female youths with a mean age of 29.69±7.53 years were recruited from four healthcare facilities in Plateau State: Intellect Mental Health Centre Services, Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Queen’s Healthcare Centre (QHC), and Vom Christian Medical Centre. All participants were pathological substance users who had been diagnosed and were receiving treatment at the respective facilities. Validated instruments with acceptable reliability coefficients (.73–.87) were used to assess ACEs and SUD. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that adverse childhood experiences were significant independent and joint predictors of substance use disorder, explaining about 5% of the observed variance. Apart from sexual abuse, early adverse experiences of physical abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and parental neglect emerged as significant independent predictors of SUD among the female youths. Physical abuse showed the strongest predictive validity, consistent with findings that physical maltreatment during childhood was related to injection drug use among youths, and comparatively higher among females. The research hypothesis was confirmed, demonstrating that young women who are exposed to early traumatic events are likely to resort to problematic substance use. This study underscores the urgent need for trauma-informed care integration in mental health facilities and specialized women’s treatment programs in Plateau State. Prevention efforts should target children exposed to physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect, as these have been identified as significant predictors of later SUD.
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