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Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD), a condition recently included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) is associated with substance use disorder (SUD) and behavioural addictions. With cPTSD, the person is exposed to prolonged traumatization, starting usually early in their life and/or occurring in an interpersonal context from where escape impossible (e.g., abuse, slavery, sex work and contexts of substance use). A recent study by Jannini et al. (2024) highlighted the role of affective dysregulation as a consequence when studying a sample of cannabis and alcohol users, problematic internet users and gamblers. The use of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) as indicated by Kassai et al. (2017), is a particular type of trauma. In this study, we conducted Foley Life Interview with 84 NPS users with SUD and analysed their negative childhood episodes, using deductive thematic analysis. 64 persons could remember brutal physical abuse or neglect by the parents, or in a few cases, by other family members or peers at school. Parental alcohol addiction and/or mental disorders were common. Often, domestic violence also affected other family members. Traumatization was a longstanding circumstance, and parents’ aggressive outbursts were unpredictable and unexplainable. Harm was mostly done by close family members who were (formally) in a caretaker role. In this context, NPS use is interpreted as a repetition compulsion – a typical phenomenon among traumatized individuals. Our findings imply that childcare services should be strengthened to prevent subsequent SUD in children who are exposed to continuing traumatization in their homes and at schools.
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