Impact of childhood trauma on co-morbidity among alcohol dependent patients: Controlled study

Abstract

Introduction

Childhood trauma has been found to be prevalent in treatment-seeking alcoholics.

Objectives

We aimed to investigate the childhood trauma prevalence among alcohol dependent patients and the prevalence of psychiatric co-morbidity.

Methods

A total of 61 participants were assessed; 35 treatment-seeking alcohol dependent patients and 26 age-gender matched controls in the addiction division of psychiatry department of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University. After describing the study and obtaining informed consent, participants were assessed with demographic questionnaires, followed by the structured clinical interview for the DSM-IV-TR and childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ-28).

Result

The 91.4% of the patients were male, mean age was 42.03 ± 12.9. The overall prevalence of CTE of the alcohol dependent patients was (88.6%) higher than the control (42.3%) group. Respectively the prevalence of physical neglect was 80%, emotional neglect 74.3%, emotional abuse was 51.4%, physical abuse 40% and sexual abuse 28.6%. For psychiatric disorders 96.8% of the alcohol dependent patients with childhood trauma reported any of the psychiatric disorders, 64.5% ever having a mood disorder with 25.8% ever having any anxiety disorders, and 16.1% ever having attention and hyperactivity disorder. The most common psychiatric co-morbidity was found to be as depression (58.1%).

Conclusions

In conclusion alcohol use disorders are thought to be associated with childhood trauma. Patients with alcohol use disorders are exposed to have more childhood trauma. Childhood trauma is associated with psychiatric co-morbidity especially depression. We have to ask for childhood trauma in alcohol dependent patients with psychiatric co-morbidity.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.