Childhood Maltreatment and Risk for Illicit Substance Use: Evidence for Mid-Adolescence as a Sensitive Exposure Period.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Childhood maltreatment is a well-established risk factor for substance misuse. However, it remains unclear whether risk for specific illicit substances is driven primarily by the cumulative burden of adverse experiences or by exposures during specific sensitive developmental periods.

Methods

We administered the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology of Exposure (MACE) scale to 2,013 medically healthy young adults (693M/1320F, ages 18-25) to assess severity of exposure to ten maltreatment types across each year of childhood. Lifetime non-medical use of opioids, stimulants, cocaine, sedatives, hallucinogens, and polysubstance involvement was determined using the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). We employed an integrative analytical app

SUBMITTER: Khan A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12633092 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature