Overview
“Child abuse” refers to any act or neglect from a caregiver that leads to harm or risk of harm to someone under the age of 18.
Children who undergo severe mistreatment and abuse for a prolonged period of time are two to four times more likely to develop a substance use disorder than children without a history of abuse. Individuals who score 4 or higher on standard Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) assessments are eight times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder. Surveys of adults in treatment for substance use show that 60-80% of patients reported significant abuse during childhood. Multi-decade studies that follow children who suffered abuse into adulthood tends to validate these elevated risk ratios.
Commentary
As with all public health issues, screenings and counseling to intervene as early as possible is paramount in the effort to improve quality of life and reduce lifelong treatment costs.