Antecedentes traumáticos en mujeres drogodependientes: abuso sexual, físico y psicológico

Abstract

Aims

To analyze the prevalence of lifetime traumatic events (physical, psychological and sexual abuses in childhood or adolescence) of women with drug addiction treatment in ambulatory or residential centres of Castile and Leon Assistance to Drugs Addicts Network. To detect the differences between women with and without this kind of background.

Method

Descriptive, cross-sectional and multi-centre study with 145 women of legal age, in treatment for their drug addiction in 2008. Selection was made by two-stage stratified sampling (treatment resource -outpatient and residential treatment- and principal drug), and random simple for each stratum. Collection data by self-administered questionnaire with information of lifetime traumatic events in childhood or adolescence. Statistical analyses were carried out by Test of Proportions (p < 0.05).

Results

The prevalence of total traumatic events was of a 63 %. In the group of women with traumatic antecedents there is a higher presence of young women (18–29 years old), an earlier consumption of the principal drug (before 18 years old), opiate addiction had more prevalence, as well as previous treatment and residential treatment. Traumatic antecedents in the familiar context were present in a 30.6 % (physical abuse); a 44.9 % (psychological abuse); a 18.4 % (sexual abuse) and outside of family context a 21.8 % of the studied women.

Conclusions

Traumatic antecedents were present in more of a 50 % of the studied women, detecting a more complex profile on their addiction. This situation determines the need to incorporate an initial evaluation of this type of antecedents and to intensify psychological treatments of support for this pathology.