Patterns of Familial and Racial Trauma and Their Associations with Substance Use Disorders among Racial/Ethnic Minority Adults.

Background: Racial/ethnic minorities in the United States often experience many different types of traumatic events. We examine the patterns of familial and racial trauma and their associations with substance use disorders (SUDs) among racial/ethnic minority adults.

Methods: We used data from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions-III. The study sample included 17,115 individuals who were Hispanic (43.6%), Black (34.9%), Asian American and Pacific Islander (17.0%), and American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN, 4.6%). Latent class analysis models with covariates and distal outcomes were analyzed to investigate patterns of trauma exposure and estimate binary outcomes of SUDs. Familial and racial trauma was measured by ten areas of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and six items of racial discrimination.

Results: We found four distinctive groups: low trauma (Class 1, 62.1%), high discrimination (Class 2, 17.2%), high ACEs (Class 2, 14.9%), and high trauma (Class 4, 5.9%). Compared to Class 1, other groups were more likely to include Black and AI/AN adults. Participants in Class 2 reported greater risks for alcohol and other drug use disorders. Those in Class 3 and 4 reported greater risks for alcohol, opioid, stimulant, and other drug use disorders.

Conclusion: Given a higher risk of trauma exposure in Black and AI/AN adults, racially and ethnically sensitive trauma-focused interventions may help prevent and reduce SUDs in those populations.