Associations Among Childhood Household Dysfunction, Sexual Orientation, and DSM-5 Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Substance Use Disorders in Adulthood: Evidence From a National U.S. Survey

Journal of Addiction Medicine · 2020 · 7 citations

• Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Clinical psychology

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the associations between childhood household dysfunction and adulthood past-year DSM-5 alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use disorders across sexual orientation subgroups (eg, lesbian/gay, bisexual, and heterosexual). METHODS: Prevalence estimates were based on National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC-III) data collected from structured diagnostic face-to-face interviews in a nationally representative sample of 36,309 U.S. adults. Multivariable regression was used to examine associations between childhood household dysfunction and past-year substance use disorders in adulthood. RESULTS: Sexual minorities, particularly sexual minority women, reported higher rates of childhood household dysfunction (eg, parental/household history of substance-related problems) and adulthood DSM-5 alcohol, tobacco, and substance use disorders. Results of multivariable analyses indicated that childhood histories of parental/household substance-related problems were associated with greater odds of past-year substance use disorders among sexual minorities than heterosexuals, and that such histories may moderate differences among sexual orientation subgroups. The risk of substance use disorders among sexual minority women relative to exclusively heterosexual women (ie, heterosexual-identified women without same-sex attraction or behavior) remained high, even when accounting for household dysfunction. In contrast, there were no such differences between sexual minority men and exclusively heterosexual men. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual minorities are more likely to have childhood household dysfunction which in turn is associated with a higher risk of developing DSM-5 alcohol, tobacco, and substance use disorders in adulthood, especially among sexual minority women. Healthcare providers who care for individuals raised in dysfunctional households should carefully assess risk for substance use disorders and intervene as needed.

Sexual Orientation, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Comorbid DSM-5 Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry · 2020 · 68 citations

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Clinical psychology

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and comorbid Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) substance use and mental health disorders across 5 sexual orientation subgroups: lesbian/gay, bisexual, unsure, discordant heterosexual (ie, heterosexual-identified with same-sex attraction or behavior), and concordant heterosexual. METHODS: Data were from the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III, a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey of non-institutionalized US adults. Data were collected in households via structured diagnostic face-to-face interviews; the overall response rate was 60.1%. The sample included 36,309 US adults aged 18 years and older. RESULTS: Sexual minorities (gay, lesbian, bisexual), especially bisexual women, reported the highest prevalence of ACEs and comorbid substance use and mental health disorders. Approximately 43.8% of bisexual women reported 4 or more ACEs, and 38.0% of bisexual women reported comorbid substance use and mental health disorders. Multivariable regression analyses indicated a curvilinear relationship between ACEs and comorbid substance use and mental health disorders, and sexual minorities consistently had a higher ACE mean than concordant heterosexual respondents. The majority of sexual minorities with high levels of ACEs had comorbid substance use and mental health disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual minorities are exposed to more ACEs than their heterosexual counterparts in the US. We found evidence that US sexual minorities are at higher risk of comorbid substance use and mental health disorders. These findings reinforce the importance of identifying exposure to ACEs and developing trauma-informed interventions to treat comorbidities in those exposed to multiple ACEs, especially sexual minorities.​.