The combined effect of Childhood maltreatment (CM) and Methamphetamine drugs significantly increases the risk of cognitive impairment; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. “This study aims to investigate whether aggression, anger rumination, and coping styles mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and cognitive functioning among substance-dependent inpatients (SDPs)”. A total of 615 SDPs were categorized into five groups based on maltreatment history and drug types. Data were collected using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, Anger Rumination Scale, Coping Style Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BDI), and Repeated Battery for the Assessment of Neuro-psychological Status (RBANS). Among SDP, 43.6% experienced single maltreatment and showed higher rates of family cohabitation, prison history, alcohol use, recent smoking, severe depression and anxiety. In contrast, poly-maltreated individuals (27.2%) exhibited greater aggression and poorer cognitive function. Pure-Meth users had higher anxiety, increased anger-memory, lower VAS and RBANS scores, and poorer coping strategies. Poly-drug users showed elevated aggression, anxiety, revenge tendencies, rumination, and maladaptive coping. Although anger rumination was the only emotional response variable associated with CM and cognitive impairment, none of the others—including aggression, anger rumination, and coping strategy mediated these relationships. Our results indicate that poly-childhood maltreatment and pure-Meth dependency are strongly associated with cognitive function impairments in Meth-dependent inpatients, suggesting that the combined effect severely influences cognitive and social functioning.
Haider et al. (Mon,) studied this question.