The Impact of Sexual Abuse: Implications for Drug Treatment

Previous research has shown a high incidence of sexual abuse histories among chemically dependent women. This paper reports on the associations among sexual abuse, past traumatic experiences, and current drug-associated behaviors in a study of chemically dependent pregnant and parenting women in New York City in order to examine the implications for drug treatment. Interviews were conducted with 146 indigent New York City women. Subjects were eligible for the study if they met the following criteria: were current users of crack/cocaine or had used crack/cocaine within the past 3 years, were currently pregnant, and/or were the mother of a preschool-age child. Subjects were recruited and interviewed from drug treatment programs (n = 72) and nontreatment sites (n = 74). One hundred thirty-three (91%) of the 146 women interviewed were African American or Latina. Study participants had a mean age of 29.4 years, with an average of 11.5 years of education. Seventy-four (51%) of the women interviewed reported having been victims of at least one forced sexual encounter. Sexual abuse was associated with both past experiences and current drug-associated behaviors. The age of abuse had a significant impact on outcome. Given the frequency with which sexual abuse has been found in the histories of chemically dependent women, and the linkages of sexual abuse to indicators of drug problem severity, it appears important to integrate therapy for sexual abuse into treatment for chemically dependent women.