Enviornmental+Factors+and+Early+Childhood+Trauma

**Environmental Factors and Early Childhood Trauma**

There is a growing body of literature that suggests a very strong link between early childhood trauma and the later development of alcoholism (and PTSD). The thought process is that trauma that occurs early in life is more primed in the individual, and that the child has not yet developed proper coping mechanisms that may develop later on in life.


 * A survey of students in grades 6-12 showed that among those individuals who had suffered physical and sexual abuse early in life were more likely to use alcohol, marijuana and other substances (Waldrop et al., 2007).

One study looking at the differences of early childhood trauma and adulthood trauma and the subsequent drinking patterns they pertain to, showed that early childhood trauma victims were prone to having their first drinking at an earlier age (Waldrop et al., 2007). The various traumas reported in this clinical study were: sexual assault, physical assault, witnessing violence, combat, and other non-interpersonal traumas such as car accidents and earthquakes. Furthermore, Waldrop et al. (2007) reported that participants who currently had alcohol dependence issues and a diagnosis of PTSD experienced periods of heaviest drinking as compared to the group who were only experiencing PTSD symptoms or the control group (no PTSD symptoms or any Alcohol Abuse Disorders).

An important concept linked with heavy alcohol use is Quality of Life (QOL). In particular, individuals who are alcohol dependent have a lower QoL and the longer an individual stays in a relapse, there is more of a negative impact on QoL as well. Psychiatric comorbidity is one of the factors that contribute to impairment in health-related QoL in alcohol-dependent patients (Evren et al., 2011). Compared to individuals with alcohol use solely, those with both alcohol use and PTSD respond to treatment less favourably, relapse faster and experience heavier drinking periods (Evren et al., 2011). Furthermore, an individual who has experienced childhood/lifetime trauma and mistreatment are at an increased risk for suffering from a low QoL which can add to the symptoms of PTSD and create a worse prognosis.


 * A study of alcohol dependent adult men residing in in-patient units, there was a study done to measure the QoL among those who had suffered lifetime PTSD, and those who also suffered from dissociation. It was found that individuals who had suffered from dissociation had lower levels of QoL and greater alcohol dependence, versus others who had only the non-dissociative PTSD symptoms (Evren et al., 2011).

To summarize, Schumacher, Coffey, Stasiewicz (2006), surmised that individuals who meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence and PTSD experienced greater and more severe symptoms of PTSD and heavier alcohol use when they had experienced childhood traumas, than individuals who had no experienced a traumatic event until their late teenage years. Furthermore, it was found that child onset trauma survivors that found PTSD symptom severity predicted trauma-elicited alcohol craving.

All these research studies suggest that there is a strong environmental involved in developing the co-morbid condition of PTSD and alcohol use. However, throughout the literature it has been highlighted that early child hood traumas and mistreatment may have a more severe negative impact on individuals than trauma that may occur later on in the life span. These early experiences prime the individual for possible future consequences. Therefore, it is also important to note that protective factors in nearby environments to these vulnerable individuals may counteract the adverse effects of traumatic encounters brought on by other family members and other extraneous variables in the environment.