Adverse childhood exposures and alcohol dependence among seven Native American tribes

Impact of residential schooling and of child abuse on substance use problem in Indigenous Peoples

“…However, our data differ from the results obtained in a US study by Koss et al (2003), which had higher rates for physical abuse than for sexual abuse whereas the opposite was observed in the present study. Nevertheless, the prevalence rates obtained for both sexual and physical abuse were higher than for non-Indigenous people, which is also consistent with the results of other studies (e.g., Perreault, 2013 have reported high rates for alcohol and drug use problems (e.g., Koss et al, 2003;First Nations Centre, 2005;Mercier, Rivard, Guyon, & Landry, 2002). In particular, the study by Jacobs and Gill (2001), conducted among Indigenous People living in urban areas, found that 33.3% (n = 67) of respondents had an alcohol or drug problem.…”

“…A study has shown that among 93 Indigenous Canadians, who were former residential school attendees, the most frequent diagnoses were post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (64.2%), disorders caused by the abuse of psychoactive substances (26.3 %), major depression (21.2%), and dysthymic disorder (20%) (Corrado & Cohen, 2003). A US study also indicates an association between residential school attendance and alcohol problems among Indigenous women (Koss et al, 2003).…”

“…A study of 751 people (296 women and 455 men) admitted to a detoxification program for alcohol and drug addictions in British Columbia showed a high prevalence of previous physical abuse (29.1% for women; 13.3% for men) and sexual abuse (30.8% for women; 16.2% for men) among the participants (Callaghan et al, 2006). A US study by Koss et al (2003) with 1660 people (41% men and 59% women) from seven Indigenous tribes provides similar results. Among Indigenous People in this sample, the fact of having reported certain forms of abuse increased the risk of alcohol addiction.…”

“…Based on our literature review, the following research hypothesis is put forth: child abuse (sexual and physical abuse) is associated with a greater probability of having an alcohol or drug use problem in adulthood. Moreover, considering that residential schooling is seen by some authors as a trauma and following the results of Koss et al (2003), the following hypothesis is proposed: residential school attendance is associated with an increased probability of presenting an alcohol or drug use problem, regardless of whether sexual or physical traumas were experienced. Since few quantitative studies have examined the effect of residential schools in Canada and none have yet evaluated the specific effect of residential school attendance on substance use problems, the following question is proposed: Considering that child abuse is associated with alcohol and drug use problems, what is the respective influence of residential school attendance and abuse (sexual and physical abuse) on these substance use problems?…”

“…This province had six residential schools, the last of which closed in 1980. Considering the high prevalence of alcohol and drug use among Indigenous Peoples in Canada (e.g., Whitehead & Kobayashi, 2014) and the strong link, supported by research, between childhood trauma and substance use (e.g., De Bellis, 2002;Callaghan, Cull, Vettese, & Taylor, 2006;Koss et al, 2003;Jacobs & Gill, 2001), this study aims to evaluate the link between residential school attendance, child abuse, and the development of alcohol and drug use problems in adulthood.…”