This study adds to the large body of research documenting the potentially toxic effects of psychological trauma to a wide range of behavioral and health outcomes beyond PTSD. These findings add to the childhood adversity literature by demonstrating: (1) that PTEs experienced in childhood are associated with drug use in adolescence – a potentially modifiable health behavior – and therefore a target for intervention and treatment in youth and (2) that adolescents with a trauma history are a high-risk group for illicit drug use and may benefit from prevention efforts that specifically address traumatic memories and coping strategies for dealing with stressful life events. Future work should explore whether adolescents with a trauma history are more likely to develop chronic or harmful drug use than their non-traumatized peers. In combination with other signs and indicators, early drug use can act as a marker for adolescents who may need additional support or intervention. For clinicians, our results combined with other studies imply that drug treatment programs may need to more directly address childhood trauma in their therapeutic approach. Early interventions targeting coping with trauma during this critical period of adolescence could have broad benefits to health and wellbeing of adults.
