Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. However, not all individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment develop substance use problems, indicating the role of other factors in influencing this outcome. Past work suggests that adverse early life experiences, including childhood maltreatment, lead to neurobiological changes in frontolimbic functions that, in turn, result in altered stress and reward responses, heightened impulsivity, affect dysregulation, and, ultimately, increased risk for maladaptive behaviors such as substance use.
The aim of this preliminary investigation using cross-sectional data was to test associations between these factors in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and alcohol use problems in a sample of emerging adults. Methods: Emerging adults 18β30 years old who identified as regular drinkers i.
Participants completed online standardized questionnaires assessing reward sensitivity and responsiveness, impulsivity, emotion regulation, and alcohol consequences. Conclusions: Although these findings are preliminary, the current study is one of the first to test a comprehensive model addressing the relationship between childhood maltreatment and alcohol use problems.
The findings have the potential to inform treatment strategies that target motivation and goal-directed action for reducing and managing consequences associated with childhood maltreatment. Future research should test the model using longitudinal data to address the limitations of a cross-sectional study and assess temporal associations between constructs.
Keywords: childhood maltreatment, alcohol use problems, emotion dysregulation, reward processes, impulsivity. Moreover, childhood maltreatment that occurs during critical developmental windows increases the risk of unhealthy coping, risk taking, and psychopathology in adulthood [ 2 , 3 , 4 ], including substance use problems in emerging adulthood [ 5 , 6 , 7 ].
