NCJ Number
195607
Journal
Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: 2002 Pages: 19-39
Date Published
2002
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Qualitative and quantitative techniques were used to examine the relationship between substance abuse and physical/sexual abuse in a sample of Aboriginal people living in an urban community in Canada.
Abstract
Open-ended interviews were conducted with a sample of 30 Aboriginals, who included Aboriginal social service providers from health, legal, and family services. Forty percent of the sample had been abused, and many had experienced social, psychological, and emotional problems associated with abusive experiences. A content analysis of the interviews found common themes related to experiences of violence, including loss of identity and control, the normalization of violence, and revictimization. Substance use, family dysfunction, and difficulty in interpersonal relationships were also associated with abuse experiences. Structured interviews conducted with a larger sample of urban Aboriginals (n=245) found high rates of lifetime psychological distress (depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation) as well as attempted suicide (39.1 percent). The analyses also showed that there were high rates of sexual abuse (39.6 percent), physical abuse (51.8 percent), and emotional abuse (61.6 percent) in the sample. When the sample was stratified for history of physical and/or sexual abuse, the analyses indicated that social, psychological, and behavioral problems were greater among those with histories of abuse. Rates of recent and lifetime psychological distress were highest among those who had been both physically and sexually abused. Further, females were more likely to have been physically and sexually abused. Family dysfunction was a key indicator of psychological problems among abuse victims. Although rates of family history of drug or alcohol problems were high for abused and non-abused individuals alike, those who had experienced physical abuse or physical/sexual abuse rated higher for a current substance abuse problem. The study recommends that issues such as family functioning and the intergenerational transmission of violent behavior and substance abuse be pursued in future mental health research among urban Aboriginal people. 5 tables, 1 figure, and 43 references