(PS1-D83) Trauma History in a Sample of Couples with Alcohol Use Disorder and Intimate Partner Violence: A Descriptive Study

Introduction. High rates of lifetime trauma exposure have been documented among individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and among individuals who experience intimate partner violence (IPV). Despite the strong link between AUD and IPV, these associations have been largely studied in separate literatures. Furthermore, efficacious individual or dyadic treatments for the co-occurring AUD and IPV are lacking. Prior to examining treatments, we must first understand the frequency and type of shared risk factors for AUD and IPV, such as trauma exposure, in the large population of couples who experience concurrent AUD and IPV. The current study addressed this gap in the literature by characterizing lifetime trauma histories in a sample of couples with co-occurring AUD and IPV.

Method. Participants included 100 romantic couples (N=200 individuals) who completed a laboratory study of alcohol-related IPV. Couples were required to report at least one instance of physical IPV in their relationship, and one or both partners were required to meet diagnostic criteria for current AUD. Most participants were white (69%), non-Hispanic (92%), in different-sex relationships (92%), and cohabiting but not married (45%). The current study evaluated the prevalence and severity of exposure to five types of childhood trauma (i.e., emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect) using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and lifetime trauma exposure using the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ).

Results. Regarding childhood trauma, 11% of participants met the CTQ clinical cutoff for a history of physical abuse (2% Low, 5% Moderate, 4% Severe); 12% met for a history of sexual abuse (1.5% Low, 3.5% Moderate, 7% Severe); and 18.5% met for a history of emotional abuse (7% Low, 5.5% Moderate, 6% Severe). Childhood neglect was endorsed at higher rates, with 30.5% of participants reporting physical neglect (11% Low, 10.5% Moderate, 9% Severe), and 76% reporting emotional neglect (39.5% Low, 17.5% Moderate, 19% Severe). Regarding lifetime trauma exposure assessed by the TLEQ, 98.5% reported exposure to at least one potentially traumatic event, and participants reported an average of 7.04 (SD=4.03) types of traumas across their lifetime. The most endorsed events included natural disaster (68.5%), sudden and unexpected death of a close friend or loved one (66%), physical assault by an intimate partner (58%), witnessing family violence during childhood (45.5%), and being threatened with death or serious harm by another person (40%).

Discussion. These findings exemplify the high rates and complex nature of trauma exposure in co-occurring AUD and IPV samples. The high rate of trauma exposure in this sample of couples who were not selected for trauma exposure suggests that the role of trauma in co-occurring AUD and IPV treatment should be further examined. Although future studies are needed to determine the mechanisms through which previous trauma exposure may be related to co-occurring AUD and IPV among couples, it is possible that incorporating trauma-informed care into current dyadic treatment modalities could lead to the development of more efficacious treatments for co-occurring AUD and IPV.