Intimate partner violence in emerging adulthood and subsequent substance use disorders: findings from a longitudinal study.

Aims: To examine the temporal association between the experience of different types of intimate partner violence (IPV) in early adulthood (21 years) and substance use disorders in young adulthood (30 years).

Design: Prospective birth cohort study using data from the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP).

Setting: Brisbane, Australia.

Participants: A total of 1353 people (822 females and 531 males).

Measurements: IPV was measured using the Composite Abuse Scale (CAS) and alcohol, substance and nicotine use disorders were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI).

Findings: In females, the experience of different forms of IPV at 21 years remained a robust risk factor for subsequent alcohol use disorder [adjusted odds ratios (aORs) ranged from 1.6 to 2.6 (all P < 0.05)], substance use disorder [aORs ranged from 2.1 to 4.0 (all P < 0.001)] and nicotine use disorder [aORs ranged from 2.0 to 2.4 (all P < 0.05)] at 30 years, even after controlling for antecedent substance disorders. However, in males only physical and emotional abuse (but not harassment) were significant in predicting alcohol use disorder [aORs ranged from 1.4 to 1.8 (all P < 0.05)] and drug use disorder [aORs ranged from 1.6 to 2.0 (all P < 0.05)] in the fully adjusted model.

Conclusion: Intimate partner violence (IPV) in early adulthood is robustly associated with alcohol, substance and nicotine use disorders in women, whereas in men the association is clear for only some forms of IPV and types of disorder.