Correlates of crack abuse among drug using incarcerated women: psychological trauma, social support, and coping behavior

FRANÇAIS :
L'étude porte sur les relations pouvant exister entre un traumatisme psychologique et une consommation excessive de crack chez 158 femmes présentant une toxicomanie récente et incarcérées à New York. Les 3/4 de ces femmes avaient consommé du crack au moins trois fois par semaine durant un mois dans le passé ; 1/4 avaient consommé d'autres drogues, essentiellement de l'héroïne, dans les mêmes circonstances. Diverses méthodes d'analyse statistique ont permis de faire le lien entre certains facteurs à l'origine de traumatismes psychologiques chez l'adulte (perte de la garde de très jeunes enfants, le fait de vivre "à la rue") avant l'incarcération, et l'usage régulier du crack. Ce même lien a été également démontré chez des femmes présentant une tendance forte à reproduire des comportements négatifs, ou qui disaient n'avoir que fort peu de soutien affectif, ou bien encore qui avaient subi un traumatisme durant leur enface (viol, parent alcoolique, ...)
ENGLISH :
This investigation examines the relationship between psychological trauma and crack abuse among 158 women with a recent history of drug use who were incarcerated in a New York City jail facility. Interviewers obtained data on demographics, drug use, psychological trauma history, criminal history, social support, and coping behavior variables. Three-fourths of the total sample had used crack three or more times a week for a month in the past: a quarter had used other drugs, predominantly heroin, three or more times a week for a month in the past. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between adult psychological trauma variables (loss of custony of youngest child and lived in streets prior to arrest) and regular crack use in three sequential models. After adjusting for social support, coping behavior, demographics, and criminal history variables, women who had lost custody of their youngest child were 3.3 times more likely to be regular crack users. Women who demonstrated more negative coping behavior and perceived themselves as having less emotional support were also likely to be regular crack users. The association between childhood traumas (i.e., childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, parental alcohol abuse) and regular crack use was also assessed using multiple logistic regression; however, no significant associations were found between these childhood psychological traumas and regular crack use in both the unadjusted and adjusted models. (From authors'abstract)