Psychological distress in abused, chemically dependent adolescents

Prior research has identified physical and sexual abuse as prevalent in both adult and adolescent substance use disorder populations. The purpose of this study was to assess whether differences exist in the levels of psychological distress in abused, chemically dependent adolescents when compared to their non-abused counterparts, and to a second comparison group of non-abused, non-chemically dependent adolescents, for the purposes of determining if this might provide a means of differentiating abused adolescents earlier in treatment. Results of the SCL-90-R indicated that abused adolescents demonstrated more severe levels of psychological distress, as well as earlier onset of alcohol and drug use. There were also significant distress profiles that distinguished the abused group from their non-abused counterparts. These findings are discussed with regard to early identification and treatment implications. (C) 2000 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.