Uncovering the Complex Mechanisms Linking Child Abuse and Substance Use in Chinese Adults



Professor Spencer De Li and his research team recently published a paper titled "Identifying the Mechanisms Linking Child Abuse Victimization and Substance Use and Misuse Among an Adult Population in China" in the journal Deviant Behavior. Based on data from a probability sample of 2,799 adults in a Chinese city, this study investigates the relationship between early child abuse victimization and substance use and misuse in adulthood. Utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM), the research proposed two major mediating mechanisms: a social learning process and a psychological strain process, which are mediated by deviant peer association, perceived harms of substance use, self-esteem, and psychological distress. The findings reveal that child abuse victimization indirectly affects various forms of substance use and misuse in adulthood, such as tobacco use frequency, binge drinking frequency, and illicit drug use, primarily through deviant peer association and perceived harms of substance use. While self-esteem and psychological distress played varied roles, the overall results indicate that child abuse victimization has a significant indirect effect on adult substance use and misuse. This study highlights the importance of examining the indirect pathways linking child abuse victimization to substance use behaviors in adulthood.