ArticleBMC psychiatry2026
Childhood maltreatment and early-onset substance use: sex differences in the impact of various types of maltreatment and psychiatric comorbidity.
Article in BMC psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChildhood maltreatment significantly increases the risk of early substance use and psychiatric disorders; however, the sex differences in this relationship and the varying effects of different types of maltreatment in youths remain largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to explore sex differences in the relationship between various maltreatment subtypes and the onset of early substance use. It also sought to examine how other indirect forms of mistreatment, such as household dysfunction, affect the age at which substance use begins.
methodsThis multicenter study involved 187 children and adolescents (58% female) aged 7 to 17, with 62% meeting the criteria for a psychiatric disorder. We examined how maltreatment, including both direct (abuse and neglect) and indirect (household dysfunction), was related to the development of substance use. To explore sex differences in the effects of maltreatment subtypes, we conducted sex-stratified correlation analyses. We used linear regression to assess how household dysfunction independently contributes to early substance use while controlling for direct maltreatment, age at assesment, socioeconomic status, psychiatric history and pubertal stage. Additionally, it was analyzed whether this early initiation of drugs is associated with worse mental health.
resultsFemale participants exposed to maltreatment began substance use earlier (average age 13 compared to 14 for males), with strong associations identified for physical abuse and household dysfunction. Household dysfunction was a significant predictor of nearly two years earlier substance use in girls (B = −1.904, 95% CI: −3.027 to −0.782, p = 0.001). Furthermore, early substance use in females was associated with higher internalizing/externalizing symptoms and poorer functioning, while males showed no significant associations.
conclusionsMaltreatment and family dysfunction disproportionately impact females, accelerating the onset of substance use and exacerbating mental health issues. Customized interventions that address family dynamics and trauma are essential for effective prevention. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.