TY - JOUR
T1 - The interplay of childhood trauma, oxytocin, and impulsivity in predicting the onset of methamphetamine use
AU - Chang, Hu Ming
AU - Chen, Chenyi
AU - Lu, Mong Liang
AU - Jou, Susyan
AU - Santos, Vitor Hugo Jesus
AU - Goh, Kah Kheng
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - Background: Childhood trauma is associated with substance use disorders, including methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). Oxytocin, involved in social bonding, stress regulation, and reward processing, may influence addiction vulnerability and impulsivity in individuals with a history of childhood trauma. Objective: To investigate the relationships among childhood trauma, oxytocin levels, impulsivity, and the age of first methamphetamine use in individuals with MUD. Participants and setting: The study included 298 male participants (148 individuals with MUD and 150 healthy controls) from both probation offices and psychiatric clinics. Methods: Childhood trauma was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), impulsivity with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and plasma oxytocin levels were obtained. Results: Individuals with MUD exhibited higher levels of childhood trauma, impulsivity, and lower plasma oxytocin levels compared to healthy controls. Childhood trauma was associated with a younger age of first methamphetamine use, higher impulsivity, and lower oxytocin levels among individuals with MUD. Plasma oxytocin levels partially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and both the age of first methamphetamine use and impulsivity. Serial mediation analysis demonstrated that oxytocin levels and impulsivity sequentially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and the age of first methamphetamine use. Conclusions: The findings reveal the complex interplay among childhood trauma, oxytocin, impulsivity, and methamphetamine use, emphasizing the importance of considering these factors in prevention and intervention strategies for MUD. Future research should explore oxytocin and impulsivity-focused interventions to mitigate the effects of childhood trauma and reduce MUD development risk.
AB - Background: Childhood trauma is associated with substance use disorders, including methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). Oxytocin, involved in social bonding, stress regulation, and reward processing, may influence addiction vulnerability and impulsivity in individuals with a history of childhood trauma. Objective: To investigate the relationships among childhood trauma, oxytocin levels, impulsivity, and the age of first methamphetamine use in individuals with MUD. Participants and setting: The study included 298 male participants (148 individuals with MUD and 150 healthy controls) from both probation offices and psychiatric clinics. Methods: Childhood trauma was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), impulsivity with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and plasma oxytocin levels were obtained. Results: Individuals with MUD exhibited higher levels of childhood trauma, impulsivity, and lower plasma oxytocin levels compared to healthy controls. Childhood trauma was associated with a younger age of first methamphetamine use, higher impulsivity, and lower oxytocin levels among individuals with MUD. Plasma oxytocin levels partially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and both the age of first methamphetamine use and impulsivity. Serial mediation analysis demonstrated that oxytocin levels and impulsivity sequentially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and the age of first methamphetamine use. Conclusions: The findings reveal the complex interplay among childhood trauma, oxytocin, impulsivity, and methamphetamine use, emphasizing the importance of considering these factors in prevention and intervention strategies for MUD. Future research should explore oxytocin and impulsivity-focused interventions to mitigate the effects of childhood trauma and reduce MUD development risk.
KW - Addiction
KW - Age of first use
KW - Childhood trauma
KW - Impulsivity
KW - Methamphetamine
KW - Oxytocin
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U2 - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106579
DO - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106579
M3 - Article
C2 - 38048654
AN - SCOPUS:85178126401
SN - 0145-2134
VL - 147
JO - Child Abuse and Neglect
JF - Child Abuse and Neglect
M1 - 106579
ER -