Do different types of potentially traumatic events hold different relationships with substance use in adolescence?

Background: Much of prior literature examines potentially traumatic event (PTE) exposure as a cumulative risk, though PTEs may not have an equal impact on substance use (SU). Methods: In the current study, we test McLaughlin & Sheridan’s (2016) model in a sample of 11,800 community youth (ages 9-15 years old) enrolled in the nationwide, longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study to examine the impact of PTE types on SU. We analyze concurrent associations between PTE types (physical abuse, domestic violence, community violence, emotional neglect, poverty, and institutionalization / deprivation) and substance use (pooling alcohol, cannabis, or nicotine) and prospective associations whereby exposure to different PTE types predicts SU one year later (self-medication hypothesis). Results: For concurrent associations, we find emotional neglect and physical abuse were significantly positively related to SU. In terms of prospective associations, institutionalization / deprivation, emotional neglect, and physical abuse significantly positively predicted SU. A majority of associations between PTE types and SU were accounted for by other PTE types and time-varying covariates (e.g., internalizing/externalizing symptoms). The association between PTEs and SU during adolescence varies across PTE types. PTEs categorized as physical abuse and emotional neglect are more likely to lead to SU. Conclusions: Findings suggest that surveillance for SU is especially warranted in youth experiencing emotional neglect and physical abuse relative to other PTEs. Future research should examine more types of PTEs along a wider age span to replicate findings.