The purpose of the research was to expound on the connection between alcohol abuse, childhood maltreatment experiences, anxiety, depression, and suicide among the Slovenian and Finnish young adults. The study had more than one purpose in that it was descriptive and evaluative. In both articles, evaluations were offered on the psychological consequences of childhood maltreatment, which eventually leads to depression and anxiety. In addition to that, both articles took a descriptive study with a group of individuals. The description took place in three stages. First, articles compared gender differences in childhood abuse. Second, there was a description of depression symptoms in adults who experienced abuse, and third, the presence of alcohol abuse in the adults who went through the trauma.
Major Concepts
The major concept of this research was childhood maltreatments and the adverse psychological effects they have in adulthood, especially alcohol abuse. A population-based sample defined the concept. The first sample had 10980 participants (Rehan et al., 2017). From the population, there were other concepts revealed, which included emotional and sexual abuse, neglect, and physical abuse. The study then approximated such issues to alcohol abuse. The research in this sample was categorical in that it divided the population being sampled by gender. In comparison, women were more affected by emotional, sexual, and physical abuse than men and thus had higher levels of clinical depression and anxiety (Rehan et al., 2017). The second sample was a case-control study that involved 90 individuals (Politakis, Pregelj, Paska, & Zupanc, 2017). The primary issue raised by this sample was alcohol abuse caused by childhood adverse effects. Some of the tragic occurrences include being a suicide victim, divorce, death, and alcoholism by one or both parents. The study affirmed that adverse events in life could trigger suicidal behavior. However, the suicidal thoughts and behaviors depend on the adverse event type as well as the support such an individual received during that time. In addition to that, the time frame of that experience dramatically influences suicide.
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Hypothesis
Childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse contribute to a rise in depression and anxiety disorders in adulthood, which in turn increases the chances of alcohol abuse (Rehan et al., 2017). The research had dependent variables. For instance, the rates of alcoholism in adult life are directly influenced by childhood trauma and abuse. The study, therefore, showed a positive direction of association in that the more the neglect and abuse, the more anxiety and depression and eventually alcoholism. Rehan et al. (2017) established that men who were subjected to childhood maltreatment were 1.7 times more likely to be alcoholics in their adult life than those whose childhood was free of trauma. In the same way, Politakis, Pregelj, Paska, & Zupanc (2017), equated alcohol and substance abuse to suicide. The research confirmed that children living in homes where parents are alcoholics are more likely to pick up the habit and be secretive about it, and this leads to depression. The dependence on alcohol, therefore, contributes to suicidal behavior. In Slovenia, for instance, the study revealed that the country has the highest number of suicides in Europe, 28% of which are associated with mental disorders that originate from alcoholism (Politakis, Pregelj, Paska, & Zupanc, 2017).
Research Design, Collection, and Analysis of Data
The research used population-based samples which featured the Finnish and Slovenian young adults.
Finnish Study
The primary objective of the Finnish study was to investigate gender differences in severe childhood maltreatment and compare how individuals who were subjected to childhood abuse differed from those who were not. What is more, the study compared the alcohol presence in childhood trauma victims with those whose childhood was devoid of abuse. The population sample included 10980 individuals, 7217 male, and 3766 female participants (Rehan et al., 2017). Data was collected in two sets, which used the population-based approach by the Genetics of Sex and Aggression survey. The samples, which consisted of twins, received a 36% and 45% response, respectively (Rehan et al., 2017). For the first data collection, the research was plan did not have biological samples, and was anonymous and voluntary. The second data collection involved biological samples, and the participants were required to sign an informed consent form to validate their participation. The measures that were used for the research were childhood maltreatment, anxiety and depression, and alcohol abuse. For childhood maltreatment, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire was used in the assessment of the degree of trauma experience (Rehan et al., 2017). The participants were expected to record a statement for each type of abuse, including sexual, physical, emotional abuse, and neglect.
In anxiety and depression, the parameter used was the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Due to its reliability and validity, BSI was the best choice to measure anxiety in the participants for the preceding seven days. When it came to alcohol abuse, the research relied on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), which encompasses the areas of consumption, drinking behavior, as well as resulting alcohol problems (Rehan et al., 2017). The Statistical Package for Social Sciences performed the statistical analyses. Descriptive frequencies were used in the identification of the number of men and women who had undergone severe child abuse. Furthermore, Chi-square tests and cross-tabs were used in determining the clinical levels of anxiety and depression as well as differentiate between the men and women experiences (Rehan et al., 2017). The study revealed that women reported more cases of childhood abuse than men. Although the study contradicted some of the results of previous research results, one point was reaffirmed, which is women are more sensitive than men in the matters of childhood abuse experiences. Another consistency that the study showed with previous research was the direct connection between physical and emotional abuse to anxiety and depression (Rehan et al., 2017). The difference, however, was noted in alcohol abuse. While the main trigger for alcohol abuse in men is emotional abuse, the main predictor for problematic alcohol abuse in women is physical abuse.
Slovenian Study
The study used a case-control approach where 90 suicide victim files were selected and recorded at the Institute of Forensic Medicine (Politakis, Pregelj, Paska, & Zupanc, 2017). The second population sample was a control group. The first step was writing to the next-of-kin of the suicide victims requesting their participation in the study. The response was generally positive. After that, the data was then collected through mini-structure interviews using autopsy design questionnaires (Politakis, Pregelj, Paska, & Zupanc, 2017). The researcher supervised the filling of questionnaires for the control group. Some of the issues covered by the questionnaires were reports of parental separation and divorce, severe deprivation, death, and sexual and physical abuse. Additionally, the questions geared towards alcohol consumption rates per day and week, previous attempts to contain the habit, and problems resulting from the use. Data analysis was then performed with Microsoft Excel 2010, using descriptive statistics (Politakis, Pregelj, Paska, & Zupanc, 2017). The results revealed higher and frequent alcohol abuse in suicide victims than the control group. Consequently, this study affirmed the results of previous research that had associated alcohol abuse as a risk factor for suicide victims. Moreover, the results also confirmed that parental alcohol and substance abuse play an essential role in the child's future adult life.
Limitations
The research had some limitations. To begin with, the questionnaires were based on childhood experiences that happened years back. For this reason, the information obtained from the research might be biased. Additionally, the study did not consider the possibility of overlap in the variables. The research only concentrated on one particular variable leading to the results of anxiety and depression. However, there is a possibility that a child was affected by several things like neglect, emotional abuse, and neglect, which occurred concurrently. Subsequently, the findings would change, leading to more depression and anxiety, which was not accounted for in the research. The sampled group was also small, which could influence the expected results, thus undermining the statistical power to detect the differences. In the same way, the study considered three potential outcomes of childhood abuse which are anxiety, depression, and alcohol abuse. There is a possibility that the young adults show resilience in these particular outcomes but not resilient other outcomes like health-risk behaviors and social functioning, which are not highlighted in the research. The variables used in the research, thus, should have been broader and more detailed. In the Slovenian research, there are methodological limitations in the autopsy study. The reliability of data collected may be directly influenced by retrospective data collection, proxy informants, the potential impact of bereavement, as well as the stigma associated with suicide (Politakis, Pregelj, Paska, & Zupanc, 2017). The chosen control group may also influence the results negatively.
Conclusion
Conclusively, the research was conducted using the Finnish and Slovenian population samples. The Finnish study used 10980 individuals, while the Slovenian used 90. The significant concepts from the study included childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse as well as neglect and how they contribute to alcohol abuse in adulthood. The hypothesis was; childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse contribute to a rise in depression and anxiety disorders in adulthood, which in turn increases the chances of alcohol abuse. The Finnish research comprised of three sections. For anxiety and depression, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was used while the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire was applied in childhood maltreatment research. The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test was used in alcohol abuse determination. In Slovenian research, a case-control approach comprising of 90 suicide victims was used. There were limitations in the study, which included shallow variables, small population sample groups, and overlapping variables. Additionally, there was the possibility of biasness since the experiences happened a long time ago, and some of the details may be changed to meet the intended outcome.
References
Politakis, V. A., Pregelj, P., Paska, A. V., & Zupanc, T. (2017). Association Between Alcohol Abuse, Childhood Adverse Events and Suicide. Slovenian Medical Journal , 86 (9-10).
Rehan, W., Antfolk, J., Johansson, A., Jern, P., & Santtila, P. (2017). Experiences of Severe Childhood Maltreatment, Depression, Anxiety and Alcohol Abuse Among Adults in Finland. Plos One , 12 (5), E0177252.
