A new study led by FIU researchers at the Center for Children and Families found that traumatic childhood experiences like domestic violence, abuse and parental incarceration impact brain functioning and increase the risk of substance use during adolescence.
The study was led by social work professor Nicole Fava, from the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, and psychology professor Elisa Trucco, from the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Michigan. They assessed 465 children that experienced adversity beginning at ages 3-5 and followed them through early adolescence. Researchers were interested in understanding why children exposed to adversity in early childhood are more likely to misuse substances later in life.
They found that the negative childhood experiences may disrupt functioning of brain regions associated with impulse control. The children’s difficulties in regulating their impulses leads to increased deviant behaviors, such as stealing and aggression, in early adolescence, which in turn increases alcohol, cigarette, and drug use in late adolescence.
“Understanding early precursors to later behavior problems and substance use can provide important information for developing more effective preventive interventions,” Fava said. “When we understand the experiences that shape a person’s behaviors, we can address the root cause instead of the symptoms to help bring about sustained health and well-being.”
In the study, 88 percent of participants witnessed their parents hitting each other, 62 percent did not have enough money for bills and 55 percent were being physically punished or abused.
“This study supports that early intervention for children exposed to trauma is crucial in preventing this pathway of risk towards substance use,” Trucco said. “More specifically, interventions focused on improving self-regulation training, such as mindfulness and neurofeedback, may be especially helpful for these children.”
Fava is also currently leading efforts through the Center for Children and Families and other community agencies to provide trauma-specific, evidence-based interventions for youth and families throughout Miami-Dade through a project funded by The Children’s Trust. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) helps children and caregivers cope with the aftermath of traumatic experiences and teaches them skills like emotion regulation and cognitive coping. These are skills that could reduce the children’s risk of using substances in adolescence.
The study was published in the Development & Psychopathology Journal.
About the FIU Center for Children and Families:
The Center for Children and Families is a Preeminent Program at Florida International University comprised of a nationally recognized team of researchers and service providers committed to improving the lives of children and families struggling with mental health problems. The CCF is a one-stop care facility that provides effective, low-cost treatments to more than 3,000 families each year through clinical services and research programs. With a team of more than 30 of the nation’s best researchers and experts, the assistance of federal funding and university partnerships, the CCF continues to make discoveries about the cause, process, effects and treatment of child and adolescent mental health disorders. Since its establishment in 2010, the CCF has secured more than $104m in external funding for research from sources like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Institution of Education Sciences (IES), the National Science Foundation (NSF), The Children’s Trust and the State of Florida, among others. The CCF also provides training and education to hundreds of students, and continuing education opportunities in evidence-based approaches to thousands of psychologists, mental health professionals and educators nationwide.
About FIU:
Florida International University, a public university located in Miami, has a passion for student success and community solutions. The university is classified by Carnegie as “R1.” FIU is among the top 100 public universities in U.S. News and World Report’s 2019 Best Colleges and 18 academic programs are individually ranked. FIU was recently ranked as the second best performing university in Florida and graduates are among the highest-paid in the state. FIU has multiple state-of-the-art research facilities including the Wall of Wind Research and Testing Facility and FIU’s Medina Aquarius Program. FIU has awarded more than 330,000 degrees since 1972 and enrolls more than 57,000 students in two campuses and centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, the Miami Beach Urban Studios, and sites in Qingdao and Tianjin, China. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA with more than 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit www.fiu.edu.
