Substance Abuse and Co-Occurring Psychiatric Disorders in Victims of Intimate Violence

There is a well-documented relation between exposure to familial violence (e.g., childhood sexual and physical abuse, and partner-to-partner violence) and increased rates of substance use disorders in the victims of such violent exposure. Research also suggests significant associations between such intimate violence exposure and a variety of psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], and sexual dysfunction) among victims. In the present chapter, we explore the possible roles that these psychological sequelae might play in the well-documented relation between violence exposure and substance disorders in victims.