Journal article
The Relationship Between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Executive Function for Those in Recovery from Opioid Use Disorder: A Brief Report of a Pilot Study
Journal of family violence
28 Apr 2025
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
BackgroundBoth having an opioid-use disorder (OUD) and experiencing childhood sexual abuse (CSA) can significantly impact brain functioning, particularly within the executive system. Little research, however, has teased apart how individuals with compounding experiences may differ in brain functioning and behavior compared to those recovering from OUD alone. AimsThe purpose of this brief report was to understand the relationship between CSA and executive functioning in individuals with OUD. MethodsParticipants were recruited from community organizations that serve those in recovery from OUD. Participants completed an in-person survey using an online platform (REDcap) and a series of cognitive tasks using the Penn Computerized Neurobehavioral Battery (CNB). Data from the survey and performance on the CNB were compared between those with and without a history of CSA. ResultsParticipants (N = 33) ranged in age from 31 to 60 years old (M = 45.56; SD = 8.67). Individuals with (CSA-Y, n = 20) vs. those without (CSA-N, n = 13) a history of CSA had significantly more mental health diagnoses (x2 = 7.98, p < 0.01) and depressive symptoms (t = 3.1, p < 0.01). The CSA-Y group had fewer correct responses than CSA-N for the Short Penn Line Orientation task (sPLOT, t = 2.5, p = 0.02). There were no other significant differences in the other CNB tasks. Adding depressive symptoms to the model made the CSA / sPLOT relationship non-significant. There was a tendency for depression symptoms to moderate the CSA / sPLOT relationship (change in R2 = 0.05, F(1,29) = 3.1, p = 0.09). The CSA-Y group (R = - 0.57) had a significant inverse relationship between depressive symptoms and sPLOT correct responses, but the CSA-N group did not. ConclusionThose with a history of CSA who are in recovery from OUD may have difficulties with executive functioning, particularly spatial reasoning compared to their recovering peers. The way depression manifests for these individuals is important to consider when designing interventions to support the mental and behavioral health of these populations.
Metrics
3 Record Views
Details
- Title
- The Relationship Between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Executive Function for Those in Recovery from Opioid Use Disorder: A Brief Report of a Pilot Study
- Creators
- Laura Sinko - Temple UniversityPaul Regier - College Station Medical CenterThais Costa Macedo de Arruda - Temple UniversityHasan Ayaz - Drexel UniversitySubash Aryal - Univ Penn, Sch Nursing, Philadelphia, PA USAAnna Rose Childress - College Station Medical CenterAnne M. Teitelman - Univ Penn, Sch Nursing, Philadelphia, PA USA
- Publication Details
- Journal of family violence
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 12
- Grant note
- Penn PROMOTES Research on Sex and Gender in Health
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); Drexel Solutions Institute; School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001477798900001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105003777609
- Other Identifier
- 991022052224004721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Family Studies
- Psychology, Clinical