Intimate Partner Violence and Late-Onset of Substance Use Disorder: A Case- -Report of Getting Free and Staying Stuck

• Main Author: Rodrigues, Sara
• Publication Date: 2022
• Other Authors: Oliveira Martins, Daniela, Peixoto, Ana
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: https://doi.org/10.51338/rppsm.318
• topic: Intimate Partner Violence; Substance Use Disorder; ViViolência Por Parceiro íntimo; Perturbação do Uso de Substâncias

Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrated by men is a highly prevalent public health problem. IPV has long been asso- ciated to substance use disorder (SUD) in young women, namely alcohol-related problems. However, evidence on this link regarding late-adulthood onset is scarce. In this paper, we report the case of a 52-year-old female patient voluntarily seeking medical help for first‐time heroin use. She had previously been married into a thirty‐year‐long abusive relation- ship, following unintended teenage pregnancy. At 49 years-old, as the patient signs for divorce and puts an end to the abusive relationship, high-risk behaviors and SUD follow. Although a bidirectional association between IVP and SUD is described in young women, further investigation is needed to elucidate on how IPV-related trauma may impact on older women. It is paramount to promote specialized mental health care among this vulnerable population.