SummaryThis project aims to investigate how adverse experiences during childhood and adolescence influence substance use behaviors later in life. Using NAKO baseline data, we will examine the relationship between early life stress (ELS) and a range of substance use behaviors in adulthood, including alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use. In addition, we will investigate how different types and levels of childhood trauma relate to individual differences in brain structure and function. The project seeks to better understand whether people with a history of ELS form a distinct subgroup of substance users with unique behavioral and neurobiological characteristics. By identifying specific risk patterns, the project has the potential to inform public health approaches and clinical practices aimed at reducing the long-term burden of substance-related problems among individuals with early life adversity.

Keywords Addiction Adverse-Childhood-Experiences Early-Life-Stress Maltreatment Substance-Use

InstitutionsCharité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Studienzentrum Berlin-Mitte (Charité)