Early Life Trauma and Sensitivity to Current Life Stressors in Individuals With and Without Cocaine Dependence

This study investigated the link between exposure to early life trauma, sensitivity to current daily stressors, and cocaine dependence. Individuals with (n = 105) or without (n = 53) cocaine dependence completed the Early Trauma Inventory and the Daily Hassles Scale. In comparison to controls, cocaine-dependent individuals reported almost twice as many daily hassles and perceived those hassles more negatively (p <. 001). For participants with cocaine dependence, a significant relationship between exposure to early life trauma and negative perception of current daily hassles was observed (p <. 01), whereas no such relationship was observed for participants without cocaine dependence. Adverse childhood events may lead to an altered view of the environment that contributes to increased irritability with daily life events among cocaine-dependent individuals.