[The effect of child abuse and neglect on the later appearance of substance abuse].

Introduction: The consequences of childhood abuse and neglect can be grave. One of them is the use of drugs since it is conducive to the incidence of several physical and psychological problems. Many sorts of abuses can be differentiated, but from the point of view of this study the most significant ones are sexual, physical and emotional abuses as well as neglect.

Method: For the exploration of the specialized literature the following English data bases were used: PubMed, PsycINFO, EISZ, EBSCO, Science Direct. The selection from 1992 to 2008 was assembled with a complex search applied so as to find the relevant articles in which there is a connection between abuses in the family, substance use and psychological status.

Results: By reason of scientific achievements, the suffered abuse at an early age was a risk factor on later substance use and in the formation of psychiatric disorders, e. g. depression, panic disorder, anxiety, and it was accompanied by psychological consequences such as a low self-esteem.

Consequences: On the grounds of scientific achievements it was proved that abuse in the family can entail the risk of growing substance use, and serious psychological problems can appear which can initiate a vicious circle with a growing risk of being a victim again.