More severe violence exposure associated with poly-pharmaceutical use.

Exposure to emotional, physical, and sexual abuse carries varying psychological and somatic sequelae, including the increased use of alcohol and illicit drugs. Less studied is the association between violence exposure and prescription drug use. Using previously determined lifetime exposure profiles of 16,000 men and women, the current use of three specific drug categories was assessed and a strong relationship between victimization severity and prescription drugs used within the last month was found. Victimization screening has important implications in health care settings.