Conference Agenda

Sexual abuse is associated with an increased risk of psychiatric diagnoses and addictions, although it is not linked to a specific syndrome (Kendler et al., 2000, pp. 953–959). Studies report differences between 21%–57% of women with addictions who experienced childhood sexual abuse and 3%–12% among those without such histories (Simpson et al., 2002, p. 29). Outcomes are shaped by variables such as age at onset, duration, and relationship to the perpetrator. A longitudinal study demonstrated correlations between childhood sexual abuse and depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, sexual risk behaviors, self-esteem, and substance misuse between the ages of 18 and 30 (Fergusson et al., 2013, pp. 666–668). Findings from the Adverse Childhood Experiences survey conducted across 22 countries, including Slovenia, reveal patterns consistent with international data (Kuhar & Zager Kocjan, 2020, p. 511).

In clinical settings, professionals encounter survivors whose addictions function as strategies for affect regulation and dissociation. Relational Family Therapy conceptualizes human experience across systemic, interpersonal, and intrapsychic levels, integrating cognitive, emotional, and somatic processes within the family as an organic psycho-social unit (Gostečnik, 2017, p. 62). Addressing trauma and addiction therefore requires coordinated interventions that acknowledge relational dynamics, embodied memory, and the regulation of affective states over time.

Collaborative practice between social workers and psychotherapists enhances addiction treatment in the context of sexual abuse trauma by integrating complementary roles within a coordinated care framework. Social workers often serve as initial points of contact, conducting psychosocial assessments, assisting with legal procedures, navigating social services, and coordinating access to resources such as housing and community support (Arajärvi et al., 2023, pp. 348–365; Kuhar & Zager Kocjan, 2020, pp. 513–520). In parallel, relational psychotherapists focus on trauma processing, affect regulation, and integrating traumatic experiences into coherent narratives influencing addiction outcomes. Structured collaboration supports understanding, planning, practice, and improved outcomes for survivors.