Community violence exposure, coping, and problematic alcohol and drug use among urban, female caregivers: A prospective study

• Witnessing violence is associated with increased substance use over time.
• Witnessing violence is associated with increases in avoidant coping over time.
• Changes in avoidant coping predict changes in drug use in female caregivers.
• Religious coping is associated with decreases in avoidant coping over time.
• Social support is associated with decreases in avoidant coping over time.

Victimization is associated with substance use in women, but less is known about linkages between witnessing community violence and substance use, even though more women witness versus directly experience violence. Further, factors that contribute to or protect against women’s problematic substance use are less well understood. Urban female caregivers (N = 318; >92% African American/black) living in low-income communities were interviewed annually for three waves regarding exposure to community violence, coping behaviors, substance use, and protective factors. Path analyses revealed that lifetime witnessing of violence, but not victimization, assessed at baseline, was associated with changes in avoidant coping, but not active coping, one year later; avoidant coping, in turn, was related to changes in and higher levels of problematic drug use the following year. Victimization was directly related to problematic drug use, but not to alcohol use. Regression analyses indicated that high levels of religious commitment and social support at baseline were prospectively associated with lower levels of avoidant coping. Because caregivers are important role models for their children, it is important to attend to the factors that contribute to their substance use and abuse.