Childhood adversity and psychosis: generalised or specific effects?

Abstract

Background. This study examines relationships between childhood adversity and the presence of characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia. It was hypothesised that total adversity exposures would be significantly higher in individuals exhibiting these symptoms relative to patients without. Recent proposals that differential associations exist between specific psychotic symptoms and specific adversities was also tested, namely: sexual abuse and hallucinations, physical abuse and delusions, and fostering/adoption and delusions.

Delusions in first-episode psychosis: Principal component analysis of twelve types of delusions and demographic and clinical correlates of resulting domains

“…With regards to delusions, a specific relationship between persecutory delusions and physical abuse has been suggested (Bentall et al, 2012; Rajkumar, 2015). However, such findings have not been replicated (Longden et al, 2015; Read et al, 2003; Uçok and Bıkmaz, 2007; van Nierop et al, 2014), and a more global model of associations, in which no differential associations between particular adversities and specific delusions exists, has been proposed (Longden et al, 2015). Whereas Interpersonal Abuse was modestly correlated with the severity of all five types of delusions, Environmental Violence was modestly correlated with the severity of four of them (all but Somatic Delusions ).…”

The intrasubjectivity of self, voices and delusions: A phenomenological analysis

“…Paranoid delusions are also often considered distinct from other defined beliefs. From an etiological perspective, childhood sexual trauma has been more specifically linked to AVHs, while childhood attachment problems have been more strongly linked to delusions (Bentall, Wickham, Shevlin, & Varese, 2012; van Nierop et al, 2014; Longden, Sampson, & Read, 2015). Prognostically, Van Os and colleagues (2014), suggest that outcomes are worst for those with co-occurring AVHs and delusions versus only AVHs or only delusions (van Os, 2014).…”

Childhood maltreatment and its impact on the mental health

“…При этом их влияние определяется типами травм детства. В этом отношении большой инте-рес представляет анализ 251 клинического наблюдения из числа взрослых пациентов центров психического здоро-обзоры вья Новой Зеландии, в результате которого было выявле-но, что травмы детского возраста значительно чаще обна-руживаются в прошлом больных со слуховыми и зритель-ными галлюцинациями, параноидным бредом и негатив-ными расстройствами, по сравнению с индивидами, стра-дающими психотическими расстройствами без перечис-ленных симптомов [18].…”