Childhood Trauma in Persons With Schizophrenia and a History of Interpersonal Violence

Abstract

Background: Childhood trauma is a risk factor for psychosis as well for violent behavior and offending later in life. Childhood trauma comprises subdomains of abuse and neglect that may be differently related to later violence among patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to map the subdomains of childhood trauma associated with violent offending in schizophrenia. Methods: Information on childhood trauma from predominantly male patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia and a history of violent offending (interpersonal violence) (SCZ-V, n = 19), schizophrenia patients without a history of violence (SCZ-NV, n = 34), and healthy controls (HC, n = 66) was obtained with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Differences between groups in total maltreatment scores and the five subdomains including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as physical and emotional neglect were analyzed. Results: SCZ-V had the highest median CTQ scores for all sub-domains. SCZ-V reported significantly higher total CTQ scores than SCZ-NV and HC. SCZ-V had significantly higher scores than HC on all subdomains, and significantly higher than SCZ-NV on physical and emotional neglect. SCZ-NV had higher scores on all domains except sexual abuse compared to HC. Conclusion: SCZ-V patients had higher exposure to childhood trauma than SCZ-NV, and both schizophrenia groups had higher exposure than HC. The results suggest that childhood physical and emotional neglect may be of specific importance to later violence in schizophrenia.

Intergeneration Transmission of Violence in Forensic Patients With a Diagnosis of Schizophrenia and Psychosis: Was Parental Alcoholic Abuse a Significant Factor?

“…This suggests the presence of a larger number of traumatic events in childhood. This result is in accordance to the previous studies that have shown that the presence of a large number of traumatic events in childhood in one person affects the frequency of violent behaviors in the community ( 1 , 2 ).…”

“…So far, the exact mechanism of how to predict whether a person being treated for psychosis will exhibit violent behavior is not known. Research has shown that violent behavior is often associated with psychotic symptoms, decreased impulse control and substance abuse, but also traumatic childhood events such as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse ( 1 ). There is a lack of research of violent behavior in psychiatric forensic patients ( 2 ).…”

“…Results: Statistically significant differences were obtained for total scores (χ 2 = 28.522, p < 0.001) as well as for (1) major upheaval between the parents (χ 2 = 20.739, p < 0.001), (2) being victim of violence-other than sexual (χ 2 = 12.701, p < 0.01), and (3) other major upheaval that may have shaped life or personality significantly (χ 2 = 30.920, p < 0.001). PSCH-V, compared to HC, had greater exposure to all of the three domains of childhood trauma (U = 396.500, 436.500, and 376.000, respectively; p < 0.001).…”

Strong Associations Between Childhood Victimization and Community Violence in Male Forensic Mental Health Patients

“…In Hiday's ( 42 ) model, maltreated people, for example those who have been bullied, emotionally abused, and physically abused, may be more prone to appraise situations antagonistically in later relational encounters, with suspicion and mistrust, and anticipate being maltreated, hence more easily becoming tense and angry and use violent means in their relational discourse. Additionally, emotional and physical neglect could contribute to violence risk in severe mental illness by various routes, including lack of adult supervision and guidance in formative years and broad-based negative impacts on cognition and emotion ( 44 , 45 ). The more extensive the history of adversities, the more the various negative psychological sequels of trauma might be at stage.…”

Aggressive Behavior and Psychiatric Inpatients: a Narrative Review of the Literature with a Focus on the European Experience

“…Another recent Norwegian study [94] using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) [95] found significant differences in childhood exposure to both abuse and neglect: aggressive psychiatric patients showed higher CTQ scores than non-aggressive patients, and both patient groups had higher scores than healthy controls.…”