The Effects Of Childhood Trauma In Patients With Schizophrenia

Objective:1To investigate the prevalence of childhood trauma among patients with schizophrenia.2To evaluate the impact of childhood trauma on psychopathology in144patients with first-episode schizophrenia and571patients with chronic-episode schizophrenia.MethodPsychopathology was assessed by Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) at first admission. Childhood trauma was assessed by Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) after discharge. Results:1Frequencies of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), physical abuse (CPA), emotional abuse (CEA), physical neglect and emotional neglect (CEN) were reported by25.0%,18.8%,10.4%,62.5%and27.1%of the patients with first-episode schizophrenia respectively. Frequencies of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), physical abuse (CPA), emotional abuse (CEA), physical neglect and emotional neglect (CEN) were reported byl8.9%,14.7%,8.6%,55.2%and37.8%of the patients with chronic-episode schizophrenia respectively.2The patients with first-episode schizophrenia reporting childhood trauma had higher positive scores. Positive scores correlated with CTQ.The patients with history of CSA or CPA had more hallucinations. The patients with history of CEA had higher positive scores, delusion, hallucination and excitement. The patients with history of CEN had more excitement.3The patients with chronic-episode schizophrenia had more negative symptom than the patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Logistic Regression analysis showed that chronic episode schizophrenia patients has a less likelihood that their parent were married or living with a partner, higher PANSS positives, lower PANSS negative symptoms scores, childhood sexual abuse, and more likelihood of childhood emotional neglect although some of these differences did not reach significance difference (p<0.010) in the multivariable analysis.Conclusion1. We found high rates of childhood trauma among patients with schizophrenia.2. Childhood trauma was found associated with positive but with not negative symptoms among patients with schizophrenia. Severity of childhood trauma also correlated with severity of positive symptoms.Our findings suggest that childhood trauma may alter the presentation of schizophrenia in first admission.3. The patients with chronic-episode schizophrenia had more negative symptom. CEN correlated with severity of negative symptoms.