Citation

Fisher HL, Morgan C, Dazzan P, Craig TKJ, Morgan K, Hutchinson G, Jones PB, Doody GA, Pariante C, McGuffin P, Murray RM, Leff J, Fearon P. Br. J. Psychiatry 2009; 194(4): 319-325.

Affiliation

PO 80, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. h.fisher@iop.kcl.ac.uk

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Royal College of Psychiatry)

DOI

10.1192/bjp.bp.107.047985

PMID

19336782

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Studies demonstrating an association between childhood trauma and psychosis in adulthood have not systematically explored gender differences. AIMS: To investigate gender differences in the prevalence of childhood sexual and physical abuse among people with psychosis in comparison with healthy controls. METHOD: The Childhood Experiences of Care and Abuse Questionnaire was completed to elicit experiences of sexual and physical abuse during childhood in first-episode psychosis cases and population-based controls. RESULTS: Among women, those in the cases group were twice as likely to report either physical or sexual abuse compared with controls following adjustment for all confounders. In particular, the effect of physical abuse in women was stronger and more robust than that for sexual abuse. A similar trend was found for psychotic-like experiences in the female control group. No association was found in men. CONCLUSIONS: Reports of severe childhood physical or sexual abuse were associated with psychosis in women but not in men.

Language: en