Childhood Trauma and Children's Emerging Psychotic Symptoms: A Genetically Sensitive Longitudinal Cohort Study

• DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.10040567
• Publication Date: 2010-10-15T20:29:29Z
• Authors: Louise Arseneault; Mary Cannon; Helen L. Fisher; Guilherme Polanczyk; Terrie E. Moffitt; Avshalom Caspi
• Keywords: Longitudinal Study

Objective: Using longitudinal and prospective measures of trauma during childhood, the authors assessed risk developing psychotic symptoms associated with maltreatment, bullying, accidents in a nationally representative U.K. cohort young twins. Method: Data were from Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study, which follows 2,232 twin children their families. Mothers interviewed home visits when ages 5, 7, 10, 12 on whether had experienced maltreatment by an adult, bullying peers, or involvement accident. At age 12, asked about experiences symptoms. Children's reports verified clinicians. Results: Children who mal-treatment adult (relative risk=3.16, 95% CI=1.92-5.19) peers risk=2.47, CI=1.74−3.52) more likely to report at than did not experience such traumatic events. The higher for was observed these events occurred early life later childhood. childhood remained significant analyses controlling children's gender, socioeconomic deprivation, IQ; internalizing externalizing problems; genetic liability psychosis. In contrast, small risk=1.47, CI=1.02−2.13) inconsistent across ages. Conclusions: Trauma characterized intention harm is Clinicians working psychosis should inquire as bullying.