Prevalence of childhood trauma in patients with psychiatric disorders and its association with perceived social support and suicide attempts: A cross-sectional observational study in a tertiary hospital in South India

Abstract

Background: Adverse childhood experiences include exposure of children to physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. Children exposed to severe maltreatment and trauma during their early childhood are at a higher risk of early onset of psychiatric disorders. Aim: To find the prevalence of childhood adverse experiences in psychiatric patients and its association with perceived social support and suicidal attempts. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the psychiatry outpatient department at a tertiary care hospital in Kerala. Patients with a diagnosis of substance use disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, and neurotic disorders according to ICD-10 (F10-F45) and in remission were included in the study. Institutional Ethical Committee approval and informed consent from the participants were obtained. Socio-demographic and clinical details were obtained. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form and Multidimensional scale of Perceived Social Support were administered. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were employed for data analysis. Results: Eighty-five per cent of the subjects had a history of at least one type of childhood trauma. Emotional abuse was the most commonly reported type of trauma. Among patients with childhood trauma, 47.2% reported high levels of perceived social support, whereas 18.5% individuals reported a history of at least one suicide attempt. Conclusions: A significant proportion of patients with psychiatric disorders in an Indian setting have experienced childhood trauma. Childhood trauma in psychiatric disorders is associated with a higher risk of attempting suicide.