Influence of childhood trauma on diagnosis and substance use in first-episode psychosis

Abstract

BackgroundChildhood trauma has been significantly associated with first-episode psychosis, affective dysfunction and substance use.AimsTo test whether people with first-episode psychosis who had experienced childhood trauma, when compared with those who had not, showed a higher rate of affective psychosis and an increased lifetime rate of substance use.MethodThe sample comprised 345 participants with first-episode psychosis (58% male, mean age 29.8 years, s.d.=9.7).ResultsSevere sexual abuse was significantly associated with a diagnosis of affective psychosis (χ2=4.9, P=0.04) and with higher rates of lifetime use of cannabis (68% v. 41%; P = 0.02) and heroin (20% v. 5%; P=0.02). Severe physical abuse was associated with increased lifetime use of heroin (15% v. 5%; P = 0.03) and cocaine (32% v. 17%; P = 0.05).ConclusionsPatients with first-episode psychosis exposed to childhood trauma appear to constitute a distinctive subgroup in terms of diagnosis and lifetime substance use.