Association of childhood neglect with adult dissociation in schizophrenic inpatients.
BACKGROUND
Dissociation is often related to previous trauma and also occurs frequently in schizophrenia. Dissociation and psychosis may reflect a posttraumatic syndrome in some patients with schizophrenia.


METHODS
In total, 80 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were investigated by means of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Dissociative Experience Scale and the Symptom Check List 90-R. CTQ subscales and groups reporting high and low dissociation were compared using MANOVA.


RESULTS
Childhood traumatic experiences were frequent [mean CTQ total score=45.4+/-17.5 (SD)]. Physical neglect was clearly associated with high dissociation, whereas abuse was not. Furthermore, there was a significant association of physical neglect with psychopathological distress not fully accounted for by dissociation.


CONCLUSIONS
Dissociation may be specifically linked to childhood physical neglect in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Dissociation alone may not explain the effects of childhood maltreatment on adult psychopathology in schizophrenia; however, conclusions from the present study are limited due to its cross-sectional design.
Vogel
Matthias
M
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Greifswald, Germany. matthias.vogel@uni-greifswald.de
Spitzer
Carsten
C
Kuwert
Philipp
P
Möller
Bertram
B
Freyberger
Harald J
HJ
Grabe
Hans Jörgen
HJ
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires