title: Childhood trauma increases the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder in response to first-episode psychosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between childhood trauma, post-traumatic stress symptoms due to the experience of childhood trauma, and post-traumatic stress symptoms due to the experience of psychosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study assessed childhood trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as a result of both childhood trauma and psychosis using the Impact of Events Scale - Revised, in a group of 36 people with first-episode psychosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reported rates of clinical level post-psychotic PTSD symptoms, childhood trauma and childhood trauma-related clinical level PTSD symptoms were 47% (95% CI 31-64%), 64% (95% CI 48-80%) and 39% (95% CI 23-55%), respectively. Reporting childhood trauma increased the risk of developing post-psychosis PTSD 27-fold (95% CI 2.96-253.80, p = 0.01). Having childhood trauma-related PTSD increased the risk of developing post-psychosis PTSD 20-fold (95% CI 3.38-123.25, p = 0.01). These risks were not explained by illness factors such as duration of untreated psychosis, age of onset or severity of psychotic symptoms. Those without post-psychotic PTSD symptoms at clinical levels were unlikely to report childhood trauma (6%; 95% CI 3-8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest the cognitive, social and biological consequences of childhood trauma can prevent effective recovery from the trauma of acute first-episode psychosis resulting in post-psychotic PTSD. Treatment strategies for post-psychotic PTSD must address childhood trauma and related PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Australia. sbendall@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bendall
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Jimenez
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hulbert
authors.forename: Patrick D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: McGorry
authors.forename: Henry J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*