Childhood sexual trauma, cannabis use and psychosis: statistically controlling for pre-trauma psychosis and psychopathology.
OBJECTIVE
Recurring evidence seems to suggest that sexual trauma in childhood may moderate associations between cannabis consumption and psychosis. It has also been suggested, however, that poor childhood mental health may explain linkages between these phenomena.


METHODS
The current study, using data from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication (N = 2,355), sought to revaluate the stability of the childhood trauma-cannabis interaction while statistically controlling for pre-trauma psychotic experiences and psychopathology in childhood.


RESULTS
Psychotic experiences that occurred before childhood sexual trauma significantly influenced adult psychosis symptomatology (psychosis pre-rape B = 0.10; psychosis pre-sexual assault B = 0.23). Social phobia (B = 0.07) also conferred risk for adult psychosis. Pre-trauma childhood psychopathology, however, did not account for the interaction between childhood sexual trauma and cannabis consumption in a multivariate model. Childhood experiences of rape (B = 0.15) and an interaction between cannabis use and childhood sexual assault (B = 0.05) independently contributed to adult psychosis. Cannabis use conferred no independent risk.


CONCLUSIONS
With specific regard to research methodology, the current findings offer further justification for the inclusion of childhood sexual trauma in analyses investigating associations between cannabis use and psychosis.
School of Psychology, University of Ulster, Magee Campus, Northland Road, Derry, BT48 7JL, Northern Ireland, UK. ja.murphy@ulster.ac.uk
Jamie
J
Murphy
James Edward
JE
Houston
Mark
M
Shevlin
Gary
G
Adamson
D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States