title: Childhood trauma, personality disorders symptoms and current major depressive disorder in Togo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Childhood trauma (CT) has been found to be associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) and personality disorders (PD) in adulthood in Western countries, but little is known about the relationship between CT, PD and MDD in sub-Saharan Africa. The present study aims to examine: (1) the frequency of the CT, (2) the association between CT, PD symptoms and MDD and (3) the mediating role of PD between CT and MDD in Togo.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eighty-one participants (91 individuals with current MDD and 90 healthy controls without psychiatric history) completed the 28-item CT Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ-4+).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants in the MDD group reported more frequently emotional, sexual and physical abuse and emotional and physical neglect than controls (p < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between the total abuse and the PDQ-4 + score (r = 0.48, p < 0.01) in the total sample. Emotional and sexual abuses were associated with current MDD and the number of PD criteria endorsed. Furthermore, PD symptoms mediated partially the relationship between CT and current MDD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest an association between CT and current MDD in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa, and that this relationship may be explained by PD symptoms. Prospective studies to confirm these results are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, UPS, Laboratoire du Stress Traumatique (LST-EA 4560), CHU de Toulouse, Hôpital Casselardit, 170 av. de Casselardit, TSA 40031, 31059, Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Kossi B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kounou
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bui
authors.forename: Kolou S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Dassa
authors.forename: Devon
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hinton
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Gnansa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Djassoa
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Birmes
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schmitt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014037:Togo / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult