A history of childhood trauma is associated with slower improvement rates: Findings from a one-year follow-up study of patients with a first-episode psychosis

TY - JOUR

T1 - A history of childhood trauma is associated with slower improvement rates

T2 - Findings from a one-year follow-up study of patients with a first-episode psychosis

AU - Aas, Monica

AU - Andreassen, Ole A.

AU - Aminoff, Sofie R.

AU - Færden, Ann

AU - Romm, Kristin L.

AU - Nesvåg, Ragnar

AU - Berg, Akiah O.

AU - Simonsen, Carmen

AU - Agartz, Ingrid

AU - Melle, Ingrid

N1 - Funding Information: This study was funded by grants from the University of Oslo, South-Eastern Norway Health Authority (#2013088, #2006258), the Research Council of Norway (#213837, #223273, #190311/V50) and the KG Jebsen Foundation. This study was also funded by the NARSAD Young Investigator grant (ID:22388) to MA. There are no potential conflicts of interest. Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Aas et al.

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Background: The aim of this study was to investigate whether childhood trauma was associated with more severe clinical features in patients with first-episode psychosis, both at the initial assessment and after one year. Methods: Ninety-six patients with a first-episode of a DSM-IV diagnosis of psychosis, in addition to 264 healthy controls from the same catchment area, were recruited to the TOP NORMENT study. A history of childhood trauma was obtained using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Function and symptom severity were measured using the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale divided into function (GAF-F) and symptoms (GAF-S), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). All clinical assessments were completed at two time points: At an initial assessment within the first year of initiating treatment for psychosis and after one year. Results: Childhood trauma was associated with significantly reduced global functioning and more severe clinical symptoms at both baseline and follow-up, whereas emotional neglect was associated with a significantly reduced improvement rate for global functioning (GAF-F) over the follow-up period. Conclusion: Our data indicate that patients with first-episode psychosis who report a history of childhood trauma constitute a subgroup characterized by more severe clinical features over the first year of treatment, as well as slower improvement rates.

AB - Background: The aim of this study was to investigate whether childhood trauma was associated with more severe clinical features in patients with first-episode psychosis, both at the initial assessment and after one year. Methods: Ninety-six patients with a first-episode of a DSM-IV diagnosis of psychosis, in addition to 264 healthy controls from the same catchment area, were recruited to the TOP NORMENT study. A history of childhood trauma was obtained using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Function and symptom severity were measured using the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale divided into function (GAF-F) and symptoms (GAF-S), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). All clinical assessments were completed at two time points: At an initial assessment within the first year of initiating treatment for psychosis and after one year. Results: Childhood trauma was associated with significantly reduced global functioning and more severe clinical symptoms at both baseline and follow-up, whereas emotional neglect was associated with a significantly reduced improvement rate for global functioning (GAF-F) over the follow-up period. Conclusion: Our data indicate that patients with first-episode psychosis who report a history of childhood trauma constitute a subgroup characterized by more severe clinical features over the first year of treatment, as well as slower improvement rates.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85007467227&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1186/s12888-016-0827-4

DO - 10.1186/s12888-016-0827-4

M3 - Article

C2 - 27146044

AN - SCOPUS:85007467227

SN - 1471-244X

VL - 16

JO - BMC Psychiatry

JF - BMC Psychiatry

IS - 1

M1 - 126

ER -