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The Relationships Between Childhood Abuse and Neglect, Sub-clinical Symptoms of Psychosis and Self-harm in a Non-clinical Community Sample

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Abstract

There is now substantial evidence that childhood adverse events are a significant risk factor for symptoms of psychosis in both clinical and community samples. Both childhood trauma and positive symptoms of psychosis are associated with an increased risk of self-harming behaviours. Therefore the current study aimed to consider the relationship between retrospective reports of childhood adversity, sub-clinical positive symptoms of psychosis and self-harm in a non-clinical community sample. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design, distributed online. Participants were asked to complete psychometric assessments relating to: demographic characteristics including past-year substance misuse; childhood adversity; sub-clinical symptoms of psychosis (delusions and hallucinations) and self-harming behaviours. The results found that, after controlling for substance misuse, childhood adversity predicted significant variance in sub-clinical delusions and hallucinations in the general population. Both symptoms of psychosis and childhood adversity increased the risk of self-harming behaviours. Positive symptoms partially mediated the relationship between early adversity and self-harming behaviours. For some people, the sequelae of early adversity including sub-clinical delusions and hallucinations may increase the risk of self-harming behaviours. Future research would benefit from considering the role of dissociation in these relationships and the affective impact of pseudo-psychotic experiences. Practitioners should consider the impact of childhood adversity, unusual perceptual experiences and distorted beliefs when working with people who self-harm. The current research was limited by the cross-sectional survey design and non-random sampling methodology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS foundation Trust, Nottingham, England

    Kathleen Green & Anthony Webster

  2. Centre for Forensic and Family Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England

    Kathleen Green

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  1. Kathleen Green
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  2. Anthony Webster
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Correspondence to Kathleen Green.

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Green, K., Webster, A. The Relationships Between Childhood Abuse and Neglect, Sub-clinical Symptoms of Psychosis and Self-harm in a Non-clinical Community Sample. Journ Child Adol Trauma 15, 605–614 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-021-00422-5

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