Childhood Trauma Raises Risk Of Psychotic Experiences

Scientists in the United Kingdom (UK) said they have found a link between trauma in childhood and psychotic experiences at the age of 18.

According to a new study published in ‘JAMA Psychiatry,’ between 25 and 60 per cent of the young people who reported psychotic experiences, presenting five per cent of the sample, would not have developed these if they had not been exposed to trauma such as bullying, domestic violence or emotional neglect as a child.

Researchers used Bristol’s Children of the 90s longitudinal data to examine 4,433 participants who had clinical interviews and attended clinics at the age of 18. PHD student in the Centre for Academic Mental Health at the University of Bristol, Jazz Croft said, “The findings support that routine screening for psychotic experiences in children or young people exposed to trauma, particularly those exposed to frequent occurrences, should be considered as a way of preventing later mental health problems.”

According to him, understanding how trauma leads to psychotic experiences could lead to the development of more novel treatments for psychosis.

Trauma is a type of damage to the mind that occurs as a result of a distressing event. It is often the result of an overwhelming amount of stress that exceeds one’s ability to cope, or integrate the emotions involved with that experience. .

Categories: Mother And Child