TY - JOUR

T1 - Trauma and psychosis

T2 - the mediating role of self concept clarity and dissociation

AU - Evans, Gavin John

AU - Reid, Graeme

AU - Preston, Phil

AU - Palmier-Claus, Jasper

AU - Sellwood, William

PY - 2015/8/30

Y1 - 2015/8/30

N2 - Childhood trauma (CT) and psychosis may be associated. Drawing on the dissociation and social psychological literature, the current study examined the mediating role of structural aspects of self in explaining the relationship between childhood trauma and psychosis. Twenty-nine individuals with psychosis were compared with 31 healthy volunteers regarding childhood trauma, dissociation and self-concept clarity (SCC). High rates of maltreatment were found in the psychosis sample. Additionally, clinical participants reported more dissociation and less self-concept clarity. Mediational analyses were carried out on pooled data from across both clinical and non-clinical samples. These suggested that the influence of physical neglect in increasing the likelihood of experiencing psychosis was explicable through the effects of increased dissociation. Self-concept clarity mediated the relationship between psychosis and total childhood trauma, emotional abuse, physical abuse, emotional and physical neglect. Furthermore, dissociation and self-concept clarity were strongly correlated providing evidence that they may form a unitary underlying concept of 'self-concept integration'. The study provides further evidence of the link between childhood trauma and psychosis. Self-concept integration may be adversely affected by negative childhood experiences, which increases psychosis risk. Methodological limitations, clinical implications and suggestions for future research are considered. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

AB - Childhood trauma (CT) and psychosis may be associated. Drawing on the dissociation and social psychological literature, the current study examined the mediating role of structural aspects of self in explaining the relationship between childhood trauma and psychosis. Twenty-nine individuals with psychosis were compared with 31 healthy volunteers regarding childhood trauma, dissociation and self-concept clarity (SCC). High rates of maltreatment were found in the psychosis sample. Additionally, clinical participants reported more dissociation and less self-concept clarity. Mediational analyses were carried out on pooled data from across both clinical and non-clinical samples. These suggested that the influence of physical neglect in increasing the likelihood of experiencing psychosis was explicable through the effects of increased dissociation. Self-concept clarity mediated the relationship between psychosis and total childhood trauma, emotional abuse, physical abuse, emotional and physical neglect. Furthermore, dissociation and self-concept clarity were strongly correlated providing evidence that they may form a unitary underlying concept of 'self-concept integration'. The study provides further evidence of the link between childhood trauma and psychosis. Self-concept integration may be adversely affected by negative childhood experiences, which increases psychosis risk. Methodological limitations, clinical implications and suggestions for future research are considered. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

KW - Childhood trauma

KW - Psychosis

KW - Mediation

KW - Dissociation

KW - Self-concept

KW - CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

KW - SCHIZOPHRENIA

KW - EXPERIENCES

KW - COMPLEXITY

KW - EXPLORATION

KW - SENSE

KW - RISK

U2 - 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.04.053

DO - 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.04.053

M3 - Journal article

VL - 228

SP - 626

EP - 632

JO - Psychiatry Research

JF - Psychiatry Research

SN - 0165-1781

IS - 3

ER -