Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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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 -