Childhood trauma, dissociation, and clinical outcome in purely substance abusing, mentally ill substance abusing, and purely mentally ill populations

This study examined whether different types of childhood trauma predict adult clinical outcomes. Childhood abuse history and adult defenses were examined in 41 mentally ill (MI), 79 substance abusing non-mentally ill (SA), and 46 mentally ill substance abusing (MISA) inpatients. All completed the DES, CTQ, and TSC-40. Psychotic cohorts reported greater amounts and extremity of childhood physical and emotional abuse. Dissociation was positively correlated with childhood trauma in all cohorts and with adult anxiety in psychotic cohorts. MISA dissociated the most. Emotional abuse was the most significant predictor of adult dissociative pathology. Results strongly supported the notion that non-physical types of childhood maltreatment contribute to adult psychosis, indicating a need for future research in this area.