The relationship between childhood trauma and schizophrenia in the Genomics of Schizophrenia in the Xhosa people (SAX) study in South Africa

Sumaya Mall; Jonathan M Platt; Henk Temmingh; Eustasius Musenge; Megan Campbell; Ezra Susser; Dan J Stein

doi:10.1017/S0033291719001703

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The relationship between childhood trauma and schizophrenia in the Genomics of Schizophrenia in the Xhosa people (SAX) study in South Africa

Journal article

Peer reviewed

The relationship between childhood trauma and schizophrenia in the Genomics of Schizophrenia in the Xhosa people (SAX) study in South Africa

Sumaya Mall, Jonathan M Platt, Henk Temmingh, Eustasius Musenge, Megan Campbell, Ezra Susser and Dan J Stein

Psychological medicine, Vol.50(9), pp.1570-1577

07/2020

DOI: 10.1017/S0033291719001703

PMCID: PMC7053504

PMID: 31387660

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Abstract

Evidence from high-income countries suggests that childhood trauma is associated with schizophrenia. Studies of childhood trauma and schizophrenia in low and middle income (LMIC) countries are limited. This study examined the prevalence of childhood traumatic experiences among cases and controls and the relationship between specific and cumulative childhood traumatic experiences and schizophrenia in a sample in South Africa. Data were from the Genomics of Schizophrenia in the South African Xhosa people study. Cases with schizophrenia and matched controls were recruited from provincial hospitals and clinics in the Western and Eastern Cape regions in South Africa. Childhood traumatic experiences were measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Adjusted logistic regression models estimated associations between individual and cumulative childhood traumatic experiences and schizophrenia. Traumatic experiences were more prevalent among cases than controls. The odds of schizophrenia were 2.44 times higher among those who experienced any trauma than those who reported no traumatic experiences (95% CI 1.77-3.37). The odds of schizophrenia were elevated among those who experienced physical/emotional abuse (OR 1.59, CI 1.28-1.97), neglect (OR 1.39, CI 1.16-1.68), and sexual abuse (OR 1.22, CI 1.03-1.45) compared to those who did not. Cumulative physical/emotional abuse and neglect experiences increased the odds of schizophrenia as a dose-response relationship. Childhood trauma is common in this population. Among many other benefits, interventions to prevent childhood trauma may contribute to a decreasing occurrence of schizophrenia.

Adult

Child

Child Abuse - psychology

Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data

Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology

Child Abuse, Sexual - statistics & numerical data

Female

Genomics

Humans

Logistic Models

Male

Middle Aged

Models, Psychological

Prevalence

Schizophrenia - diagnosis

Schizophrenia - epidemiology

Schizophrenic Psychology

South Africa - epidemiology

Surveys and Questionnaires

Young Adult

Details

Title: Subtitle: The relationship between childhood trauma and schizophrenia in the Genomics of Schizophrenia in the Xhosa people (SAX) study in South Africa
Creators: Sumaya Mall - Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Jonathan M Platt - Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USA
Henk Temmingh - Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Eustasius Musenge - Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Megan Campbell - Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Ezra Susser - New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
Dan J Stein - SU/UCT Medical Research Council Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, South Africa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Psychological medicine, Vol.50(9), pp.1570-1577
DOI: 10.1017/S0033291719001703
PMID: 31387660
PMCID: PMC7053504
NLM abbreviation: Psychol Med
ISSN: 0033-2917
eISSN: 1469-8978
Grant note: U01 MH096754 / NIMH NIH HHS T32 MH013043 / NIMH NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 07/2020
Academic Unit: Epidemiology; Injury Prevention Research Center
Record Identifier: 9984214727702771

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