Childhood emotional abuse and dissociation in patients with conversion symptoms

Aim:  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between reported childhood trauma and dissociation in patients who have a conversion symptom.
Method:  Thirty-two outpatients with a conversion symptom were evaluated using Dissociative Experiences Scale, Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory, Clinician-Administered Dissociative State Scale, and Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule.
Results:  A DSM-IV dissociative disorder was diagnosed in 46.9% of the patients. Conversion patients with a dissociative disorder had borderline personality disorder more frequently than those without a dissociative disorder. Among childhood trauma types, emotional abuse was the only significant predictor of dissociation in regression analysis. None of the childhood trauma types predicted borderline personality disorder criteria.
Conclusions:  Borderline personality disorder, dissociation and reports of childhood emotional abuse refer to a subgroup among patients with conversion symptom. Dissociation seems to be a mediator between childhood trauma and borderline phenomena among these patients.     

Somatization as a predictor of suicidal ideation in dissociative disorders

Aim: This study was concerned with correlates of suicidal ideation among patients with chronic complex dissociative disorders. Method: Participants were 40 patients diagnosed as having either dissociative identity disorder or dissociative disorder not otherwise specified according to the DSM‐IV. The Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule, the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Somatoform Dissociation and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaires, the Spielberger Trait Anger Inventory, the Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale, and the Borderline Personality Disorder section of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV Personality Disorders were administered to all patients. Results: Patients with suicidal ideas (n = 15) had concurrent somatization disorder more frequently than the remaining patients. Having significantly high scores on both trait and state dissociation measures, their dissociative disorder was more severe than that of the patients with no suicidal ideation. They had elevated scores for childhood emotional abuse, physical abuse and emotional neglect. Concurrent somatization disorder diagnosis was the only predictor of suicidal ideation when childhood trauma scores and borderline personality disorder diagnosis were controlled. Conclusions: Among dissociative patients, there is an association between somatization and suicidal ideation. A trauma‐related insecure attachment pattern is considered as a common basis of this symptom cluster.     

Childhood trauma and dissociation in female patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: an exploratory study

The few studies that have investigated the relationship between trauma and dissociative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia have not assessed the role of the severity of psychotic symptoms. The current study examined correlations among five domains of childhood trauma and dissociative symptoms in 30 female patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, using the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Psychotic symptoms were measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Consistent with previous studies, high levels of childhood traumatic experiences were found (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire total score M = 48.5, SD = 18.3). Physical neglect and emotional abuse showed significant correlations with dissociative symptoms at admission. When patients were stabilized, about a month after admission, emotional abuse still showed a significant correlation with dissociative symptoms. However, in contrast to previous findings, Dissociative Experiences Scale findings were not stable over time. Our results confirm the relevance of childhood trauma in schizophrenic patients but also demonstrate the need to develop appropriate methodologies for measuring dissociation in this population.     

Dissociative experiences in obsessive-compulsive disorder and trichotillomania: clinical and genetic findings

A link between dissociation proneness in adulthood and self-reports of childhood traumatic events (including familial loss in childhood, sexual/physical abuse and neglect) has been documented. Several studies have also provided evidence for an association between dissociative experiences and trauma in patients with various psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality, dissociative identity and eating disorders. Based on the relative paucity of data on dissociation and trauma in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and trichotillomania (TTM), the primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between trauma and dissociative experiences (DE) in these two diagnostic groups. Furthermore, the availability of clinical and genetic data on this sample allowed us to explore clinical and genetic factors relevant to this association. A total of 110 OCD and 32 TTM patients were compared with respect to the degree of dissociation (using the Dissociative Experiences Scale [DES]) and childhood trauma (using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire [CTQ]). Patients were classified on the DES as either "high" (mean DES score >/= 30) or "low" (mean DES score < 30) dissociators. Additional clinical and genetic factors were also explored with chi-square and t tests as appropriate. A total of 15.8% of OCD patients and 18.8% of TTM patients were high dissociators. OCD and TTM groups were comparable on DES and CTQ total scores, and in both OCD and TTM groups, significant positive correlations were found between mean DES scores and mean CTQ subscores of emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and physical neglect. In the OCD group, high dissociators were significantly younger than low dissociators, and significantly more high dissociators than low dissociators reported a lifetime (current and past) history of tics (P <.001), Tourette's syndrome (P =.019), bulimia nervosa (P =.003), and borderline personality disorder (P =.027). In the TTM group, significantly more high dissociators than low dissociators reported (lifetime) kleptomania (P =.005) and depersonalisation disorder (P =.005). In the Caucasian OCD patients (n = 114), investigation of genetic polymorphisms involved in monoamine function revealed no significant differences between high and low dissociator groups. This study demonstrates a link between childhood trauma and DE in patients with OCD and TTM. High dissociative symptomatology may be present in a substantial proportion of patients diagnosed with these disorders. High dissociators may also be differentiated from low dissociators on some demographic features (e.g., lower age) and comorbidity profile (e.g., increased incidence of impulse dyscontrol disorders). Additional work is necessary before conclusions about the role of monoaminergic systems in mediating such dissociation can be drawn.     

Trauma, dissociation, and posttraumatic stress disorder in female borderline patients with and without substance abuse problems

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations of childhood traumatic experiences and childhood neglect with dissociative experiences and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a population of female borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients with and without substance abuse. METHOD: The sample included 64 female patients with BPD. Childhood traumatic experiences and childhood neglect were measured using the Structured Trauma Interview, dissociative experiences with the Dissociative Experiences Scale, and PTSD with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. RESULTS: In general, dissociation scores were higher among those with a history of childhood trauma and neglect, in particular among those who reported both sexual and physical abuse before age 16, more than one perpetrator and severe maternal dysfunction. The prevalence of PTSD was clearly associated with the severity of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in terms of the occurrence of penetration during CSA, intrafamilial CSA, a duration of CSA longer than 1 year and more than one perpetrator. Comorbid substance abuse problems modified the observed associations such that the associations mentioned above were also present or even more pronounced among those without substance abuse, whereas no associations were found in those with substance abuse. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest a moderately strong association between childhood trauma and neglect with dissociation and PTSD. However, trauma-dissociation and trauma-PTSD links were only observed among BPD patients without addictive problems. The findings are largely consistent with the literature. Potential explanations for the lack of a trauma-dissociation and trauma-PTSD link in the addicted subgroup are discussed.     

Emotional trauma and abuse in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures

A history of childhood trauma and the presence of dissociative phenomena are considered to be the most important risk factors for psychogenic nonepileptic seizure disorder (PNESD). This case-control study investigated 20 patients with PNESD and 20 with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) diagnosed by video/EEG monitoring who were matched for gender and age. Patients with both conditions were not included in the study. Groups were evaluated for age at onset and at diagnosis, worst lifetime weekly seizure frequency, trauma history, and presence of dissociative phenomena. Age at onset (P=0.007) and age at diagnosis (P<0.001) were significantly higher in the PNESD group than the control group, as were the scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale (P<0.001) and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (P=0.014). Only the differences in scores on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire subscales Emotional Neglect (P=0.013) and Emotional Abuse (P=0.014) reached statistical significance. Dissociative phenomena and a reported history of childhood trauma are more common in patients with PNESD than in those with TLE. However, only emotional neglect and abuse were associated with PNESD in this study.     

Childhood abuse and dissociative symptoms in adult schizophrenia

Dissociative symptoms, occurring in many psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, are often preceded by traumatic experience. We hypothesized that various types of childhood trauma would correlate with levels of dissociative symptomatology in adult patients. Twenty-six patients completed the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Dissociation was significantly correlated with emotional abuse (r=0.84, one-tailed p<0.001), and physical abuse (r=0.55, p<0.01). We suggest that emotional abuse may play an important role in the etiology of dissociation in schizophrenia.     

Childhood trauma history and dissociative experiences among Turkish men diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder

Objective This study investigated the association between antisocial personality disorder (APD), childhood trauma history, and dissociative symptoms in a sample of Turkish recruits. Methods A total of 579 male patients diagnosed with APD were examined in a military hospital setting. An age and gender matched control group of 599 normal persons with no known medical or psychiatric disorder were also chosen among military personnel. The subjects were evaluated with an assessment battery using a semi-structured interview for socio-demographic characteristics, APD section of SCID-II, an adapted version of the Structured Trauma Interview, and Dissociative Experiences Scale. Results Childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and early separation from parents were significantly more common among antisocial subjects than among controls. APD group reported significantly more dissociative symptoms and 50.4% of them reported pathological level of dissociation. Overwhelming childhood experiences of all four types were significant predictor of the APD diagnosis. Analyses also showed that childhood traumatic events and comorbid psychopathological features relevant to antisocial personality were significantly associated with pathological level of dissociation. Conclusion These results revealed the importance of inquiring about patient’s history of childhood traumatization and dissociative experiences when diagnosed with APD.     

Childhood abuse in patients with conversion disorder

OBJECTIVE: Despite the fact that the assumption of a relationship between conversion disorder and childhood traumatization has a long history, there is little empirical evidence to support this premise. The present study examined this relation and investigated whether hypnotic susceptibility mediates the relation between trauma and conversion symptoms, as suggested by Janet's autohypnosis theory of conversion disorder. METHOD: A total of 54 patients with conversion disorder and 50 matched comparison patients with an affective disorder were administered the Structured Trauma Interview as well as measures of cognitive (Dissociative Experiences Scale) and somatoform (20-item Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire) dissociative experiences. RESULTS: Patients with conversion disorder reported a higher incidence of physical/sexual abuse, a larger number of different types of physical abuse, sexual abuse of longer duration, and incestuous experiences more often than comparison patients. In addition, within the group of patients with conversion disorder, parental dysfunction by the mother-not the father-was associated with higher scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire. Physical abuse was associated with a larger number of conversion symptoms (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders). Hypnotic susceptibility proved to partially mediate the relation between physical abuse and conversion symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The present results provide evidence of a relationship between childhood traumatization and conversion disorder.     

Dissociative disorders among inpatients with drug or alcohol dependency

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of dissociative disorders among inpatients with alcohol or drug dependency. METHOD: The Dissociative Experiences Scale was used to screen 215 consecutive inpatients admitted to the dependency treatment center of a large mental hospital over a 1-year period (March 1, 2003, to March 31, 2004). Patients who had scores of 30.0 or above were compared with patients who scored below 10.0 on the scale. The patients in both groups were then evaluated using the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders. The interviewers were blind to the Dissociative Experiences Scale scores. RESULTS: Of the patients, 36.7% had a Dissociative Experiences Scale score of 30.0 or above. The prevalence of DSM-IV dissociative disorders was 17.2% (N = 37). On average, 64.9% of these patients' dissociative experiences had started 3.6 years (SD = 2.9; range, 1.0-11.0 years) before onset of the substance use. Patients with dissociative disorders were younger, and the mean duration of their remission periods was shorter. Dissociative disorder patients tended to use more than 1 substance, and drugs were used more frequently than alcohol in this group. The frequency of borderline personality disorder, somatization disorder, history of suicide attempt, and childhood abuse and neglect occurred more frequently in the dissociative disorder group than in the nondissociative disorder group. History of suicide attempt (p = .005), female sex (p = .050), and childhood emotional abuse (p = .010) were significant predictors of a dissociative disorder diagnosis. Significantly more patients with dissociative disorders stopped their treatment prematurely (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Impact of dissociative disorders on development and treatment of substance dependency requires further study.     

Is there a complex relation between social anxiety disorder,childhood traumatic experiences and dissociation?

Background: A possible relationship has been suggested between social anxiety and dissociation. Traumatic experiences, especially childhood abuse, play an important role in the aetiology of dissociation.

Aim: This study assesses childhood trauma history, dissociative symptoms, and dissociative disorder comorbidity in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD).

Method: The 94 psychotropic drug-naive patients participating in the study had to meet DSM-IV criteria for SAD. Participants were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D), the Dissociation Questionnaire (DIS-Q), the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Patients were divided into two groups using the DIS-Q, and the two groups were compared.

Results: The evaluation found evidence of at least one dissociative disorder in 31.91% of participating patients. The most prevalent disorders were dissociative disorder not otherwise specified (DDNOS), dissociative amnesia, and depersonalization disorders. Average scores on LSAS and fear and avoidance sub-scale averages were significantly higher among the high DIS-Q group (p?p?Conclusions: It is concluded that, on detecting SAD symptoms during hospitalization, the clinician should not neglect underlying dissociative processes and traumatic experiences among these patients.     

Multivariate Analysis of Relationship between Childhood Trauma and Psychotic Symptoms in Patients with Schizophrenia

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between childhood trauma and psychotic symptoms in schizophrenic patients after controlling for the possible confounding factors, such as depression and dissociative symptoms. Ninety-eight schizophrenic inpatients participated. Childhood trauma was examined using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaires (CTQ), which consists of physical abuse (PA), sexual abuse (SA), emotional abuse (EA), physical neglect (PN), and emotional neglect (EN). Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Dissociative Experience Scale (DES), and Beck''s Depression Inventory (BDI) were also administered. Data were analyzed by partial correlation and general linear model. The total score of CTQ was positively correlated with positive, general, and total scores of PANSS. All five types of childhood trauma were associated with dissociative symptoms. EA and EN were positively correlated with depressive symptoms. Only SA significantly predicted positive symptoms of schizophrenia after controlling for age, sex, BDI, and DES scores, with a dose-response relationship between SA and positive symptoms.     

Dissociative symptoms in alcohol-dependent patients: associations with childhood trauma and substance abuse characteristics

OBJECTIVE: Inconsistent findings have been reported concerning the level of dissociative symptoms and their relationship with childhood trauma in alcohol-dependent patients. The present study aimed to further examine the level of dissociation and the trauma-dissociation relationship in a sample of alcohol-dependent patients, taking potential mediating factors into account. METHOD: A sample of 100 consecutively admitted inpatients with alcohol dependence according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the International Diagnostic Checklist for posttraumatic stress disorder, the European Addiction Severity Index, and an additional questionnaire assessing the age at onset of different symptoms of alcohol dependence. RESULTS: Substantial rates of childhood trauma were found. However, the mean Dissociative Experiences Scale score was low (9.0). Dissociative symptoms were significantly related to childhood emotional abuse; however, other forms of childhood trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder status were not. Younger age at onset of alcohol dependence was related to both childhood trauma and a higher level of dissociative symptoms. In a hierarchical linear regression model, emotional abuse was found to contribute to dissociation independent of potential chronic residual effects resulting from early onset of alcohol abuse as well as its chronicity or severity. CONCLUSION: The findings support the idea that (clinically significant) dissociation is relatively uncommon in alcohol-dependent patients. Yet, when it occurs, dissociation is associated with childhood emotional abuse independent of chronic alcohol abuse. In addition, patients with an earlier onset of alcohol dependence could be more similar to patients with other substance-related disorders with regard to levels of dissociation.     

Childhood trauma, dissociation, and psychiatric comorbidity in patients with conversion disorder

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate dissociative disorder and overall psychiatric comorbidity in patients with conversion disorder. METHOD: Thirty-eight consecutive patients previously diagnosed with conversion disorder were evaluated in two follow-up interviews. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R, the Dissociation Questionnaire, the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire were administered during the first follow-up interview. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders was conducted in a separate evaluation. RESULTS: At least one psychiatric diagnosis was found in 89.5% of the patients during the follow-up evaluation. Undifferentiated somatoform disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, dysthymic disorder, simple phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depression, and dissociative disorder not otherwise specified were the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. A dissociative disorder was seen in 47.4% of the patients. These patients had dysthymic disorder, major depression, somatization disorder, and borderline personality disorder more frequently than the remaining subjects. They also reported childhood emotional and sexual abuse, physical neglect, self-mutilative behavior, and suicide attempts more frequently. CONCLUSIONS: Comorbid dissociative disorder should alert clinicians for a more chronic and severe psychopathology among patients with conversion disorder.     

The role of childhood interpersonal trauma in depersonalization disorder.

OBJECTIVE: In contrast to trauma's relationship with the other dissociative disorders, the relationship of trauma to depersonalization disorder is unknown. The purpose of this study was to systematically investigate the role of childhood interpersonal trauma in depersonalization disorder. METHOD: Forty-nine subjects with DSM-IV depersonalization disorder and 26 healthy comparison subjects who were free of lifetime axis I and II disorders and of comparable age and gender were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the Childhood Trauma Interview, which measures separation or loss, physical neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, witnessing of violence, and sexual abuse. RESULTS: Childhood interpersonal trauma as a whole was highly predictive of both a diagnosis of depersonalization disorder and of scores denoting dissociation, pathological dissociation, and depersonalization. Emotional abuse, both in total score and in maximum severity, emerged as the most significant predictor both of a diagnosis of depersonalization disorder and of scores denoting depersonalization but not of general dissociation scores, which were better predicted by combined emotional and sexual abuse. The majority of the perpetrators of emotional abuse were either or both parents. Although different types of trauma were modestly correlated, only a few of these relationships were statistically significant, underscoring the importance of comprehensively considering different types of trauma in research studies. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood interpersonal trauma and, in particular, emotional abuse may play a role in the pathogenesis of depersonalization disorder. Compared to other types of childhood trauma, emotional maltreatment is a relatively neglected entity in psychiatric research and merits more attention.     

Dissociative disorders among alcohol-dependent inpatients

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dissociative disorders among inpatients with alcohol dependency. The Dissociative Experiences Scale was used to screen 111 alcohol-dependent patients consecutively admitted to the inpatient unit of a dependency treatment center. Subgroups of 29 patients who scored 30.0 or above and 25 patients who scored below 10.0 were then evaluated with the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule and the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders. The interviewers were blind to the Dissociative Experiences Scale scores. Of the 54 patients evaluated, 10 (9.0% of the original 111) patients had a dissociative disorder. A considerable number of the remaining patients reported a high level of dissociative experiences. Among the dissociative disorder group, nine patients had dissociative disorder not otherwise specified and one patient had depersonalization disorder. Female gender, younger age, history of suicide attempt, childhood emotional and sexual abuse, and neglect were more frequent in the dissociative disorder group than among non-dissociative patients. The dissociative disorder group also had somatization disorder, borderline personality disorder, and lifetime major depression more frequently. For 9 of the 10 dissociative patients, dissociative symptoms started before the onset of alcohol use. Although the probability of having a comorbid dissociative disorder was not higher among alcohol-dependent inpatients than among the general psychiatric inpatients, the dissociative subgroup had distinct features. Many patients without a dissociative disorder diagnosis (predominantly men) provided hints of subtle dissociative psychopathology. Implications of comorbid dissociative disorders and dissociative experiences on prevention and treatment of alcohol dependency and the importance of gender-specific characteristics in this relationship require further study.     

Childhood trauma and personality disorder: positive correlation with adult CSF corticotropin-releasing factor concentrations

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that early life trauma results in adult stress hormone alterations in individuals with personality disorders, the authors examined the relationship between history of childhood adversity and lumbar CSF corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). METHOD: Participants were 20 otherwise healthy men who met DSM-IV criteria for personality disorders. CSF CRF was obtained by lumbar puncture, and childhood adversity was measured by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Correlations were obtained between CSF CRF and the total score on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire as well as scores on its four subscales. RESULTS: CSF CRF concentrations were positively correlated with the total score on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Analysis of the subscales revealed that CSF CRF was correlated with emotional neglect. Correlations between CSF CRF level and physical and emotional abuse and with physical neglect were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with the hypothesis that the severity of early life stress is correlated with stress hormone abnormalities in adulthood, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire total scores and emotional neglect scores were significantly correlated with CSF CRF levels in individuals with personality disorders.     

Dissociation and childhood abuse history in epileptic and pseudoseizure patients.

The aim of this study was to examine dissociative experiences, childhood abuse and anxiety in epileptic and pseudoseizure female patients. Thirty-three patients with pseudoseizures and thirty patients with epilepsy were recruited from Cumhuriyet University Hospital Psychiatry and Neurology Units.We assessed each participant using the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Clinician-Administered Dissociative States Scale and the Childhood Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire. The female patients with pseudoseizures showed significantly higher levels of dissociative experiences and childhood trauma. Epileptic female patients showed higher levels of anxiety. The significantly higher incidence of dissociative experiences and childhood trauma in the patients with pseudoseizures makes a case for dissociation in the pathogenesis of these seizures.     

Childhood trauma and perceived parental dysfunction in the etiology of dissociative symptoms in psychiatric inpatients

OBJECTIVE: Research on the etiology of dissociation in adults has focused primarily on childhood sexual abuse. The role of co-occurring childhood stressors and of more chronic adverse conditions such as neglect is less clear. This study examined the level of dissociation in relation to childhood trauma (sexual/physical abuse, witnessing interparental violence), early separation from a parent, and perceived parental dysfunction. METHOD: One hundred sixty inpatients consecutively admitted to a general psychiatric hospital were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the Structured Trauma Interview. RESULTS: The mean Dissociative Experiences Scale score was 17.4; 18.0% of the patients scored beyond 30. Early separation was reported by 26.4% of the patients; 30.1% had witnessed interparental violence; 23.6% reported physical abuse; 34.6% reported sexual abuse; 11.7% reported rape before age 16; and 42.1% reported sexual and/or physical abuse. The level of dissociation was primarily related to reported overwhelming childhood experiences (sexual and physical abuse). When sexual abuse was severe (involving penetration, several perpetrators, lasting more than 1 year), dissociative symptoms were even more prominent. Highest dissociation levels were found in patients reporting cumulative sexual trauma (intrafamilial and extrafamilial) or both sexual and physical abuse. In particular, maternal dysfunction was related to the level of dissociation. With control for gender and age, stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that the severity of dissociative symptoms was best predicted by reported sexual abuse, physical abuse, and maternal dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that dissociation, although trauma-related, is neglect-related as well. This implies the importance of object relations and attachment in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with dissociative disorders.     

Childhood trauma and hostility as an adult: relevance to suicidal behavior

The objective of this study is to look for a relationship between childhood trauma and hostility as an adult. Toward this end, 294 recently abstinent cocaine or opiate dependent patients were asked to complete two questionnaires: the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ). It was found that there were significant correlations between the HDHQ total hostility score and scores on the CTQ for childhood emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect and physical neglect. Thus, these results suggest the possibility that childhood trauma may be a determinant of the personality dimension of hostility as an adult.